Culture and Creative Recovery Economic Fund - Peer network management and training

NOTE: This Contract Opportunity is Reserved This contract opportunity is reserved under the principles set out in PPN 11/20 "Reserving Below Threshold Contracts". The PPN permits the reserving of below threshold procurements by supplier location and/or in addition SME/VCSE to tackle economic inequality and support local recruitment, training, skills and investment. This contact opportunity is specifically reserved for response from suppliers in the WECA region which is defined as North Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset. In response to the Covid-19 crisis WECA are delivering a culture and creative economy business support programme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across B&NES, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The programme is aimed at SMEs working in the creative industries, including creative freelancers (sole traders and directors of limited companies) and start-ups, that require support because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The business support programme will support a maximum of 120 creative business to reformulate their operating and financial models, explore new business opportunities and review business plans in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The programme is being delivered over a 12-month period and has already opened for expressions of interest. The programme will support businesses across all sectors of the creative industries and all ownership types, with a focus on improving business resilience and supporting recovery.

Additional information: all tender documentation in relation to this opportunity Reference DN 537339 can be found on the Supplying the South West Procurement Portal. To view the opportunity and to see all tender documents please register your organisation at: https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk/ and vie latest published contract opportunities. This contract opportunity is reserved under the principles set out in PPN 11/20 "Reserving Below Threshold Contracts". The PPN permits the reserving of below threshold procurements by supplier location and/or in addition SME/VCSE to tackle economic inequality and support local recruitment, training, skills and investment.

This contact opportunity is specifically reserved for response from suppliers in the WECA region which is defined as North Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset. The definition below has been taken from the PPN below and contextualised to the WECA region:

• Supplier Location: As a supplier to be eligible to bid for this requirement you must either be based or established in; and have substantive business operations in a location served by in this case the West of England Combined Authority. You must be able to demonstrate your eligibility by having a registered office, factory or other permanent base in this case the WECA region from which meaningful business operations have been conducted for at least 12 months. WECA may apply an exception to the 12-month period for start-ups and newly established businesses in the region.

Additionally, we may reserve this contract opportunity for:

• Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME): Any business with fewer than 250 employees and either an annual turnover below £45m or a total balance sheet less than £40m.

• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs): Any organisation (incorporated or not) working with a social purpose. This ranges from small community-based groups / schemes, through to larger registered charities and social enterprises, public service mutual and cooperatives that operate locally, regionally and nationally. This term is often interchangeable with the terms 'third sector' or 'civil society' organisations.