Provision of Business Support Consultants for DR!VE Project (Connector Media CIC t/a Sewing Rooms)

Please note the tender process is being managed by Selnet Lancashire but the Contracting Body is Connector Media Community Interest Company t/a Sewing Rooms.

To secure the DR!VE Project Connector Media t/a Sewing Rooms (Sewing Rooms) have joined forces with Selnet Ltd, the Social Enterprise Network for Lancashire. Selnet are nationally recognised as one of the UK's top 100 Social Enterprises and the lead body representing social enterprise in the Lancashire sub-region. Selnet provide a range of business support services delivered through partners that build capacity, provide resources and opportunities to help increase competitiveness, sustainability and impact of the business supported. Selnet have many years' experience in contract management and are the lead partner in the delivery of the DR!VE project.

The Sewing Rooms is a project of Connector Media Community Interest Company (CIC). Registered company no. 06362350. The Sewing Rooms social enterprise is a business that trades to tackle social problems. Their goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we work with, as well as improve peoples' life chances. We do business by putting people and the planet first. We reinvest the money that our business makes into the communities around us.

"DR!VE" is a new, bespoke, stand-alone programme for Lancashire enterprises and entrepreneurs that fills a gap in both business start-up and growth support provision across Lancashire. Throughout our delivery of the DR!VE project we aim to provide an enjoyable service which guides our clients through planned support to create business, increase competitiveness, profitability, employee engagement and ensure client satisfaction.

As a trusted project partner Sewing Rooms have agreed with Selnet to deliver specialist business support through a team of advisers, support activity will focus in mainly West and Central Lancashire. Sewing Rooms have committed private match funding to enable the partnership to access ERDF grant funding and are committed to achieving the project deliverables for the Lancashire economy. Over the lifetime of the project we will reach over 120 Businesses including social enterprise that will benefit from support tailored to their individual business needs.

Sewing Rooms project delivery will operate in West and Central Lancashire. (west Lancashire, Chorley, Preston and South Ribble).

The successful applicant(s) will contribute to the overall success of the Sewing Rooms delivery as part of the DR!VE partnership. They will commit to achieving a proportion of the overall output targets and results that Sewing Rooms are required to achieve as a project partner across the lifetime of the project.

Sewing Rooms require a maximum of 3 (three) suitably qualified and experience business advisers, with experience of supporting Social Enterprise to start up and to develop. Each adviser must be able to meet at least one third of the detailed targets below.