Intensive Start-up Support

The Business Growth Hub (BGH) wishes to appoint a service provider to enter into a contract for the delivery of pre start and post start support to individuals wishing to start their own business in the Greater Manchester area which will develop their understanding, knowledge and capability to create a successful and sustainable business.

The programme of delivery will commence in January 2017 and will initially run through to September 2018 withan option to extend this for a further 2 years and 3 months.

The initial value of this contract will be for 225 000 GBP to deliver a minimum of:- - 300 potential entrepreneurs assisted to be enterprise ready (minimum of 12 hours support) - 200 businesses created with a fully evidenced audit trail - 100 early stage businesses supported to ensure sustainability (minimum of 12 hours support)

This could be enhanced further subject to funding, this funding could become available at any point in theduration of the contract. Therefore the successful provider must be able to scale their delivery based on funds available.

The successful provider will be expected to provide outreach activity to stimulate awareness of self employment, particularly amongst disadvantaged wards and under represented groups and then deliver high quality support across the full Greater Manchester area to ensure that viable businesses are created. The provider will also be already working with a number of referral sources such as job centres, community groups, local authorities and housing associations and will need to have a detailed knowledge of DWP benefit requirements and restrictions. Individuals will also be referred to the programme from the Enquiries Team at BGH. All businesses regardless of referral source will be required to complete a registration form and may need to meet ERDF criteria.

The provider will be expected to refer eligible growth businesses and individuals with the potential of starting a high growth business through to BGH (potential to turnover 250 000 GBP in the first three years of trading). OJEU reference 2016/S 201-382947