PR 2001 - VGH Business Support

This tender opportunity is part Funded by ERDF and forms part of the Velocity ERDF Project. SEMLEP requires an organisation to provide business adviser support in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton boroughs on behalf of the Velocity Growth Hub until December 2018. The activities form part of SEMLEP's Velocity Growth Hub project. The Velocity Growth Hub project provides information, enhanced diagnosis and brokerage to help SMEs and social enterprises to develop and implement growth plans. SEMLEP currently employs five advisers and one sub-contractor to provide this service. We now require an additional sub-contractor to deliver the service in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton boroughs.

The project addresses the falling business growth rates in the South East Midlands and particularly targets SMEs with aspirations to grow or scale-up their businesses. This could also include signposting them to other Velocity Growth Hub project resources, i.e. workshops and grants. SMEs that receive one-to-one advice through the project will complete an Enrolment Form and Action Plan (using the Velocity Action Plan form) to capture growth metrics and the key issues facing the business, together with the agreed actions to deal with them which will be updated as necessary at progress reviews.

Method SEMLEP is seeking an experienced, professional, business support provider with capacity and capability to:

• Provide business support and brokerage services to businesses that have been incorporated for more than 12 months and which are eligible for support from the European Regional Development Fund, for over 13 hours. Helping each one to develop an action plan to grow its business (defined in terms of employment, sales, profitability, improved productivity or Gross Value Added) and provide advice on where it may obtain further support to do so. • Promote Velocity workshops and events to businesses in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton boroughs.

Please download the Tender Specification for full details of the requirements of this tender opportunity and selection and award criteria.

The output targets for this work are: 1. C4 - Number of enterprises receiving non-financial support other than grants: Minimum 75 2. 75 SMEs referred on to workshops or Masterclasses delivered for or by Velocity Growth Hub and that go on to complete more than 13 hours support. Please Note: Clients who do not receive over 12 hours support cannot be claimed as an output, so please factor into your pricing that there is a possibility some clients you may have supported will not be claimable despite receiving some hours of support. 3. P13 - Number of enterprises receiving information, diagnostic and brokerage support: we estimate that in order to achieve (1) and (2) above it will be necessary to achieve between 200 and 300 P13 outputs.

Please download the Tender Specification for full details of the requirements of this tender opportunity and selection and award criteria.