Targeted Entrepreneurial Support for Black and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME)

Tender description

North Lanarkshire Council (the Council) has an ambition within the Plan for North Lanarkshire to ‘improve economic opportunities and outcomes’. The invest here vision includes: -Businesses have the support to grow and succeed, to develop new products and market and to create and secure new jobs, and -our economy will continue to grow in a way that benefits all local people’ Funding has been secured from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and has been allocated to develop a new and enhanced strand of business support that was unable to be delivered at scale with previous structural funds for Black, Asian, and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) people. According to National Statistics, North Lanarkshire has typically seen lower than the national average rates of BAME people starting up businesses. Services therefore required seek to provide community-based advice and support to individuals who typically experience structural barriers to entrepreneurship, self-employment or running their own business for BAME owned businesses and individuals within North Lanarkshire. Services required within the Agreement include business support and tailored and specialised support to BAME owned businesses and individuals within North Lanarkshire. The minimum key deliverables will be: - Provision of support which is anticipated to consist of a mix of one to one, group, and bespoke programmes to support the development and growth of business start-ups from BAME people across North Lanarkshire. Types of support in key topic areas include (but not limited to): mindset, confidence, life coaching, idea generation, funding, trading, and income generation, tendering and procurement (to complement Supplier Development Programme), marketing, recruitment of employees and business planning. - Support the creation of new businesses led by BAME people in North Lanarkshire - Support the growth of businesses led by BAME people who are already trading in North Lanarkshire - Delivery of bespoke business-focused thematic or sectoral events for BAME communities. - A minimum target of circa 200 unique potential entrepreneurs supported to be business ready (numerical value) - A minimum target of circa 50 unique new businesses created (numerical value) Where applicable, the Contractor should ensure that all their Staff involved in delivering the requirements of the Agreement are employed and treated in accordance with the Scottish Governments Fair Work First initiative. From the point of award of the Agreement, the Contractor shall immediately enter into contract mobilisation discussions with the Council, with aim to commence Services on 08 January 2024.