Business Support and Expert Help Services 2025 – 2029

Tender description

North Lanarkshire Council in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council are seeking to appoint a range of skilled business consultants across a variety of disciplines to deliver business support and expert help consultancy services for Lanarkshire based SME’s in addition to the support delivered via the core Business Gateway Lanarkshire service. Business Gateway Lanarkshire is a publicly funded, nationally branded service that provides free business support and impartial advice for start-up and existing businesses based in Scotland. The delivery of the Business Gateway service across Scotland is managed by local government. In Lanarkshire the lead local authority North Lanarkshire Council, works in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council to manage the delivery across Lanarkshire. This approach detailed within this Prior Information Notice will augment the support delivered via the core Business Gateway Lanarkshire service and other business support mechanisms provided by the councils; it does not duplicate any business support that is available via the above support streams. Lot 1: Following the expiry of the current arrangements in March 2025, it is proposed that a new framework agreement will be developed and competitively procured that will result in Lanarkshire based businesses having access to support and advice in the form of: -1-2-1 Expert Help Support; -Training Workshops; and -Surgeries It is proposed that a new approach to deliver support to Lanarkshire businesses (at all stages including pre-start, new start and existing) by way of access to suitably qualified consultants and professional bespoke advice and support, focused on sustainability and growth areas such as: -reviewing existing processes, strategies, policies or plans; -supporting businesses to improve these accordingly or to introduce new processes, strategies, policies or plans as required; -Introduce new products or services; and -Reach new markets At present, it is anticipated that any framework agreement procured would comprise of eight individual Lots, as outlined below. -Business Financial Management; -Business Growth and Development; -Human Resources, Leadership and Skills; -Procurement; -Marketing; -Information Technology and Digital; -Energy Efficiency and Net Zero; and -New Market Opportunities and Internationalisation The overarching aim of this proposed framework agreement is to better equip local businesses to sustain, grow, innovate, increase turnover and profitability, creating more local jobs and outputs for the Lanarkshire economy. The framework agreement is anticipated to have a maximum total value of 1,400,000 GBP with an individual budget allocated to each lot which is yet to be determined. It is anticipated that the total budget applied to the framework agreement would support circa 2,400 businesses throughout its full term. Currently, it is proposed that the framework agreement is scheduled to commence on 01 April 2025 with a total term of four years made up of four individual 12 month periods. To meet the proposed commencement date detailed above, it is anticipated that the invitation to tender package will be published in late September / early October 2024.