This procurement aims to appoint a single supplier to deliver high quality, impactful business support to ambitious SMEs in East Sussex. The contract will run for 8 months from August 2025 to March 2026 with a possible extension of a further 12 months (subject to funding). The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is the UK Government's replacement for European Structural Investment Fund (ESiF) that included both the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and is managed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The funding for this contract, provided through UKSPF, is contingent upon ESCC receiving the fun

About the buyer

East Sussex County Council buys as a local government organisation through Orbis Procurement, a shared service with Surrey County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council. Contracts above a set value are advertised on the Proactis Supplier Network, the council's main tenders site. Larger opportunities also appear on the government's Find a Tender service. Purchase orders and payments run through SAP, the council's purchase-to-pay system, with suppliers paid by BACS. Procurement sits in three categories, People, Place, and Corporate, IT and Governance, each with its own Procurement Partner. An Orbis Joint Committee oversees the partnership's shared procurement service.

UK local government drives £140bn in annual procurement, led by social protection (£66.6bn) and education (£57.1bn).

Over the past 5 years, most of East Sussex County Council's contract awards have been in transport services, construction work and transport equipment.