Project Tender Invitation – Scoping the private sector business support offer

The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) has been awarded £40,000 from BIS to develop a basic infrastructure for delivery of business support. It is allocating up to £10,000 of this on work to identify, partner up with and promote the emerging private sector business support offer. This paper invites any organisation to bid to undertake this work; and provides background information on the LEP, on the changing business support environment, and on the tender specification.

Background

The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) was one of the first to be approved by Government and encompasses 1.9million people and over 800,000 jobs. It contributes £36bn GVA to the economy.  It is one of 38 such Partnerships covering nearly all of the country each of who have the strategic lead for growth in their area. The GBSLEP comprises:

  ·         Birmingham and Solihull Metropolitan Core – this has a population of 1.23m and contains many of the economic drivers of the conurbation – the airport; Birmingham city centre; four major universities and international venues such as the NEC, NIA and ICC.

·         Southern Staffordshire - comprising the four local authority areas of Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth and East Staffordshire, it has a population of 0.38m with considerable numbers commuting to and from Birmingham. The E3I belt – an area 20-40km outside the urban conurbation – is an area with significant potential for sustainable economic growth.

·         Northern Worcestershire - comprising three local authority areas to the south – Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest, it has a population of 0.27 m. There is considerable commuting into Birmingham and Solihull, but also commuting out from it.

It is a business-led partnership with a total of seventeen directors: nine from the business community, eight from local authorities and one representing higher/further education. Business representatives were recruited with the aim of reflecting the geography of the area as well as different sizes and sectors of commerce and industry.

The LEP’s emerging ‘Strategy for Growth’ will focus on a few key priorities that are designed to make the LEP a world class city region. It has three components:

·         Business – private sector led and encompassing business support, access to finance, reducing regulatory burdens, developing social enterprise and maximising inward investment;

·         People - business-led and focusing on developing employment and skills needs;

·         Place - local authority led and including the development of an ambitious spatial framework, integrated transport, developing world class digital connectivity and creation of a business friendly planning service.

The LEP has ambitions to increase GVA by 30% by 2020 and create 100,000 private sector jobs, stimulate business growth and increase survival rates and profitability, boost indigenous and inward investment and achieve global leadership in key sectors and build a world class workforce. 

The LEP has established a number of stakeholder working groups led by Board members to support the delivery of the LEPs ambitious targets. A Business Support group was set up in 2011 to

• advise the LEP Board on Access to Finance and Business Support related priorities programmes and proposed interventions.
• act as a voice for the business community in the LEP area in its dealing with Government, other public agencies, private sector organisations, national access to finance and business support programme managers and other related cross LEP based agencies/programmes.
• make recommendations to the LEP Partners (and other LEP sub-groups) on Access to Finance and Business Support related matters. 

For further details and information on how to submit a tender please follow this link.

Deadline for receipt of all tenders is Monday 23rd January 2012