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BGWM Digital Transformation (Discovery Phase)

WEST MIDLANDS GROWTH COMPANY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

30 Sep 2026 at 15:10

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

West Midlands Growth Company Limited, through West Midlands Growth Hub, is buying a discovery-phase consultancy for Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM), the region’s digital entry point to business support. An experienced agency or consortium will investigate user needs and the existing business-support market, test the proposed hybrid “Universal Front Door” model, and define requirements for a future digital service. The intended service would provide a consistent entry journey, triage and route businesses to suitable help, manage referrals, and track outcomes. It may also offer curated digital guidance and tools where these address evidenced gaps, while avoiding duplication of existing provision. The work is delivered for the West Midlands business-support ecosystem.

The buyer invited offers through an open competition for this initial discovery phase. The bid deadline was 26 October 2026 at 12:00 noon. The planned contract period runs from 30 November 2026 to 31 May 2027. The stated procurement value is £100,000 excluding VAT (£120,000 including VAT). The procurement is divided into one lot. Evaluation is weighted 80% for quality and 20% for price. Offers may be submitted electronically through the buyer’s tendering portal. The discovery is intended to inform an evidence-based specification for a later procurement and implementation of the digital service.

This opportunity suits an established consultancy agency or consortium with the experience and capacity to deliver a comprehensive discovery exercise for a regional business-support service. Relevant strengths include user research, service design, digital transformation, business-support models and requirements definition. Suppliers should be able to test assumptions about triage and referral journeys for different business groups, assess existing market solutions and comparable ecosystems, and identify where digital guidance or tools can add value without duplicating current local, regional, national or private-sector provision. The work also calls for turning findings into clear service requirements and a robust specification that can support future investment and procurement decisions. The proposed model spans automated signposting for smaller and early-stage businesses and rapid routing of high-growth-potential and strategic businesses to person-led support. This is a consultancy discovery, not the subsequent service implementation.»}RGCTX}ocds-h6vhtk-077dcc-2026-09-30T15:10:28+01:00

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Notice Information

Notice Title

BGWM Digital Transformation (Discovery Phase)

Notice Description

Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) is the current West Midlands business support service and the primary digital entry point into the wider region's business support ecosystem. Delivered by West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), through West Midlands Growth Hub, BGWM forms a vital part of the region's commitment to providing a "no wrong door" approach to business support. As part of the new WMGC Growth Hub operating model, a new digital service is required to provide a seamless entry journey for all businesses while supporting clear routing, referral management, business intelligence capture and outcome tracking across the wider business support ecosystem. This may or may not be under the same brand. Following a strategic review, WMGC has adopted a Hybrid Universal Front Door model for the business support digital service, which provides a consistent and high-quality entry experience for all businesses and quickly routes businesses to the most appropriate support while managing expectations around provision through clear positioning and tailored customer journeys. While the future digital service will provide a universal entry point, universal access does not mean that every business will receive person-led support. The primary role of the service is to identify and enable the most appropriate next step for the business. Small, micro, pre-start and startup businesses will be supported through automated referrals to Local Enterprise Services, other local and national provision, plus curated digital content and tools. High-growth potential and strategic businesses will be identified through proportionate digital triage and transferred rapidly into person-led support through the High Growth Service and Strategic Account Management functions. The future digital service is intended not only to signpost businesses that are not yet eligible for person-led High Growth support to external provision, but also to operate as a regional digital support layer. It will help address common business needs directly through high-quality digital tools, guidance and tailored recommendations. These tailored resources would supplement evidenced gaps in provision and improve continuity rather than replicate support already available through local, regional, national or private-sector providers. The future digital service should be informed by recognised best practice from comparable business support ecosystems and digital service models. Discovery activity should assess existing market solutions and ensure any future service delivers clear additional value to businesses and stakeholders, avoiding unnecessary duplication of functionality, content, tools or services already available elsewhere. To ensure future investment decisions are evidence-based and aligned to business needs, WMGC is seeking to appoint an experienced agency or consortium to undertake a comprehensive Discovery Phase that will validate user needs, test key assumptions underpinning the hybrid model, define service requirements, and develop a robust specification for future procurement and implementation. This is an initial procurement associated with the first phase - Discovery - of this project.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077dcc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092468-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72130000 - Computer-site planning consultancy services

72246000 - Systems consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£100,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£100,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
26 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Nov 2026 - 31 May 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WEST MIDLANDS GROWTH COMPANY LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B4 6AT
Postcode Area
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
TLG3 West Midlands
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Ladywood
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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