--- title: "Business Support Services Future Growth Programme 2" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2024-02-16" --- # Business Support Services Future Growth Programme 2 Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d.json) ## Summary The current procurement process being planned by Essex County Council involves the solicitation of Business Support Services Future Growth Programme 2. The services sought include integrated business support, financial support, skills consultancy, and brokerage services, aimed at aiding businesses in Essex, excluding certain areas, to achieve growth and prosperity. The contract will last 21 months and encompasses three main focus areas. Interested suppliers are required to submit responses by the end of business on Friday 23rd February 2024. This tender presents an opportunity for businesses offering financial and insurance services, business analysis consultancy services, and other related business services. Essex County Council is the contracting authority seeking bids for a single lot encompassing multiple service areas, promoting competition from a variety of organisations, including single entities, consortia, or lead entities with subcontracting arrangements. The procurement process is currently at the planning stage, with engagement activities ongoing until a due date of 23rd February 2024. ## Notice Essex County Council (ECC) are seeking to commence procurement in March 2024 to procure an integrated Business Support, Financial Support, Skills Consultancy & Brokerage service. The service, working closely with the Government funded Growth Hub, will help provide the front door for businesses seeking advice and support in the County, enabling them to have the knowledge necessary to achieve growth and prosperity as well as access to business finance. The area covered by the service will be the Ceremonial County of Essex, excluding Southend and Thurrock Unitary Authority areas. This procurement will be subject to internal governance. The proposed term of the contract will be 21 months. Bids can be from a single organisation, a consortium or a lead entity with sub-contracting; this will be at the supplier's discretion but is subject to agreement from Essex County Council. We are proposing tendering as a single lot with 3 main areas of focus: Focus Area 1 : Business Support Service Focus Area 2: Financial Support Service Focus Area 3: Skills Consultancy and Brokerage Service More information regarding the Focus Areas are available in the document attached. This Prior Information Notice (PIN) has been issued to the open market to obtain expressions of interest as well as details of indicative bidding model (single supplier, part of a group or consortium or subcontractor). We are requesting that interested suppliers respond via emailing sam.hadi@essex.gov.uk to confirm their interest, as well as their indicative bidding model. Responses should be submitted by EOP Friday 23rd February 2024. Additional information: This Prior Information Notice (PIN) has been issued to the open market to obtain expressions of interest as well as details of indicative bidding model (single supplier, part of a group or consortium or subcontractor). We are requesting that interested suppliers respond via emailing sam.hadi@essex.gov.uk to confirm their interest, as well as their indicative bidding model. Responses should be submitted by EOP Friday 23rd February 2024. Please note this PIN/Early Engagement/Request for Information (RFI) is not intended as a call for competition and as such you will need to express your interest in any future tender opportunity once the contract notice is published in Find a Tender and on Contracts Finder. Please note the invitation to tender (ITT) for this project will be carried out via Essex County Council's eSourcing portal, Proactis ProContract. If you have not already registered, it is recommended that you do so in good time ahead of the planned procurement publication date in March 2024 as suppliers will require a registered account to participate in the tender once published. Registration is free of charge and gives bidders access to opportunities from several other Local Authority and Public Sector organisations. To register, visit: Supplier registration (due-north.com) The Proactis supplier helpdesk (https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/) can help with registration queries. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/81d6e5a8-b00f-44cb-b5b4-a17ce1622a6b | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 16 Feb 2024 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 23 Feb 2024 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | CHELMSFORD | | Post town | Chelmsford | | Postcode | CM1 1QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex | | ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex | | Local authority | Chelmsford | | Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central | | Westminster constituency | Chelmsford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 66000000 - Financial and insurance services - 72221000 - Business analysis consultancy services - 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ## Release History - 16 Feb 2024 at 16:33 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/81d6e5a8-b00f-44cb-b5b4-a17ce1622a6b ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/81d6e5a8-b00f-44cb-b5b4-a17ce1622a6b 16th February 2024 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-612d52fb-a8ee-4999-82ec-6fe4e64d634d.json.