--- title: "Evaluation of the Investment Ready Programme for Diverse Founders" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "SME WHOLESALE FINANCE (LONDON) LIMITED" published: "2025-02-18" --- # Evaluation of the Investment Ready Programme for Diverse Founders Buyer: SME WHOLESALE FINANCE (LONDON) LIMITED Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6bea75d3-7c0d-4e29-8534-46ef19422fc1.json) ## Summary SME Wholesale Finance (London) Limited, trading as Funding London, is inviting tenders for the evaluation of their Investment Ready Programme designed for diverse founders. This procurement process falls under the "Banking and investment services" category and is located at 5th Floor, 330 Holborn Gate, 326-332 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QH. The tender is currently in the active stage, with proposals due by 4pm on 28 February 2025. The project is scheduled to commence on 7 March 2025, and end on 31 May 2025. Being an open procurement process below the threshold, it aims to analyse the performance and impact of their six-week programme launched in September 2023, which supports pre-seed and seed stage businesses in London, particularly those led by diverse founders. The contract value ranges from £25,000 to £35,000, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund managed by the Greater London Authority. This tender offers significant opportunities for firms or consultants specialising in programme evaluation, economic development, and SME growth strategies. Businesses that excel in assessing programme impact, consistency, and value for money would find this opportunity well-suited to their expertise. The project requires a thorough analysis of the Investment Ready Programme’s performance against contractual targets, providing valuable insights that can help the stakeholder organisations improve their economic support initiatives. SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly encouraged to apply, reflecting the tender's focus on inclusive and impactful economic development activities in partnership with the private sector. ## Notice The Contracting Authority for this Tender is SME Wholesale Finance (London) Limited (trading as Funding London), a company limited by guarantee with its registered office at 5th Floor, 330 Holborn Gate, 326-332 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QH. Funding London was established in 2004 by the then Mayor of London with a specific long-term mandate to support the Economic Development Strategy for London through its SME funding activities. Since its inception, Funding London has supported London-based SMEs caught in the finance gap through its investment activities, and more recently through complementary business support. Our mission is to create an evergreen source of funding whereby returns from previous funds are reinvested into new funds. Therefore, the focus of our activities is not only to deliver impact through investment in growth and jobs but also to deliver the best financial returns possible by working in partnership with the private sector. In September 2023, Funding London launched the Investment Ready Programme (https://fundinglondon.co.uk/programmes). This is a free, six-week programme designed to support London based pre-seed and seed stage businesses, especially but not exclusively led by diverse founders in raising external capital, delivered in partnership with Mountside Ventures (https://www.mountsideventures.com/accelerator). The programme is the recipient of PS1,065,964 from UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) managed by the Greater London Authority. We seek to appoint a firm/consultant to evaluate the Investment Ready Programme and provide insights into the programme's performance against its contractual targets. The evaluation should reflect the programme's relevance, as outlined in Annex E, which demonstrates the rationale for the project activity and its links to outputs, outcomes, and impact. It should also assess the programme's consistency, progress, and impact while evaluating value for money, delivery, and management. Bids should be submitted to bianca@fundinglondon.co.uk by 4pm 28 February 2025. Please visit the attached ITT for a full tender process description including background and context, scope of work, timeframe and delivery, budget, selection criteria, further conditions applicable to the tender process, contractual agreement, and draft agreement. Annex E attached demonstrates the rationale for the project activity and its links to outputs, outcomes, and impact. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/25e892a9-a7cc-47c1-ad34-dc2e49708ddc | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (below threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 18 Feb 2025 | | Submission deadline | 28 Feb 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 7 Mar 2025 - 31 May 2025 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £35,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | SME WHOLESALE FINANCE (LONDON) LIMITED | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | Central London | | Postcode | WC1V 7QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | City of London | | Electoral ward | Farringdon Without | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services ### Codes - 66100000 - Banking and investment services ## Release History - 18 Feb 2025 at 11:46 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/25e892a9-a7cc-47c1-ad34-dc2e49708ddc - 10 Feb 2025 at 13:55 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/25e892a9-a7cc-47c1-ad34-dc2e49708ddc - 10 Feb 2025 at 13:50 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/25e892a9-a7cc-47c1-ad34-dc2e49708ddc ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/25e892a9-a7cc-47c1-ad34-dc2e49708ddc 18th February 2025 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/9597d0ea-edf9-478a-a0dc-52c783f6b2be The ITT document outlines the background and context, scope of work, timeframe and delivery, budget, selection criteria, further conditions applicable to the tender process, contractual agreement, and draft agreement. - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/b4ac1aa4-6e78-4277-b5e2-7acbebe48f93 The spreadsheet demonstrates the rationale for the project activity and its links to outputs, outcomes, and impact. - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/dac8c01d-62c7-4aa9-8dd8-357392ac9e40 The ITT document outlines the background and context, scope of work, timeframe and delivery, budget, selection criteria, further conditions applicable to the tender process, contractual agreement, and draft agreement. ## Notice URLs - https://fundinglondon.co.uk/programmes - https://www.mountsideventures.com/accelerator ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. 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