---
title: "Soft Market Testing for Growth Hub Service a Business Support Service"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2024-03-20"
---

# Soft Market Testing for Growth Hub Service a Business Support Service

Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41)  
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## Summary

The Essex County Council is planning a Soft Market Testing for Growth Hub Service, a business support service classified under the Business services industry category. The engagement end date is set for 20th June 2024. This tender aims to procure a specialist provider for Growth Hub support, with an estimated budget of £100,000. Responses should be submitted by 3rd April 2024, with the contract starting on 1st July 2024 and expiring on 31st March 2025.

This opportunity can benefit businesses seeking to provide business support services. Small and medium enterprises, as well as consortiums or lead entities willing to sub-contract, would be well-suited to compete. Essex County Council is the buying organisation for this planning stage tender, which offers a chance for businesses to secure a contract providing information, navigation, and signposting services to businesses looking to succeed.

## Notice

Essex County Council (ECC) intends to procure a specialist provider to provide Growth Hub support. Growth Hubs are an established business support service, which provide free and impartial signposting, information, and advice to all businesses looking to succeed, helping them to navigate the national and local support landscape. It is Government grant funded annually by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and provides a one stop shop for business support services that offers: * Information, navigation, and signposting via a coordinated, multi-channel service * One-to-one structured support to small and medium enterprises, incorporating a diagnostic assessment of business needs and advice and guidance. The existing contract expires on 30th June 2024. ECC would like to gauge the interest for a contract that would start on the 1 July 2024 and expire on 31 March 2025. 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. The estimated budget for this service is PS100,000. The budget is based on previously received grants for the same service, however the exact budget is dependent on the value of the grant received from the DBT. To confirm your interest in the opportunity please email Daniel.Gaimster@essex.gov.uk. Responses should be submitted by 5pm 3 April 2024. Please note this PIN/Early Engagement/Request for Information is not intended as a call for competition.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e2ac4bb-e833-4fd5-b0f5-437d5528282f |
| 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 | 20 Mar 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 20 Jun 2024 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £100,000 |
| 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 | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

## Release History

- 20 Mar 2024 at 15:19 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e2ac4bb-e833-4fd5-b0f5-437d5528282f

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/1e2ac4bb-e833-4fd5-b0f5-437d5528282f
  20th March 2024 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- https://procontract.due-north.com/

## 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-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc321580-a1eb-41fb-83b1-9e8f531e4c41.json.