--- title: "SC20081 - Kent and Medway Growth Hub" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-029b02" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029b02" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b02.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b02.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "KENT COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2021-03-12" --- # SC20081 - Kent and Medway Growth Hub Buyer: KENT COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-029b02 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029b02) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b02.json) ## Summary Kent County Council is currently seeking to procure a local Growth Hub service titled "SC20081 – Kent and Medway Growth Hub", aimed at supporting businesses in the Kent and Medway region. This procurement process, classified under 'services' within the miscellaneous business and business-related services industry category, is in the active stage of tendering. Interested parties must submit their proposals by 12:00 on 12th April 2021. The contract is expected to run from 1st July 2021 to 31st March 2024, with an annual value of approximately £224,000 for core services, alongside potential additional funding for enhanced support services. This opportunity presents significant avenues for business growth, particularly for organisations involved in delivering business support services, marketing, and strategic partnership development. Businesses that can provide comprehensive one-on-one support and facilitate access to resources for ambitious companies are well-suited to compete. With a focus on helping over 4,150 businesses annually and targeting intensive support for 50 SMEs, this contract offers a platform for innovative solutions and collaboration within the thriving economic landscape of the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership. ## Notice Growth Hubs are locally based, Government-backed services linked to the national business support helpline. They enable businesses to access local and national business support. Government funding for Growth Hubs is made available via the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) covers Kent and Medway, Essex, Southend, Thurrock and East Sussex. It is the largest LEP in England. The SELEP (via Essex County Council as its accountable body) receives funding from Government for a Growth Hub. The SELEP operates a federal model, with local partnerships for each economic area within the LEP. For Kent and Medway, this is the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP). The Growth Hub for the SELEP area reflects this federal model, with separately procured and managed services in Kent and Medway, Essex and East Sussex. The Council wishes to procure a local Growth Hub service across the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership. The Growth Hub aims to simplify and coordinate access to business support in local areas, connecting businesses with the best support available from the private and public sectors. It will target support on those businesses with the opportunity, ambition, and greatest potential to grow. ### Lot Information Lot 1 Background Growth Hubs are locally based, Government-backed services linked to the national business support helpline. They enable businesses to access local and national business support. Government funding for Growth Hubs is made available via the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) covers Kent and Medway, Essex, Southend, Thurrock and East Sussex. It is the largest LEP in England. The SELEP (via Essex County Council as its accountable body) receives funding from Government for a Growth Hub. The SELEP operates a federal model, with local partnerships for each economic area within the LEP. For Kent and Medway, this is the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP). The Growth Hub for the SELEP area reflects this federal model, with separately procured and managed services in Kent and Medway, Essex and East Sussex. The current Kent and Medway Growth Hub service can be accessed at www.askphil.biz Procurement Description The Council wishes to procure a local Growth Hub service across the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership. The Growth Hub aims to simplify and coordinate access to business support in local areas, connecting businesses with the best support available from the private and public sectors. It will target support on those businesses with the opportunity, ambition, and greatest potential to grow. The contract term will be from 1st July 2021 to 31st March 2024 (33 months). Contract value is circa PS224K per annum (subject to funding allocation), for the "core" service, to engage over 4150 businesses and support 1380 per annum. With a further PS300k for "enhanced" business support services of 36 hours intensive support to an additional 50 businesses over a 12-month period. Key activities include: Core: * Marketing and Engagement of the service to businesses * Provision of single point of contact for business support services * Assessment of business need and signposting to relevant support. * Direct one to one business support for ambitious and high growth companies * Development of strategic partnerships and robust referral networks * Data collection, verification, and reporting Enhanced: * Delivery of 36 hours of intensive support over a 12-month period to support SMEs emerging from the pandemic. Activities are not prescriptive but required metrics around economic impact will need to be met. Any organisation who wishes to tender for this opportunity is required to express an interest via the Kent Business Portal (www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk), on expression of interest a copy of the Selection Questionnaire will be made available for submission no later than noon 12th April 2021. In the event that additional funding for this service is granted to the Council to continue to deliver the Growth Hub Services consisting of the repetition of similar services entrusted to the Supplier under this Contract after 31 March 2023, the Council reserves the right to procure the new services via the negotiated procedure without prior publication in accordance with Regulation 32(9) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the conditions for which will be as per the conditions of the grant funding ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005009-2021 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Competitive procedure with negotiation | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 12 Mar 2021 | | Submission deadline | 12 Apr 2021 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | 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 | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | KENT COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | MAIDSTONE | | Post town | Rochester | | Postcode | ME14 1XX | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent | | ITL 3 | TLJ45 Mid Kent | | Local authority | Maidstone | | Electoral ward | Penenden Heath | | Westminster constituency | Maidstone and Malling | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79900000 - Miscellaneous business and business-related services ## Release History - 12 Mar 2021 at 09:04 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005009-2021 ## Notice URLs - http://www.kent.gov.uk - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=b3d0d696-0e83-eb11-810c-005056b64545 ## 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-h6vhtk-029b02. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b02.json.