--- title: "WM Collaborator fund- Networks and Leadership Programme" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "West Midlands Combined Authority" published: "2026-08-18" --- # WM Collaborator fund- Networks and Leadership Programme Buyer: West Midlands Combined Authority Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b.json) ## Summary West Midlands Combined Authority is exploring a support programme for the West Midlands creative economy. The proposed service would combine grant funding with tailored development support across two linked workstreams: strengthening collaboration and networks between places and creative sectors, and addressing leadership capacity constraints in creative organisations. It is intended for a diverse creative ecosystem including creative businesses, freelancers, cultural organisations, networks and sector bodies. The work would be delivered across the West Midlands. The stated service scope includes financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and project management services. The programme is intended to respond to fragmented networks, uneven access to opportunities and limited collaboration identified through the Creative Places Growth Fund programme. The buyer is seeking views that will help shape the scope, outcomes and delivery model of any future commissioned intervention. This procurement is at the planning stage and is currently a pre-market engagement exercise, not an invitation to tender. The buyer expects to use responses to test the proposed approach, understand current challenges and identify effective delivery models before designing any future procurement. Suppliers are expected to complete the attached questions by 1 September 2026. The buyer expects the next notice to be published on 5 October 2026. The proposed contract is planned to run from 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2029. Its indicative value is approximately £2.3 million excluding VAT, or £2.76 million including VAT. There is one planned lot, with the procurement classified as services and the lot marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The planned contract is above the relevant threshold. The work is likely to suit organisations with experience supporting the creative and cultural sectors, particularly those able to combine grant-funding administration with tailored organisational development. Relevant strengths may include building networks across places and creative disciplines, improving collaboration, developing leadership capacity and designing support for businesses, freelancers, cultural organisations and sector bodies. Providers with financial consultancy or transaction-processing capability, alongside strong programme and project management, may be well placed when the requirement reaches the market. The buyer is seeking practical delivery models and evidence of how interventions can improve access to opportunities and strengthen the creative economy. The planned lot is identified as suitable for SMEs, so smaller specialist organisations, partnerships and consortia with complementary creative, financial and programme-delivery expertise should monitor the emerging requirement and prepare relevant case studies. ## Notice The West Midlands creative economy is supported by a diverse ecosystem of creative businesses, freelancers, cultural organisations, networks and sector bodies. While the region has significant strengths and growth opportunities, evidence gathered through the Creative Places Growth Fund programme highlights ongoing challenges around fragmented networks, limited collaboration between places and sectors, uneven access to opportunities, and leadership capacity constraints within creative organisations. To address these challenges, West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA) is exploring the development of a support programme combining grant funding and tailored development support across two interconnected workstreams with an indicative value of approximately PS2-2.5million. WMCA is undertaking this pre-market engagement exercise to better understand current challenges, test the proposed approach, identify effective delivery models, and gather feedback that will inform the design of any future programme and associated procurement activity. Responses will help shape the scope, outcomes and delivery approach of any intervention that may be commissioned. ### Planning Information The West Midlands creative economy is supported by a diverse ecosystem of creative businesses, freelancers, cultural organisations, networks and sector bodies. While the region has significant strengths and growth opportunities, evidence gathered through the Creative Places Growth Fund programme highlights ongoing challenges around fragmented networks, limited collaboration between places and sectors, uneven access to opportunities, and leadership capacity constraints within creative organisations. To address these challenges, West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA) is exploring the development of a support programme combining grant funding and tailored development support across two interconnected workstreams with an indicative value of approximately £2-2.5million. WMCA is undertaking this pre-market engagement exercise to better understand current challenges, test the proposed approach, identify effective delivery models, and gather feedback that will inform the design of any future programme and associated procurement activity. Responses will help shape the scope, outcomes and delivery approach of any intervention that may be commissioned. Suppliers should read and complete responses to a set of questions attached within the advert by 1st September 2026. Please see link to the advert here: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=62457f6a-e39a-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=True ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078573-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 18 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 5 Oct 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Mar 2027 - 28 Feb 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £2,300,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | West Midlands Combined Authority | | Locality | BIRMINGHAM | | Postcode area | Birmingham | | Postcode | B19 3SD | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands | | ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham | | Local authority | Birmingham | | Electoral ward | Newtown | | Westminster constituency | Birmingham Ladywood | | Delivery location | TLG3 West Midlands | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 66171000 - Financial consultancy services - 66172000 - Financial transaction processing and clearing-house services - 79421000 - Project-management services other than for construction work ## Release History - 18 Aug 2026 at 14:15 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078573-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078573-2026 18th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=62457f6a-e39a-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=True - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-06e69b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b.json.