SC20081 – Kent and Medway Growth Hub

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 £224K per annum (subject to funding allocation), for the “core” service, to engage over 4150 businesses and support 1380 per annum. With a further £300k 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