UKSA CS19403 Delivery Partner for UK Space Incubator Programme

UK Space Agency want to establish a long term, sustainable business support programme which is nationally recognised for provision of high-quality incubation and acceleration to space start-up companies.

UKSA will be inviting proposals from organisations specialising in planning and delivering business growth programmes to space or technology companies. The successful organisation will be contracted to UKSA for a period up to 5 years to partner with and implement the desired transformational change of the UK Space Incubator Programme.

UKSA want to build on the success to create a consistent high-quality approach to the support and growth of young space start-up companies that can be branded a UK Space Agency product/programme.

Key deliverables for the successful bidder will include to design and deliver a number of workshops aligned to the topics identified to add value to the business support provided in our business support centres. These workshops will be accessible to companies throughout the UK so will need to be delivered at venues nationally.

The delivery partner will work with UKSA to host annual networking events, host a web site to promote the network and facilitate communication and engagement throughout the network.

The delivery partner will also become a member of the network's Steering Board that will review the success of the programme with other member and use feedback to shape the activities to maximise impact for companies and ensure value for money is provided.

Companies supported by these incubators will be able to identify themselves a 'supported by...' company and will have access to workshops and events that UKSA intends to engage a delivery partner or partners to deliver. The aim of this programme which forms the basis for this invitation intends to procure a delivery partner to deliver a number of events and workshops throughout the year and spread nationally to enable access to companies in incubators across our nationwide network. We held a consultation with existing incubation members this year and the following topics have been identified as potentially being of most value

• Access to finance
• Grant writing
• Pitch training
• Entrepreneurial training
• Identifying and accessing the supply chain
• Investment readiness
• Intellectual Property and Patents
• Marketing / diversity
• Routes to market
• Regulation

This list is open to expansion or consolidation or further ideas for workshops that will add most value or have the most impact, however the successful delivery partner would be expected to be able to design and deliver material relevant to the space industry in all or some of the above topics, at this early stage these areas are still being agreed.

Additional information: This Prior Information Notice is being issued in order to undertake a market consultation exercise with regards to the current view of requirements detailed above. If you believe that this will be of interest to you and your organisation, please register your interest by sending an email to the following email address: professionalservices@uksbs.co.uk stating your organisation and attendee's names. Your email should have the subject heading CS19403 Supplier Day. All requests to attend the supplier day must be received by Wednesday 11th December 2019. Please note due to limited space attendance is restricted to 2 people per supplier. We request that attendance is restricted to key members of your organisation that would be able to add value to the discussions that will take place.

By registering and attending you will be engaging in non-competitive dialogue which will enable UKSA to develop and assess the market's appetite, concerns, and views on formulation of its requirements.

The estimated value of the contract, including optional extensions, excluding VAT is £3,650,000.00.

At this stage it is envisaged that this contract will be fixed for 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years (1 + 1).

The supplier day will be held at Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1SZ on Friday 13th December 2019.

The format of the day will be

10:00 -10:30 Arrival

10:30 - 11:15 Overview of the Space Incubator Network including achievements so far, our vision, what we want

to achieve, how we envisage achieving ---. Followed by questions

11:15 - 11:30 Break

11:30 -12:15 Presentation by incubator providers What adds value

12:15 - 12:30 Procurement process - UKSBS

12:30 -13:30 Any further questions

Attendees may wish to purchase lunch after the main workshop at the Polaris House restaurant.

The final procurement strategy is still subject to discussion and change. The key element that we are looking to discuss will be around ensuring a deeper overview of the project and growth to date is understood by suppliers as well as what the contract is looking to deliver, it is the plan that suppliers will be able to provide insight from a market perspective of the key areas that will be required as part of the specification to ensure quality submissions are submitted.

UK Space Agency may consider the information and responses received as part of the preliminary market consultation to help inform the specification and further decision making in relation to the planning and conduct of the proposed procurement.

For the avoidance of doubt, this notice is not a Call for Competition; a Contract Notice will be issued as a call for competition. Not registering an interest shall not prevent any supplier participating in a future procurement, nor is it intended that any information supplied as part of the preliminary market consultation shall place any supplier at an advantage in a potentia