Opportunity to provide engagement and advice services for Cumbria Business Growth Hub (non ERDF eligible businesses)

This opportunity is issued by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce in relation to engaging businesses in support and delivering advice. Our requirement is in relation to a number of separate initiatives supporting non ERDF eligible businesses.

Note: If you are already working for us as an adviser in any capacity you should reapply to work on this activity, ensuring you highlight relevant sector experience (submitting a previous application plus a covering letter with appropriate cross referencing and any additional information you wish to provide will be acceptable).

Background

The Chamber delivers a number of support initiatives aimed at non ERDF eligible businesses. These include local initiatives funded by local authorities and a Cumbria-wide scheme funded by BEIS through Cumbria LEP.

Non ERDF eligible businesses include, for example, those in sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, visitor economy, consumer services, retail and the nuclear supply chain. As part of this there is a requirement to support scale-up businesses as well as steady state and those looking to grow more slowly.

Specific requirements

We therefore have a requirement for subcontracted advisers to:

• engage businesses, promote the project offer and encourage take up
• review business needs and produce an action plan
• provide generalist and/or specialist advice to businesses
• make clients aware of the wider support on offer and refer them into this
• ensure that project paperwork is fully and correctly completed, including

required signatures, and provided to the Growth Hub in a timely manner

Advisers may bring their own clients to these initiatives and/or support clients referred to them by the Growth Hub.

Additional information: Submission content/tender completion information

Responses must be written in English.

As a minimum your submission should include a clear statement of who will be

delivering the work and for each of these:

• Detailed CV
• At least two relevant referees if you have not previously been

contracted by the Chamber in a similar role; one relevant reference if

you have previously been contracted by the Chamber in a similar role

• Clarification of the area(s) you are happy to cover in (Allerdale, Barrow & Furness, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden, South Lakeland excluding Furness)
• Availability to deliver in terms of time
• Confirmation that you are happy to accept the pricing structure,

payment and performance model included within this brief

• An explanation of how you meet the criteria set out below
• An outline of any other contracts/business activities in which you are involved in (to enable us to assess potential conflicts of interest)

You must also include:

• The name of the company/sole trader bidding
• Address
• Named contact with job title plus email and phone contact details
• VAT and company numbers (if applicable)

Criteria (please answer separately for each person who would be deliveringthis work):

• Relevant expertise, qualifications and experience

Please explain your relevant expertise, qualifications and experience,

including specific examples and sectors.

• Proactive approach to client management and ensuring clients progress in a timely manner

Please set out clearly your approach, experience and track record, with examples/evidence.

• Good paperwork and organisation, i.e. demonstrable ability and evidence of

completing paperwork fully but concisely, correctly and in a timely manner, and proven ability to organise your work to ensure clients progress with their support in a timely manner Please set out your approach, experience and track record, with

examples/evidence.

• Awareness, understanding and knowledge of relevant issues facing

businesses in Cumbria and any relevant sector/business type/topic issues

Please highlight your awareness, understanding and knowledge of the relevant issues, with evidence/examples.

• Availability - while there is no commitment to particular levels of work overall or in any given period by either party, advisers need to be generally available to work with clients within a reasonable timeframe, with, for example, an initial appointment within 10 working days as standard Please confirm your availability to meet this requirement.

Where the applicant has worked for us in a similar capacity we will take past performance into account, alongside one reference. Where they have not then two relevant references will be required.

Where the tenderer is a company the tender must be signed by a duly

authorised representative of the com