Self Employment and Enterprise Support Programme

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham its ancillary arms (such as arm’s length bodies and/or wholly or partly owned subsidiaries and partner organisations) sought a delivery partner (or consortium) to design and deliver a comprehensive, inclusive self-employment and micro-enterprise support programme for economically inactive residents. This programme forms a key strand of our wider Economic Inactivity Trailblazer activity.

The programme aims to support a minimum of 35 economically inactive residents from Barking & Dagenham who are currently out of work—particularly women with caring responsibilities, disabled people, and individuals furthest from the labour market to explore and move into self-employment or set up sustainable small businesses. To either register as self-employed and/or register a new business on Companies House.

Also to support the delivery of a small grants programme in conjunction with the council.

The contract will include provision for information sessions, 121 support and workshops to help residents develop the key skills and knowledge required to enable them to explore and then move into self-employment or set up a sustainable business. The Council, at its sole discretion, reserves the option to extend the Contract in such period or periods as the Council deems appropriate.

The contract will run from September 2025 (mobilisation) to March 2026 (delivery complete), with programme activity to going live by September/ Early October 2025.

This programme is funded by the Government’s Trailblazer Funding and will be subject to strict monthly monitoring and evidence requirements in line with the requirements of the funders.