Business development consultancy services

Tender description

HIE is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced supplier to provide support to creative industries businesses in a variety of digital-related topics. Rather than focus directly on producing new content, XpoNorth Digital will focus on innovation around the relationship between producer and consumer. This will give businesses the tools and capability to carry out faster and more effective R and D for themselves, by engaging more effectively with customers and therefore tailoring products and services more closely to their needs. By combining specialised support focusing on innovating in the space where producers and consumers interact and adopting digital solutions, businesses can increase their profitability, increase their profile, make more effective use of technology and develop exciting new business models. Should HIE’s application be successful for the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme — Digital Story Tagging project, additional services will be required too. Note, the services do not have to be delivered by a single supplier — HIE welcomes consortium bids and/or bids with subcontractors. However, the supplier / proposed group of suppliers must be able to carry out all of the services described in the Scope of Requirements. The following key tasks are to be delivered by the successful supplier (see Scope of Requirements for full details): — advice and support, — internships, — workshops, — networks and promotions, — analytics and measurement, — reporting. The contract is anticipated to be awarded for 3 years with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 calendar year following the Initial Term. The NPA element (should it go ahead) will run from September 2018 to August 2021. The story tagging software itself would be developed through the overall NPA digital story tagging project and not by the supplier of the XpoNorth Digital contract. The supplier would be able to take advantage of the learning and developments across the project to benefit the XpoNorth Digital project client base. However, the supplier would have responsibility for the delivery of a discrete element of the NPA project. This would focus on marketing, ongoing communication through a website and other channels keeping partners and other interested partners abreast of activity within the project. See Scope of Requirements for full details. It is estimated that total value of these services over the maximum duration of 4 years will be between 810 000 GBP and 1 080 300 GBP excluding VAT. This is the figure which has been used in II.2.6. This figure includes the potential NPA element. The breakdown of this budget is: Max 918 300 GBP for the XpoNorth Digital core tasks including potential extension period. Max 162 000 GBP for the NPA Story tagging element. This Contract has not been divided into lots since this would make the execution of the contract excessively difficult.