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Tender description

The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides an end-to-end service for UK exporters through advisers in the English regions and teams based in British Embassies and High Commissions overseas. Through great.gov.uk we publicise opportunities to sell into overseas markets, and trade advisers in the English regions work with companies to help develop their export capability and to explore opportunities that fit their strengths. Our posts in overseas markets assist companies with local knowledge and expertise to turn opportunities into sales. Current regional and overseas arrangements come to an end in 2020. With a view to reprocure earlier to align to our exports strategy, DIT wishes to engage potential suppliers of export support services in England on our requirements and operating model to enhance our current service offer to UK exporters in England. Please register your interest via the email address detailed in 1.3 and ensure the email subject states “GEP” only. We are consulting the market on a potential new operating model that will deliver: — a deeper and more innovative supplier base for global export support services — attracting new market entrants as more UK companies seek to grow their business internationally, — a strengthened and bolstered external private sector export support market, — an ability to measure and report the impact of DIT funded interventions, and — stronger links with local growth support including local enterprise partnerships and growth hubs. The supplier(s) will be required to work with a wide pool of private sector service providers to direct companies to the bespoke services they need in line with their agreed export growth plan, administer and account for export grants and financial models in-line with guidance provided by DIT, and report against defined performance metrics to allow DIT to determine the impact of trade support activity on overall export growth and the value add delivered to firms in order to assess provider performance. The high-level requirements that successful bidders will be expected to meet include: — the provision of a national network of International Trade Advisors (ITA) across the English Regions, — hosting appropriately qualified ITAs to deliver the value-added services which underpin the new approach which include: —— triage services to identify companies with high export potential; —— in depth diagnostic service to identify capability needs and market opportunities; —— specialist in-depth export services relating to overcoming barriers and on market entry strategies; —— active account management of companies; and —— focused consultancy support to help companies to develop and implement export based growth plans, — market and sector focused advice services delivered in partnership with DIT sector teams and in-market experts at our overseas posts, — full project management and reporting of activities, financials, success / fail and risks and issues.