Business and management consultancy and related services

Tender description

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. We 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 UK Space Agency for a period up to 5 years to partner with and implement the desired transformational change of the 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. The successful partner will produce a programme of events to deliver throughout the year at venues around the UK. Provision should be made for some of the most popular events to be held multiple (2 or 3) times on different dates and venues to maximise the availability to companies in the network. The programme of events will also include 2 space incubator network networking/showcase events per year. Part of the procurement will also be to create a dedicated UK Space Incubator Network website which must comply with Government requirements for data protection and electronic media. As providers of support to space start-up companies we contribute not only to UK economic growth but also to the growth of the space sector. We intend to take a leadership role in influencing Government policy and strategy regarding business support for space start-ups by creating a space business support steering board (to meet quarterly) who will be responsible for driving the success of the network and to table issues, topics and ideas to take forward through appropriate channels. The successful delivery partner would be expected to be a member and provide secretariat to this board.