Wind Expert Support Toolkit (“WEST”) Programme Framework (2022)

Tender description

Acting on behalf of the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, the ORE Catapult has launched this framework tender to deliver the Wind Expert Support Toolkit ("WEST"). Funding for the activities conducted by the OWGP are provided by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (“OWIC”) – a key stakeholder in the successful realisation of the requirements of the UK Offshore Wind Sector Deal. The OWGP is a long-term business transformation programme that has been established as part of the UK Offshore Wind Sector Deal. It will promote closer collaboration across the supply chain, implement structured productivity improvement programmes and facilitate shared growth opportunities between developers and the supply chain. The WEST Programme Framework will be a low intensity intervention activity to be delivered within the OWGP Business Transformation stream. This encompasses aspects of the OWGP’s Business Competitiveness and Building New Capacity strands and aims to support growth of offshore wind supply chain companies through specialist advice, market intelligence and business planning. This is a short entry point foundation activity that will include the provision of assessment, support, reporting and recommendations of next steps and action plans for further support as and where required. Lot 1: The Wind Expert Support Toolkit (WEST) will be a low intensity intervention activity to be delivered within the OWGP Business Transformation stream. Encompassing themes including business competitiveness and building new capacity, the WEST Programme aims to support growth of offshore wind supply chain companies through specialist advice, market intelligence and business planning. WEST is a short, “foundation” activity that includes the assessment of a company’s needs, provision of support, feedback and recommendations of next steps and action plans for further support as and where this might be required. Despite being described as a “foundation” programme the term used is relative compared to the intensity of other OWGP support programmes. It follows that participant companies will range from low sector maturity to mature and even expert, requiring focused support to address their long-term strategic aims in Offshore Wind. WEST will be delivered by the Consultant (referred to in the programme as a Delivery Partner) and provide a handson needs-focused approach to business support. The WEST Programme will additionally provide OWGP with an understanding of the needs of the supply chain to better inform future intervention activities and business transformation offerings.