Supply Chain Transition Programme (UKSPF)

Tender description

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is commissioning a range of business support to address the region’s economic priorities. The Supply Chain Transition Programme will be funded via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) and will complement existing schemes available locally as well as nationally. The Supply Chain Transition (SPF) Programme aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands (WM), with ambitions to grow, to diversify their customer base by winning new orders in growing areas of the economy. It will do this through a combination of workshops, peer-to-peer support, and intensive one-to-one support, delivered in collaboration with organisations seeking to diversify their supplier base in the West Midlands. Lot 1: WMCA intend to award one contract to a Provider with a demonstrable track record of providing in-depth support to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The provider can be a single organisation or part of a consortium. If bidding as a consortium, a declaration must be made confirming all members of the consortium and their respective roles in delivery of the services and a lead organisation must be appointed to enter the contract with WMCA if successful. This contract aims to deliver additional activity under the existing Supply Chain Transition (CWGLEF) Programme to help ambitious businesses in the West Midlands before the end of March 2025. The target audience that the programme aims to support are small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) who are vulnerable to declining sectors and who are registered in the local authorities of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, or Wolverhampton, or with premises where over 75% of national activity takes place. The support will help businesses win new orders in the primary and nascent clusters specified in the Plan for Growth. Specifically, the WMCA is seeking a provider to deliver this programme for businesses seeking to win new or more orders in one or more of the following supply chains: • Manufacturing of electrical light vehicles and associated battery storage devices supply chain (including materials and components). • Manufacture of future housing. • Health-tech and med-tech. • Smart Energy Systems. The Supply Chain Transition (SPF) Programme must be designed in collaboration with a key customer, or customers, who may also be involved in the delivery of the support. Interested Providers must demonstrate relationships with key customers and how they will be involved in the programme. A “key customer” is an organisation already operating in the sectors listed above which spends or plans to spend a significant amount on goods and services in the UK. Additional information: The initial contract value for this requirement is between £600k-£750k (exc. VAT). The indicative contract duration is October 2024 until 31st March 2025 (6 months). The WMCA will also be incorporating an extension option into the contract of up to a further 12 months and up to an additional value of £750,000, subject to funding availability and mutual agreement between the WMCA and Provider.