Business Support North East Framework

Business North East is a new region-wide approach to business support developed by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA) in partnership with the seven constituent local authorities. It will provide a simplified, coordinated and accessible business support system for entrepreneurs and businesses across the North East. The model will include a regional hub and use local authority networks to maintain strong relationships with businesses. The wider Business North East programme is expected to operate through five integrated areas of activity across the business lifecycle: Inspire - increase entrepreneurial awareness and aspiration, particularly amongst younger people and underrepresented groups. Explore - improve enterprise readiness and strengthen the quality of business propositions entering the support system. Start - increase business creation and improve business survival prospects through tailored support and business development assistance. Succeed - improve productivity, innovation, technology adoption and business resilience amongst established businesses. Grow - support ambitious businesses to scale, create jobs, access finance and enter new markets. The North East MSA intends to establish a framework to provide a flexible route through which a range of specialist business support, enterprise and related services may be commissioned in support of Business North East and wider regional economic priorities. It is anticipated that the framework will encompass a broad range of services, across five separate Lots: 1. Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up 2. Business Growth, Productivity and Specialist Support 3. High Growth, Scale-up and Investment 4. Sector, Cluster and Supply Chain Development 5. Business Engagement, Training and Programme Support These areas reflect the anticipated breadth of Business North East, which is intended to respond to business needs including access to finance, productivity, workforce development, innovation, digital adoption, mentoring and growth support. The Framework is intended to enable the North East MSA and constituent local authorities to identify suitably qualified suppliers with the capability and experience to deliver services within one or more of these areas. The approach is intended to accommodate a diverse supplier market, including organisations capable of delivering broad business support programmes alongside specialist providers with expertise in particular sectors, business needs or forms of intervention. It will also support the development of new and emerging provision as business needs, economic conditions and regional priorities evolve. Please see the Market Engagement event recording below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiuaxY_5JE The North East MSA is seeking proposals for the design, mobilisation and delivery of an integrated programme to provide a coordinated pathway supporting individuals from the earliest stages of considering self-employment or entrepreneurship through to business start-up, early trading and progression into wider business support provision as part of the Business North East offer. The service is intended to support the creation of sustainable new businesses across the North East and contribute towards increased entrepreneurial activity, higher business start-up rates and improved business survival rates. Delivery should support the MSA's objective of ensuring that enterprise support is visible, accessible and responsive to all communities and places across the region. The programme is expected to operate across all seven local authority areas and form an integral part of the wider Business North East ecosystem, working closely with the regional hub, local authority spokes and wider partner organisations to ensure participants can access the support most appropriate to their needs. The North East MSA is seeking proposals for the design, mobilisation and delivery of a Succeed in Business: Access to Expert Specialists programme as part of the Business North East offer. The programme would provide established businesses with access to specialist expertise, practical support and targeted interventions designed to address barriers to survival, resilience, growth, productivity and innovation. The purpose of the programme is to help existing businesses identify and implement solutions to the key issues limiting their performance, enabling them to improve competitiveness, strengthen operational capability, operate successfully and realise sustainable growth opportunities. The service is intended to support the growth and development of businesses operating across all sectors of the North East economy. Whilst specialist sector knowledge may be required in some circumstances, the primary focus of the programme is on helping businesses overcome common challenges relating to areas such as leadership, workforce development, marketing, exporting, technology adoption, productivity, finance, innovation and