Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY HALL
CHELMSFORD
CM1 1QH
Contact
Andrew Beaver
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CO0044 SELEP COVID-19 Business Support Funding
Reference number
CO0044
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Essex County Council is managing this procurement process on behalf of SELEP. It is proposed that a framework will be established to allow access for SELEP, and those public sector organisations associated with SELEP, to the services being provided. Ordering and payment processes will be established at the commencement of this agreement.
The SELEP area includes East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock with Essex County Council acting as the Accountable Body for SELEP.
The key outcome of this tender is to ensure a co-ordinated, effective response to COVID-19. As such, we are seeking organisations that can support us through the delivery of services as set out in the Lots below. Interested Bidders are required to highlight which Lot(s) of work they are bidding for and is clearly marked when completing the Bidder questionnaire.
Lot 1: Supporting pre-starts and start ups - The programme must provide structured and set- hour 1-2-1 and 1-2-many support to cohorts of pre-starts and start-ups that have the potential to operate during and/or beyond a COVID-19 climate. The programme shall include provision of learning, advice and mentoring to an audience that includes those made redundant or unemployed as a result of COVID-19.
Lot 2: Digitising Business, supporting e-commerce and retail - The programme must provide a programme of webinars, 1-2-1 and 1-2-many advice and diagnostics to businesses looking to adapt and innovate through digitisation in order to remain viable during and/or beyond a COVID-19 climate. The programme will help businesses to build online presence and competitiveness/ marketing, rebuild supply chains, improve productivity, implement flexible working and/or new/hybrid business models, and employ tools to aid mental wellbeing.
Lot 3: Supporting the Visitor Economy - Provision of a 100% grant scheme with a grant range of £1,000 - £3,000 for visitor economy businesses for the purchasing of tools, equipment and trading approaches needed to adapt or innovate, and facilitating a COVID-19 secure environment and the provision of a programme of support and training that will bring together and facilitate multiple businesses and organisations to curate a place-based offer, to increase visitor footfall and spend and regenerate the area.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Supporting pre-starts and start-ups
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The programme must provide structured and set-hour 1-2-1 and 1-2-many support to cohorts of pre-starts and start-ups that have the potential to operate during and/or beyond a COVID-19 climate.
The programme shall include provision of learning, advice and mentoring to an audience that includes those made redundant or unemployed as a result of COVID-19.
The programme must include a small 100% grant scheme with a grant range of £500 -
£2,000, available to businesses accessing sufficient learning, advice and mentoring through the programme.
The programme should look to apply learning from similar programmes, such as target audience, key sectors and up-take demographics.
Outcomes:
Minimum of 100 businesses created or safeguarded
Evaluation of the programme to measure impact and identify changes to ways of working and behaviours brought about by the process of adapting to the impacts of COVID-19.
Skills and experience:
Bidders will need to demonstrate through their bids that they have the skills and experience required to run the programme competently and successfully.
Experience of working with and the ability to provide support to start-up businesses and new enterprises is important, and bidders should demonstrate their skills and experience in doing this.
Bidders will need to show that they understand the challenges that many new businesses face, particularly in the current climate, and what support they need. This should include details of the proposed delivery model and how it will address these needs and challenges.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality Evaluation / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion - Name: Price Evaluation / Weighting: 40
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
Lot 1 awarded to WSX Enterprise Limited
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Digitising Business, supporting e-commerce and retail
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79413000 - Marketing management consultancy services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Activity:
The programme must provide a programme of webinars, 1-2-1 and 1-2-many advice and diagnostics to businesses looking to adapt and innovate through digitisation in order to
remain viable during and/or beyond a COVID-19 climate.
The programme will help businesses to build online presence and competitiveness/ marketing, rebuild supply chains, improve productivity, implement flexible working and/or new/hybrid business models, and employ tools to aid mental wellbeing.
The programme must include a small 100% grant scheme with a grant range of £500 -
£2,000 for the purchase of new IT hardware/software identified or recommended and that will enable the adoption of new to business technology and approaches, available to businesses accessing sufficient advice and guidance through the programme.
Outcomes:
Minimum of 100 businesses safeguarded.
Minimum of 100 grants awarded to assist safeguarding of businesses and jobs, and to bring about operational/ behavioural change.
Evaluation of the programme to measure impact and identify changes to ways of working and behaviours brought about by the process of adapting to the impacts of COVID-19.
Skills and experience:
Bidders will need to demonstrate through their bids that they have the skills and experience required to run the programme competently and successfully.
Experience of working with and the ability to provide support to businesses is important, and bidders should demonstrate their skills and experience in doing this.
Bidders will need to show their skills and experience in undertaking relevant diagnostics with businesses, identifying their business needs and how the business can digitise to meet them.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality evaluation / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion - Name: Price evaluation / Weighting: 40
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
Awarded to WSX Enterprise Ltd
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Supporting the Visitor Economy
Lot No
3
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Visitor Economy Support Element 1 - Visitor Economy Grant Scheme:
Provision of a 100% grant scheme with a grant range of £1,000 - £3,000 for visitor economy businesses for the purchasing of tools, equipment and trading approaches needed to adapt or innovate, and facilitating a COVID-19 secure environment.
Grants shall be awarded to businesses who have already accessed recognised support/advice on how to innovate and/or remodel. For example, though the Growth Hubs, South East Business Boost, the South East Business COVID Recovery (SEBCOR), the Sector Support Fund Project Rebuilding Confidence and Demand in the
Visitor Economy
Consideration will be given to the use of the Grant Scheme for the purchase of specialist support/ advice to enable businesses to adapt or innovate, if demand and/or a marketplace gap can be demonstrated at time of tender. Such proposals must align with complementary/ similar live schemes.
Visitor Economy Support Element 2 - Rebooting the Visitor Economy in 2021:
Provision of a programme of support and training that will bring together and facilitate multiple businesses and organisations to curate a place-based offer, in order to increase visitor confidence, footfall and spend and regenerate the area.
The approach will provide a holistic and innovative approach to supporting visitor economy industries including creative, cultural, hospitality, leisure and accommodation, as they acclimatise to new trends and ways of working resulting from COVID-19.
The campaigns and curation of place-based offers will align with other live place-specific initiatives, such as the SELEP Sector Support Fund Rebuilding Confidence and Demand in the Visitor Economy project, and Future High Street Fund projects.
Outcomes:
Minimum of 150 grants awarded to enable businesses to adapt and innovate, with potential for a minimum of 150 businesses and jobs to be safeguarded.
Places supported to recover and regenerate through the curation of placed-based offers and associated campaigns, driven by business needs to increase visitor confidence, footfall and spend.
Business needs will be identified and curated through the bringing together of a specified number (or numeric range) of relevant businesses and organisations, representative of the visitor economy, to generate a specified number of place-based offers that will shape the reboot campaigns.
Evaluation of the programme to measure impact and identify changes to ways of working and behaviours brought about by the process of adapting to the impacts of COVID-19.
Skills and experience:
Bidders will need to demonstrate through their bids that they have the skills and experience required to run the programme competently and successfully.
Experience of working with and the ability to provide support to relevant businesses is important, and bidders should demonstrate their skills and experience in doing this.
Bidders will need to demonstrate a good understanding of the particular challenges and issues faced by the visitor economy and show both their skills and experience in working with key visitor economy industries or sectors, and facilitating collaborative place-based activities.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality evaluation / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion - Name: Price evaluation / Weighting: 40
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
Awarded to Visit Kent Ltd
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2021/S 000-000120
Section five. Award of contract
Lot No
1
Title
Supporting pre-starts and start ups
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
19 March 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 17
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 17
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
WSX Enterprise Ltd
Wimborne
BH21 7JA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKK2 - Dorset and Somerset
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £600,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £363,000
Section five. Award of contract
Lot No
2
Title
Digitising Business, supporting e-commerce and retail
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
19 March 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 7
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 7
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
WSX Enterprise Limited
Wimborne
BH21 7JA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKK2 - Dorset and Somerset
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £750,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £490,000
Section five. Award of contract
Lot No
3
Title
Supporting the Visitor Economy
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
1 March 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Visit Kent Ltd
Canterbury
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ4 - Kent
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Visit Essex
Chelmsford
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH3 - Essex
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
East Sussex County Council
Lewes
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Sussex Modern
Lewes
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ2 - Surrey, East and West Sussex
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Southend on Sea Council
Southend
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH3 - Essex
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £1,000,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £500,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court, Royal Courts of Justice
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom