Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus
Inverness
IV2 5NA
Telephone
+44 1463245245
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM6 - Highlands and Islands
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00313
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local Agency/Office
one.5) Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
FTS047 Pathways to Start - Lot 1 Argyll and Bute
Reference number
FTS047 - Lot 1
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
THIS IS THE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE FOR LOT 1 ARGYLL and BUTE.
HIE procured a supplier to deliver a programme to support underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship. The programme will inspire participants to increase their ambition, confidence and capability to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and enter pathways for starting a business through a programme of entrepreneurial training and mentoring tailored towards underrepresented groups/individuals specific learning needs.
HIE’s current requirements are divided into two geographical Lots:
- Lot 1: Argyll and Bute, covering HIE areas only
- Lot 2: Moray
Note, Lot 1 covers Argyll and Bute geographical area i.e. excluding Arran, Cumbrae, and Helensburgh and Lomond.
The services are required from 20 October 2025 until 31 March 2026, unless terminated in accordance with the provisions of the Contract.
The delivery of the services, submission of all invoices and completion of all reports must be complete by 20 March 2026.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £211,500
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
- 80500000 - Training services
- 80570000 - Personal development training services
- 80521000 - Training programme services
- 80522000 - Training seminars
- 80532000 - Management training services
- 72224000 - Project management consultancy services
- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
- 79411100 - Business development consultancy services
- 79411000 - General management consultancy services
- 80210000 - Technical and vocational secondary education services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM63 - Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh, Arran & Cumbrae and Argyll & Bute
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Key tasks are:
1. Programme design
2. Outreach, stakeholder engagement and participant recruitment
3. Training delivery
4. Programme administration and monitoring.
Please refer to the Scope of Requirement and Guidance document for full details.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Q1 Prompt Payment Standard Clause / Weighting: pass/fail
Quality criterion - Name: Q2 Cyber Security / Weighting: pass/fail
Quality criterion - Name: Q3 Payment of the Real Living Wage / Weighting: pass/fail
Quality criterion - Name: Q4 UK Data Centres / Weighting: pass/fail
Quality criterion - Name: Q5 Management and Delivery Methodology / Weighting: 20%
Quality criterion - Name: Q6 Delivery Methodology – Inclusivity / Weighting: 15%
Quality criterion - Name: Q7 Management and Delivery Team / Weighting: 20%
Quality criterion - Name: Q8 Fair Work First / Weighting: 5%
Price - Weighting: 40%
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
HIE reserves the right, on giving reasonable written notice from time to time, to require changes to the Services (whether by way of the removal of Services, the addition of new Services, or increasing or decreasing the Services or specifying the order in which the Services are to be performed or the locations where the Services are to be provided). HIE shall not require any such change other than where it is permitted by Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Examples of contract modifications are but not limited to:
-Additional funding is obtained (beyond the GBP20,000 contingency included in the total contract value of each lot) and used e.g. to increase the number of participants. Tendered rates will apply to any increases.
-Envisaged number of participants could not be recruited, resulting in reduced service requirements/volumes.
-Less than 16 participants could be recruited for the programme – HIE reserves the right not to proceed with the programme and terminate the contract.
-Recruited participant numbers exceed 45 for the lot. In this case (some of) the allowance of GBP20,000 will be utilised to provide services to further participants, as per tendered rates per participant.
-Where HIE determines (at our sole discretion) that demand for the programme under a lot is lower than expected, HIE reserves the right to re-allocate the budget for that Lot to the other Lot subject to the maximum total budget of GBP480,000 (i.e. the maximum total of the two lots).
-If Special Category Personal Data and/or other sensitive personal information requires further/different procedures, the supplier will be required to comply with these.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
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: 2025/S 000-045970
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
FTS 047 Lot 1
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
9 October 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 11
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 11
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 11
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 11
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Skillfluence
1.8 CoVault, 54 Cook St
Glasgow
G5 8JN
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKM82 - Glasgow City
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £211,500
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The figure stated in sections II.1.7 and V.2.4 is the total value of the contract for this lot including the GBP 20,000 allowance.
(SC Ref:812703)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Inverness Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court
The Inverness Justice Centre, Longman Road
Inverness
IV1 1AH
Telephone
+44 1463230782
Country
United Kingdom