Solent LEP to help regional companies land more business

The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is launching a programme to help local businesses benefit more widely from opportunities available from tendering for public sector contracts.

The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is launching a programme to help local businesses benefit more widely from opportunities available from tendering for public sector contracts.

SJ Hunt, Deputy Chair of the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and Chair of the Solent LEP's Business Task Force said: "Our new Opening the door - Public Procurement programme is a powerful tool to help Solent-based businesses access the significant amount of contract opportunities available with government bodies.  Public procurement has the potential to help small businesses grow, expand employment opportunities in disadvantaged areas and increase training opportunities for people in industries with known skills shortages."

Opening the door - Public Procurement is a government funded programme designed to support businesses whatever their level of experience.  The LEP's business support team are running the programme of two consecutive half day sessions, each catering for businesses with particular levels of experience:

• The beginners course on 10 and 11 November, 09:00 to 12:30 is designed for organisations with little-to-no experience of the bid process, and who would like to take the first steps to benefiting from public sector tendering
• The intermediate course on 17 and 18 November, 09:00 to 12:30 is aimed at organisations with some experience of tendering, with a central aim of improving their quality scores. Delegates will become more confident with creating win-themes, deconstructing tender questions, applying evidence to their responses, and writing well-structured, persuasive responses to various tender questions
• The advanced level course on 24 and 25 November, 09:00 to 12:30 is designed for people who are experienced in fulfilling the duties of a bid writer, offering an advanced review of persuasive writing, more in-depth approaches to project management for the bid process, and a greater in-depth review of the concept and principles of social return on investment (SROI)

Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew, said: "The public sector across the UK, from hospitals and schools to central government, police forces and universities, spends about £290 billion a year through public procurement. The huge power of that expenditure must support us in tackling some of the most important issues we face today, from generating economic growth and helping our communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, to supporting the transition to net zero."

Find out more and sign up here: https://solentlep.org.uk/growth-hub-business-support/opening-the-door-public-procurement/