The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been awarded funds by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to establish a Growth Hub for the Liverpool City Region, initially this funding will be matched by European Regional Development Funds (ERDF).

The purpose of the Growth Hub Liverpool City Region (Growth Hub) is to be the central repository of information, advice and support for pre-start, new and existing businesses within the City Region. Providing them with a holistic business support service, by diagnosing their needs and signposting to the most appropriate commercial or public funded assistance available to help them grow.

The Growth Hub seeks to do this through engaging Brokerage Partners covering each of the 6 Local Authority (LA) areas of Halton, Knowlsey, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. In addition we are seeking a specialist broker to cover harder to reach groups including Women and BME Groups across the City Region. Therefore there will be a total of 7 lots that suppliers can bid for.

These contracts are for a 20 month period to run from 1.8.2016 to 31.3.2018.

The allocated budget per lot is 80 000 GBP for the 20 month period.

The contract will be awarded to the highest scoring bidder in each Lot.

Growth Hub Brokerage Partners will need to undertake the following actions:

— Mapping of Business Support Services;

— Provision of Business Information;

— Business Pre-Start, Start-up and Growth Diagnostic;

— Business Pre-Start, Start-up and Growth Signposting;

— Provision/Facilitation of Business Networks;

— Promotion of Growth Hub Services;

— Collaboration with local delivery and brokerage partners;

— Maintaining records on common CRM platform;

— Evaluation of business support impact;

— Any other necessarily required ancillary services.

Growth Hub Brokerage Partners will be a primary access point for brokerage to a wide range of business support services in the Local Authority area covered by the Growth Hub, which will include the provision of the following Services:

— Pre-start support;

— Business Start;

— Business Growth;

— Business Planning;

— Business Finance;

— Skills and Training;

— Sales and Marketing;

— Supply Chains/Procurement;

— Innovation, Research and Development;

— Product, Service and Process Development;

— Export and Import;

— Business Premises;

— Business Networks;

— Mentoring;

— Sector Specialists;

— Accessing and taking advantage of the International Festival for Business in 2016;

— Any other necessarily required ancillary services.

The Supplier shall signpost business into the most appropriate support available from a wide range of local, national and commercial providers. It is then for the business to determine, from the information provided, which provider they select to provide services, using appropriate procurement and evaluation.

The Supplier will be required to record all activity onto the Growth Hub CRM system to ensure support for business through the Growth Hub is coherent and that brokerage destinations and effectiveness can be monitored.

The Supplier shall utilise www.localgrowthub.com or any other system as specified by the LEP for the online search and identification of appropriate services for business. This will be maintained by the Growth Hub with current information on services for businesses in a readily searchable format.

If Suppliers directly deliver services to businesses, they must ensure and demonstrate to the LEP's satisfaction that these services are considered equally alongside those of other providers when performing the Services. Activity and performance will be subject to monitoring and scrutiny by the LEP.

Suppliers will be required to comply with the Growth Hub Handbook, which will be maintained by the LEP. The Handbook will specify standards required of the Supplier, operating protocols, use of diagnostics tools and marketing requirements, including the use of Growth Hub and ESIF branding on the Supplier's documents, websites and communications and information uploads to Growth Hub website. The Handbook will be revised and updated by the LEP periodically and any such revisions will be applicable to the Contract.

The following outputs, outcomes and service levels are required from each Lot by the LEP by 31.3.2018.

Measure Local Growth Hub Target:

1. No of businesses engaging with Local Growth Hub with core information gathered on the business (phone/email/website) 833;

2. No of businesses receiving initial diagnostic/brokerage 167;

3. No of businesses referred to business growth services (In total and with breakdown by service) 167;

4. No of businesses taking up business growth services (In total and with breakdown by service) 83;

5. No of businesses reporting growth following support provided (in total and with breakdown by service) 67;

6. No of jobs created (in total and with breakdown by service) 33;

7. Satisfaction level with Local Growth Hub and service provided (by Growth Hub business survey) 80 %;

8. Additionality level (by Growth Hub business survey) 50 %.