The Scottish Government is seeking a Supplier to work with them to market and deliver business support and development services during 2014-18 to the enterprising third sector in Scotland.

This contract will build on the success of the business support currently being delivered through the Scottish Government's ‘Just Enterprise' business support programme.

Successful delivery requires a Supplier with expertise and experience of delivering fully supported professional client-focussed business development services across a wide geographic area. A knowledge of the third sector landscape in Scotland will be important as well as the ability to communicate and engage with sectoral stakeholders so that the benefits of the services may be accessed by as many enterprising organisations as possible. The Supplier will use their expertise to ensure that only organisations with the best potential of being more enterprising are taken forward for support.

Familiarity with the key markets in which third sector organisations operate will be needed to ensure the support being offered is pertinent. Knowledge of where other forms of public support and services are already available to the sector (i.e. from Third Sector Interfaces, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Business Gateway and Scottish Enterprise and other providers) will ensure that these services remain additional and complementary to mainstream business support already available.

The Supplier is required to ensure service continuity from 24.5.2014 to 23.5.2016. A further two options to extend this contract for one year will be considered at the sole discretion of the Scottish Ministers 3 months prior to the contract expiry date.