The invitation to Tender / Generator North East
The Contracting Authority for the purpose of this invitation to Tender is Generator, creative development agency.
Generator’s registered office is Generator, Cluny Annex, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ (company number: 3670235)
You are being invited to tender for: / Ladders Creative Enterprise Delivery
This programme is part-funded by England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020
The Tender return requirements are located at Section (8) and they provide details on the documents to be completed and information to be provided.
Companies submitting applications to this tender process will be required to sign Generator’s ‘General Service Agreement for suppliers of Goods and Services to Generator NE Ltd’ (attached). They will also be required to complete a pre-contract supplier checklist (attached) and submit the form, along with the tender, by the deadline set out below.
They should also meet the date and time deadline for submissions set out below in order to comply with strict procurement guidelines.
Closing date: / Friday 20th May 2016, 5.00pm
This document is an invitation to tender issued by: / Josephine Thornton
E: /
T: / (0191) 255 4461
Any queries must be raised before no less than 4 days before the tender return.
Duration: / Three-year programme
1. / THE CLIENT
Generator is the leading creative development agency for the creative and digital industries in the North East. It focuses on identifying and developing talent and enterprise, supporting individuals, creative and digital industry businesses to build viable and sustainable business models, developing networks within and with the regional and international supply chain and building infrastructure to create vibrant and productive creative industries in the region.
Generator’s talent development and business support programme are interlinked.
Generator is funded by a number of different sources including European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Arts Council England (ACE), Big Lottery (BIG) and PRS for Music Foundation and has strong partnerships with key regional and national bodies including Trade Associations, the North East Local Economic Partnership (NELEP), support organisations including Creative England and the commercial music and creative industries.
Please see www.generator.org.uk for more details.
2. / SERVICES SOUGHT
Generator is seeking to appoint an appropriately qualified and experienced organisation to deliver on its enterprise and employability programme - Ladders – which is a 3-year project that will target young adults (18-24) with an interest in developing a business idea and/or a career within the creative and digital industries, specifically, music, film and TV and interactive media (games).
Ladders constitutes one strand (Strand 3) of Generator’s new business support project which is called Digital Futures (details below).
3. / DIGITAL FUTURES PROJECT SUMMARY
Digital Futures will deliver comprehensive business support provision to new and existing businesses, and potential entrepreneurs within the creative and digital industries based in the North East Local Economic Partnership (NELEP) region, so they can harness potential growth opportunities, exploit domestic and global trade opportunities and identify emerging business models. The project will run from January 2016 through to December 2018.
Digital Futures will achieve the following objectives:
· Deliver a minimum of 600 development opportunities to a minimum of 262 businesses;
· Support 150 existing music and creative and digital businesses ensuring they are equipped with the optimal information, skills and confidence;
· Deliver intensive support to 24 businesses through the Business Growth Pipeline helping them to extend services, grow and satisfy market demand through creating operational cost efficiencies;
· Develop 112 new businesses helping them analyse business models, clarify and set growth ambitions;
· Assist 112 potential entrepreneurs (a minimum of 50% will be located in disadvantaged areas);
· Contribute to closing the productivity gap that exists with the North East and the rest of the country by creating 75 jobs in the creative and digital industries.
Strand 1: Digital Futures
§ Business Growth Pipeline / mentor banks and Interim Director Schemes to facilitate innovation, leadership and ultimately, UK competitiveness;
§ Business Coaching / clarify and set business growth ambitions;
§ Digital Literacy support / sophisticated use of digital tools;
§ Music masterclasses / provide high-level understanding of emerging trends and sector developments;
§ Music networking / broker new contacts and identify opportunities for music beneficiaries;
§ Talent Development Campaigns / support music beneficiaries in their exploitation of their creative ideas and content.
Strand 2: Digital Union
§ Digital Union Networking /facilitate building of new contacts (access to business development and sales opportunities);
§ Thinking Digital ‘lite’ seminars / Industry leaders from the digital sector will be openly procured to deliver high level expertise and sector insight for beneficiaries;
§ DU workshops / beneficiaries will receive support that will assist them in maximising (regional, national and international) supply chain opportunities and improving their performance over new platforms, networks and devices.
Strand 3: Ladders
§ Workshops / courses / seminars / clinics / outreach / mentoring / Ladders will provide outreach, coaching, mentoring and workshops to guide start-up ambitions / help articulate business ideas and incentivise potential creative and digital entrepreneurs. Ladders will target beneficiaries in disadvantaged areas and underrepresented groups (BAME, women, economically disadvantaged).
* Subject to change following approval of contract conditions and funding agreement with DCLG
4. / PROJECT INFORMATION
Ladders (DF Strand 3) is a 3-year enterprise and employability skills development project that will build on the creative interests of young adults (18-24) and potential entrepreneurs.
Ladders will widen horizons, and support entry to and progression within the region’s creative and digital industries producing the ideas, talent and enterprise of young adults and young people that are not adequately represented in the sector.
6. / FUNDING AND TIMEFRAME
Guide for annual cost against specific interventions outlined in (8) is:
YR1: £50,000 (Creative courses / workshops / careers fair)
YR2: £67,000 (Creative courses / workshops / careers fair / enterprise support)
YR3: £67,000 (Creative courses / workshops / careers fair / enterprise support)
7. / INTERVENTION DETAIL
· Creative courses
· Workshops
· Enterprise support
· Creative Careers Fairs
8. / SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Ladders will be made up of a number of different interlinked activity strands. If multiple delivery partners are awarded work, it will be a prerequisite that all interact so that the best results are found for end beneficiary.
Creative courses
· 6 courses delivered each year
· Indicative units (time, duration) below but there will be some flexibility
· Delivered in 3 regional locations
· 1 course = 16 days
· 1 day = 4 hours
· Each course = 64 hours
· 60 beneficiaries each year (20 in each location, 2 courses / per year)
· Each location (32 days) per year
· Include company visits (x 3) / · Focus on building creative skills/talent with additional employability and enterprise development
· Provide creative outlet and optimise personal development
· Show beneficiaries how to utilise creative talent and initiative for their own progression (professional, personal).
· Coordination + delivery
· Identify/secure venue
· Contribute to marketing and recruitment
· Brokerage of any volunteer roles
· Reporting (all relevant funders)
· Completion of ERDF beneficiary paperwork
Workshops
· 6 workshops delivered each year
· 1 workshop = 2/3 hours
· Workshops could be tied to above creative courses (not essential)
· 25 beneficiaries each workshop
Creative course participants to attend but also open to other beneficiaries / · Complement creative courses
· Inspiration/motivation function for beneficiaries
· Possible panel format / speakers / guest contributors who could be individuals from regional CDI firms
· Coordination + delivery
· Identify/secure venue
· Contribute to marketing and recruitment
· Reporting (all relevant funders)
· Completion of ERDF beneficiary paperwork
Enterprise support
· Offered only in YR2 + YR3
· 60 days support supplied to 60 beneficiaries / · Support offered to groups or individuals with business ideas that have been involved with creative courses
· Support will include: product development, financial + business development advice, digital literacy, strategy, access to finance, sales etc.
· Coordination + delivery
· Identify/secure venue
· Contribute to marketing and recruitment
· Reporting (all relevant funders)
· Completion of ERDF beneficiary paperwork
Creative Careers Fair
· 1 produced in each location each year
· Open to all (18-24) / · Stalls/exhibition stands from CDI firms/organisations and other relevant NE groups (training providers, etc.)
· Possible performances/showcases from Ladders beneficiaries
· Involve beneficiaries in planning where possible
· Coordination + delivery
· Identify/secure venue
· Contribute to marketing and recruitment
· Reporting (all relevant funders)
· Completion of ERDF beneficiary paperwork
9. / SUITABILITY ASSESSEMENT
Each submission will need to satisfy Generator’s pre-contract supplier checklist (evaluated on a pass/fair basis).The tender must be clear, concise and complete. Generator reserves the right to mark a supplier down or exclude it from procurement if its tender submission contains any ambiguities, caveats or lack of clarity.
10. / TENDER EVALUATION
The Award Questionnaire will be used to evaluate how your organisation will meet all of Generator’s requirements as set out in the Specification for this Contract. The purpose of the Award Questionnaire is to allow Generator to evaluate your organisation’s understanding of Generator requirements for this contract and the quality of your proposal for meeting those requirements.
TENDER template
11. / SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIAInformation to be included in the tender response (award questionnaire) / Selection Criteria / Award Criteria
Relevant knowledge and experience
Previous experience
Tenderers are asked to provide detail of projects of a similar size and nature to that required under this contract, which you have undertaken in the last 3 years to evidence your experience of delivery that will meet Generator’s objectives for Ladders, against specific interventions. Details should include:
· When, where and to whom, the previous services were provided;
· Brief description of the actual services provided under previous (relevant) contracts and the role of your company in delivering these services;
· The contract value (of previous contracts);
· Project objectives / outcomes / outputs and indication of whether these were met. / 60%
Sector knowledge
· Knowledge of the sector (creative and digital industries and/or enterprise and employability development;
· Detail on any relevant partnership with regional organisations / relevant referral arrangements;
· Experience of working with Ladders target groups (young adults / potential entrepreneurs). / 20%
Key personnel
· Breakdown of the key personnel / team involved with the contract (detail of any specialisms or relevant experience). / 20%
Delivery
Meeting objectives
· Plans for meeting the outcomes and objectives for Ladders;
· Delivery plan including key milestones to demonstrate proposed timescales for meeting the requirements of the contract (particular interventions);
· Information about how the company can contribute to recruitment for Ladders. / 50%
Management
· Procedures for ensuring regular communications between Generator and the contractor;
· Information on evaluation and monitoring systems and processes. / 30%
Partnership
· Details on partnerships with any regional creative and digital organisations / businesses;
· Information on any links to other training providers / colleges / support organisations. / 10%
Price
· Provide budget breakdowns against relevant intervention;
· Provide information on how your proposed costs represent value for money. / 10%
TOTAL: / 100% / 100%
12. / TIMEFRAME
Activity / Date
Tender published / 05/05/16
Submission deadline / 20/05/16
Evaluation of tender submission / 27/05/16
Notification of result / 31/05/16
Start of service / 03/06/16
* Subject to internal procurement procedures
13. / CHECKLIST
Award questionnaire
Pre-contract supplier checklist
13. / TENDER ADMINSTRATION DETAILS
Please submit tenders to
If posted, please label your envelope:
Procurement
Generator
Cluny Annex
36 Lime Street
Ouseburn Valley
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 2PQ
TENDER template