Free Support for Small Businesses and Groups

RECEIVED FROM DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL:

Free support for small businesses and community groups

A new support programme has been launched by Devon County Council to help small businesses and community groups.

Get Set to Tender is offering free support to Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who have less than 250 employees, to help them respond to public sector organisation tendering opportunities.

The project, which will operate until March 2023, is part of a wider package of support being delivered through Devon’s £6 million recovery programme which aims to provide help and support in four key areas: small and medium enterprises, employment and skills, the green recovery, and the hardest hit towns and communities.

Get Set to Tender will provide support to organisations who are new to public sector contract tendering as well as those who already have some experience.

It will mainly be delivered via online workshops, but one-to-one support will also be available, and will cover:

• An introduction to procurement and tendering - aimed at organisations who have yet to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.

• Intermediate support - aimed at organisations who have some experience in tendering for public sector contracts.

• Writing tender responses - aimed at all organisations who want to secure public sector opportunities.

Advice and support will be offered to community led initiatives in the county which will be delivered one to one and will cover subjects such as:

• What is the right legal structure for my enterprise; and

• Community assets

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, said: “Get Set to Tender aims to help local small businesses and local communities - these are key areas that need to be backed through our recovery programme to help ensure that Devon emerges stronger from the pandemic. Providing small businesses with the knowledge of how they can apply for public sector contracts can equip with a useful tool to help them build back better. Throughout the pandemic many Devon communities have benefited from community led initiatives to support the most vulnerable, and this project can help advise those groups that may wish to take the next step to become a legal entity.”

To enrol click here Get Set to Tender