TENDER DOCUMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF BUSINESS ADVICE AND
SUPPORT TO SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AS PART OF THE YORKSHIRE
VENTURE PHILANTHROPY (‘YVP’) PROGRAMME
1.
THE YVP PROGRAMME
The YVP Programme is a new initiative part-financed by the European Regional Development
Fund Programme (2007 to 2013). The lead partner is the Leeds Community Foundation working in
partnership with the Community Foundation for Calderdale and the South Yorkshire Community
Foundation. Key Fund is also a partner to the overall programme through the provision of loan
finance.
The programme consists of a number of different elements that are combined to provide a support
package for new-start and established social enterprises. This includes:
 a small grants programme up to £5,000;
 a combined grants/loan programme for investment of up to £100,000;
 provision of specialist business advice and support; and
 pro bono / mentoring support.
The key objectives of the YVP Programme are to:
 promote a culture of enterprise and entrepreneurship within third sector organisations,
particularly those that are in the most deprived communities in the region;
 help establish and support new social enterprises, as well as providing support for existing
ones to grow;
 create new jobs, safeguard existing posts; and
 raise the profile of social enterprises in the private sector.
The programme is open to applications from a range of third sector organisations and social
enterprises including: Registered Charities, Voluntary and Community Groups, Start-up’s or
established social enterprises including: CIC’s; Development Trusts; Industrial & Provident
Societies; Co-operatives
In order to be eligible for support the applicant organisations must be looking to develop and / or
implement ideas that will help their organisation grow and develop. This may be: by having clear
plans to generate income from trading through sales of goods/services; and/or by finding ways of
becoming more sustainable. Projects must have a clear economic focus such as increasing
income from trading, job creation etc.
Not all projects that apply for support will be successful. A detailed assessment will be undertaken,
of each applicant, to select those that most closely fit the priorities of the programme.
The YVP programme can fund pilot projects and start-ups, or contribute to expanding or
developing current trading or enterprising activity.
Support is available initially only for third sector groups based in Leeds, South Yorkshire and
Calderdale, or organisations that are clearly benefiting people living in these areas.
2.
TENDER PROCESS
This tender document focuses on the provision of specialist business advice and support. All
tenderers are expected to cover the costs of submitting the tender.
The tender process will consist of 2 stages.

The first stage is to enable the YVP Programme Board to develop a list of “Approved
Suppliers to the YVP Programme”. The details of how to apply to be an approved supplier
are outlined below. We anticipate approving no more than five suppliers for each work
package.

The second stage will involve the choice of the most appropriate supplier to meet the needs
of specific groups that are successful in their application for support. The details of how the
decision will be made for each group are detailed below.
The required support has been divided into a number of work packages, as detailed in Section 3
below. You can apply for any one or more of the work packages, providing you can provide proof
of expertise in the relevant areas.
The programme of support will commence in January 2013 and run until May 2015.
The YVP Team anticipate providing consultancy support to approximately 20 separate
organisations each year and anticipate that a group may typically require between 1-3 days
support, depending on the nature of their needs. Until the applications have been assessed, we
are not able to identify how much support will be required in each of the individual work packages.
All applications need to be submitted by email or post by 5.00 pm on Friday the 14th December
2012 and will be assessed in week commencing 17th December 2012 using the scoring
mechanism detailed in Section 4. Allowing time for the follow-up of key references, we anticipate
making a decision by the middle of January 2013. We reserve the right to contact you to request
further details and / or ask specific questions during this assessment period. All applicants will be
notified of the results of the assessment.
We anticipate approving no more than five suppliers in each of the key areas of work. We estimate
that approved providers could be receiving requests for support within two weeks of the decisiondate. It is important, therefore, that your references are available between 17/12/12 and 11/1/13
and that you are able to commence work after the 14th January 2013.
Payment for services will be made directly to the advisors, by one of the Community Foundation
partners, when the YVP Team are satisfied the service has been delivered.
3.
BUSINESS CONSULTANCY AND ADVICE SERVICES REQUIRED
Our experience leads us to conclude that the majority of social enterprise applicants will require
specific support in one of five areas: Business Diagnostics; Business Planning and General
Consultancy; Sales and Marketing; People Development and Leadership; and Legal and
Governance. These are therefore being tendered as separate work packages.
Suppliers can tender for one or all of these packages; however in each instance they will need to
demonstrate a proven track record of supporting social enterprises in the respective areas.
Suppliers are also encouraged to provide details of other support they can provide that fall outside
of the work packages described, for example SROI or specialist tax advice.
Work Package 1 – Business Planning and General Consultancy
We anticipate that many groups will need general advice and further assistance with the
development of their business plan and cashflow forecasts. This assistance could be particularly
relevant where an investment and or loan is envisaged or where groups are planning to develop
new products or services.
Note that all applicants will be expected to have done some work on their business plan prior to
application to YVP. The Business Planning work package is likely to include support in: defining
products and services; identifying markets and competition; considering price and promotion;
SWOT analysis and follow up action planning; building budgets and cash flow management.
We are also looking for support in 4 more specific areas.
Work Package 2 – Business Diagnostics
It is envisaged that the needs of some organisations will require be more complex and the required
support may not be as immediately apparent. We believe this may apply, in particular, to those
organisations that have been established for some time and are seeking to grow or branch out into
a new line of business.
The Business Diagnostics work package is aimed at groups that fall into this category. They may
require a more detailed assessment of their structure, people and processes in order to identify
strengths and weaknesses. The assessment will conclude with a written report making
recommendations for the next phase of their development. The report should highlight, in
particular, which areas of their business operations may require further development and /or
specialist advice.
Work Package 3 – Sales and Marketing
Some social enterprises may have a well-developed business plan but need some specific
assistance to produce a more focused sales and marketing plan.
The Sales and Marketing work package is likely to include support with: product positioning;
developing a marketing strategy to attract new customers; developing a pricing policy; promoting
products and services (via PR, advertising and social media); and advice on maximising sales
opportunities.
Work package 4 – People Development and Leadership
Building, developing and maintaining a motivated team is a critical success factor in any business.
Some organisations will need support in developing leadership skills and building effective teams.
The People Development and Leadership work package is likely to include work around: assessing
the current team; helping clarify individual roles and responsibilities, as well as employer
responsibilities; developing a strategy for communication and feedback within the group; and core
leadership development of key individuals.
Work Package 5 – Legal and Governance
Identifying the most appropriate legal structure to adopt and designing and implementing
governance processes are challenges that all organisations face during their early stages of
development. New and existing organisations will require support and advice during the process of
creating or approving contracts for a range of services. The legal and governance work package
will advise groups on best practice and leave them with the knowledge needed to make the right
decision for their organisation.
4.
SCORING
Stage 1
Each application under Stage 1 of the tender will be scored by staff in the YVP Team. Scores will
be allocated based on the criteria below. Those organisations receiving the highest overall scores
will be invited to join the Approved Suppliers List.
Area of Operation
Robustness of business and capacity (length of time in operation,
turnover, access to skilled staff)
Feedback from references
Value for money (fee basis, relevant experience in specific area of
advice / consultancy, specific expertise of staff)
Total available marks
Maximum number of
marks
25
15
60
100
Stage 2
Once an organisation has been selected to benefit from specialist support, we will use the following
process to determine the most appropriate consultant to appoint.
1)
2)
The relevant Community Foundation will provide a 1 page summary of the group that
requires support. This will be provided to all Approved Suppliers for the work package(s) for
which the group requires support. The summary will include the background of the group, the
type of enterprising activity they are involved in and what specific support have been
identified.
Each Approved Supplier will be invited to respond to the summary with a brief proposal and
quote summarising their experience relating to the specific needs of the group and the
timescales within which they can provide support to the group. The deadline for submissions
will be 10 working days from provision of the 1 page summary from the Community
Foundation.
3)
The YVP Programme Board will each rate each Approved Supplier response using the
following criteria and suppliers will be given a score out of a potential 15 points. A decision
will be taken within 5 working days of the deadline for receipt of proposals based on the
highest average score. N.B. The example given relates to a group requiring support for
Marketing and Sales for the field of digital music
a) Experience
i) 1 point for general experience in Marketing and Sales
ii) 4 points for more specific Marketing and Sales experience in the field required by the
group e.g. other digital media such as film
iii) 6 points for Marketing and sales experience in digital music
b) Value for Money and environmental impact– up to 6 points awarded for:
i) 1 point for use of green travel arrangements e.g. public transport / shortest journey by
car will be favoured
ii) 1 point for the lowest travel costs
iii) 4 points for the cost of the support to be provided
c) Capacity
i) 1 point for the ability to provide support within 6 to 8 weeks of award
ii) 2 points for the ability to provide support within 3 to 6 weeks of award
iii) 3 points for the ability to provide support within 1 to 3 weeks of award
All applications need to be submitted by 5.00 pm on Friday the 14th December 2012 either by post
or email to:
Leeds Community Foundation, 51a St Paul’s Street, Leeds LS1 2TE. Email: info@leedscf.org.uk.
Telephone (0113) 242 2426 with any queries.
APPLICATION FORM FOR THE PROVISION OF BUSINESS ADVICE AND
SUPPORT TO SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
1.
Your Organisation
Your Name
Organisation Name
Address
Website
Email
Telephone
Please provide brief background details about your organisation: how long established;
approximate number of clients assisted; specific areas of expertise etc. Please limit this to no
more than 250 words.
2.
Work programme
2.1
Please indicate which of the work packages you are applying for. You can apply for
more than one work package if you have the relevant expertise.
□
Business Planning and General Consultancy
□
Business Diagnostics
□
Sales and Marketing
□
People Development and Leadership
□
Legal & Governance
2.2
Relevant Expertise. For each of the areas you are tendering for in 2.1. above, please
indicate what relevant and specific experience and expertise you have. Please use no more than
500 words and head each page with the name of the work package you are tendering for.
2.3
Personnel. Please provide brief details of the key individuals who will be providing the
advice to groups and indicate if they are employed directly by you, or not; attach pen portraits as
appropriate.
2.4
Other Areas of Specialism Please use this space to provide of other specialist support that
your organisation can provide to groups applying to the programme.
3.
Financial Information
3.1
Company information
When were you established?
What was your turnover for the last financial year?
Of this, how much was for the provision of consultancy advice
similar to that detailed in this application?
How many employees or associates do you have (please
distinguish between the two)?
3.2
Fee basis. Please provide details of your hourly or daily fee rate and the basis on which
this is calculated. Please indicate whether you are VAT registered and make it clear if the fee
includes VAT. If you are able to provide discounts (for the provision of a certain number of days’
support for instance), please provide details.
3.3
Other Concessions. The provision of support is directly targeted at social enterprises who
aim to re-distribute profits to provide social benefits. As such, providers of specialist support as part
of this tender may be willing to incorporate some element of corporate responsibility in their bid.
We do not wish to prescribe what this might be but examples could include: reduction of standard
day rates; offering a specified amount of time to speak at seminars and workshops that will be part
of the on-going YVP programme. If you are willing to include this in your bid, please provide
details here.
4.
Other Information
4.1 Insurance. Please provide details of what insurance you have in place including the limits of
any professional indemnity cover you have in place.
4.2 Geography. The YVP programme initially covers organisations based in Yorkshire. Please
indicate below which areas you are willing to provide support for.
Leeds only
South Yorkshire only
Calderdale only
All of S & W Yorkshire
4.3
Capacity. By submitting this tender, you are confirming that you have the capacity to
provide the above support after January 2013. Please provide details here of any factors that
might influence your capacity to deliver.
4.4
Provision of one-to-one support. As part of your contract, we require you to produce a
brief report on the support provided, and any key observations/ conclusions reached. Copies of
this are to be made available to the social enterprise and to the YVP programme. Please tick here
to confirm acceptance of this requirement and use the box below to add any extra comments.
□
4.5
Provision of one-to-many support. There may be occasions where one or more of the
applicants require the same kind of overall advice / support that could be provided on a one-tomany basis via group work or seminars. If you are willing to provide this kind of support, please
provide brief information about the relevant experience you have in this area and the level of
support you would be able to provide.
4.6
References. Please provide contact details for a minimum of two social enterprises you
have worked with in the past 18-month period. All these references will be followed up so they
need to be prepared to talk about the support you have provided.
Reference 1
Contact Name
Organisation
Name
Address
Reference 2
Contact Name
Organisation
Name
Address
Phone Number
Email
Phone Number
Email
All applications need to be submitted by 5.00 pm on Friday the 14th December 2012 either by post
or email to: Leeds Community Foundation, 51a St Paul’s Street, Leeds LS1 2TE. Email:
info@leedscf.org.uk. Telephone (0113) 242 2426 with any queries.