Glasgow Business Growth Programme- Phase 4 Framework

Glasgow City Council (GCC) manages a framework for the delivery of consultancy services in the area of Business Growth. The consultancy services are delivered to SMEs with growth potential across the city, to help deliver sustainable and inclusive growth and improve business start-up and survival rates in the city.

With the current framework concluding in March 2027, GCC is now looking to establish a new framework. These services are delivered under a multi-Lot framework, through a mix of 1-2-1, both face to face and online, and group consultancy sessions related to an anticipated 10 specific specialist areas.

The council encourage bids from businesses of all sizes, including sole traders, and encourage a diverse and competitive supplier base. The procurement process has been designed to be proportionate, transparent and accessible, with requirements focused on capability and delivery rather than organisational size.

Sole traders are encouraged to engage where they can demonstrate their ability to meet the specified requirements. The Business Governance, Legal and IP Lot will provide support to help determine the assignment and coordination of roles, power and responsibilities within a business.

It also defines how information flows between the different levels of management. Introducing a formal organisational structure can help put your business in a better position to achieve its objectives.

Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Board Development Company Structuring Franchising Business Succession Company Governance Ethical Management Intellectual Property The Sustainable Growth and Productivity lot will provide support to identify areas of improvement processes which help with improving some measure of an enterprise's success.

Business growth can be achieved either by boosting the top line or revenue of the business with greater product sales or service income, or by increasing the bottom line or profitability of the operation by minimizing costs. Business growth is a function of the business lifecycle and can be influenced by industry growth trends.

Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Strategic Planning Sales & Marketing Change Management Pitching & Procurement Procurement Operations Management Turnaround Mergers & Acquisitions The Upskilling, Leadership and resources lot will provide support to involve reviewing existing Leadership Development processes and preparing a report on their future suitability and/or making recommendations for future actions.

It will also provide a range of support across leadership and management as well as capacity building and comprehensive HR support. Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Organisational Development and Succession Planning Leadership and Management Capacity Building and HR Support

The Finance Lot will allow support to be provided across a range of areas which will help with the efficient and effective management of money / funds in such a manner as to accomplish the objectives of the organisation. Strategic financial management not only manages a company's finances but allows them to be managed with the intention to succeed.

Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Financial Management Financial Readiness Preparing for Investment Alternative Finance Company Valuation Taxation The Design and System Processing Lot will integrate design thinking principles into a range of organisations across different industry sectors.

Promoting the use of design principles and educating SMEs on the benefits directly linked to innovation, sustainability and resilience, this Lot will see an increase in available support that creates design-led companies who can improve effective strategy and product/service development and manage organisational change. Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Problem Solving Development Testing and validation

Sales and marketing share two key roles within businesses: attracting more customers and developing and retaining the existing customer base. They also share the collective underlying goal of bringing in more revenue.

When sales and marketing work together a substantial improvement is seen on important performance metrics. Variations persist between Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) and as a result of differing routes to market (particularly considering the impact of digital) but the above holds fairly true irrespective of the business model.

Expert services under this Sales and Digital Marketing Lot assist businesses with the practical approach to marketing, including writing a marketing plan and establishing a marketing communications plan for integrating traditional and digital communications. It will also offer support with developing a marketing and/ or sales strategy, with pricing and market penetration strategies Services for this Lot fall under the following sub-categories; Digital Sales: Marketing Strategies: Branding: SEO Maximisation including Social Media and website

The Digital Lot will provide support to businesses to use technology to benefit to its internal and external operations. The types of digital support will be varied but will allow businesses to use Technology solutions to help their business to the next level.

Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Social Media eCommerce Support Data Analytics Mobile or internet technologies Customisation of software or App development Cloud Computing AI Digital Strategy Cyber Security Sustainability expert support topics span core pillars like environmental compliance, carbon accounting, circularity, and ESG reporting.

They also encompass strategic organisational needs, including Leadership & Culture, Carbon Accounting & Carbon Baseline Assessment, Supply Chain Engagement and Regulatory Compliance & Climate Risk Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Leadership and Culture Carbon Accounting and Carbon Baseline Assessment Regulatory Compliance and Climate Risk Sustainability and Sustainable Marketing Circular Economy This Lot will provide support in a different, shorter, more targeted, and innovative way for organisations at various stages of growth.

Since the pandemic feedback from businesses has shown that most are now looking for shorter, sharper more focussed interventions. These interventions could focus on emerging themes and could target the key and emerging sectors.

It is envisaged that these interventions will be demand driven and will be required on an as needed basis. They could combine traditional teaching methodologies with guidance and mentorship.

These programmes could include expert support from Lots 1-9 Business Growth; Business Structuring; Leadership and Skills; Financial Management; Design Thinking and Innovation; Sales and Marketing; Internationalisation; Digital Development and Innovation and Green Business Support. Suppliers will be contacted by the Council when a specific intervention is required, Evidence suggests that organisations who engage with business accelerators benefit from the opportunity presented, leading to greater collaboration with other entrepreneurs and businesses that can yield benefits that allow the business to grow at an accelerated rate.

An overview of the objections and intentions of Accelerator programmes is; Acceleration: Learning-by-doing is vital to the process of scaling any venture, and the point of any type of acceleration programme is to accelerate that process. In this way, businesses are able to compress a large amount of learning into a shorter period of time.

Our Accelerator programmes will deliver relevant, accessible and practical learning for the leaders of ambitious businesses in the city looking to scale up. It will equip participants with the skills and tools to shape their own learning.

It could encourage participants to take ownership of their own development and assume responsibility for coaching their own management teams to embed learning throughout the organisation. It may also help to address organisational, operational, and strategic challenges that the business may face It could also include access to experienced entrepreneurs and mentors, business model refinement, advice on start-up capital, and the opportunity to pitch to potential investors.

Any Accelerator programmes required under this Lot will require to be delivered over a specified period. Most programmes will accommodate between 12 – 15 eligible organisations, with a maximum of 15 participating in any programme.

Smaller cohorts may be required on occasion. The Internationalisation Lot will support businesses access overseas markets, offering an opportunity to increase sales to a much wider customer base.

Exporting can be profitable for businesses of all sizes and lead to new job opportunities. Scottish businesses trading internationally have high productivity rates and are often more competitive, with research suggesting that SMEs who export perform better financially and grow more than twice as fast as those that do not.

There is already a comprehensive support structure nationally through SDI for exporting support, therefore this Lot aims to fill the gaps in expertise or support businesses unable to leverage other public sector support. Services for this Lot should include, but not be limited to, the following: Support for Exporting , including tariffs and taxes Market Analysis and Development Structuring for Internationalisation