Support for Businesses

Success Stories

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

Market Reports

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

West Midlands

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

Useful Websites

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

Events

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

Tenders

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Details on active tenders for ICT companies are listed below, along with the deadline for response:

Opportunity Deadline for response

License for Online Retailer 23/04/09

Permanent Radio Solution 30/04/09

Business Support

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The following organisations offer support and a range of services (some subsidised or free) to the region's businesses.

Business Link West Midlands - To see how your business can benefit, contact your local Business Link. You can contact Business Link West Midlands through their Information Team on 0845 113 1234 (local rate), email [email protected]">[email protected] or request a callback from one of their business advisers.

The Carbon Trust offers interest free credit to help companies make their business more efficient, but also helps with advice on lowering energy bills and cutting carbon emissions.

Centre for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (CSME) - The Centre staff organise external training for SMEs covering business growth, management development, key business skills, e-business and marketing. Most of the programmes are subsidised by local business links.

- The Competitiveness Centre at the University of Wolverhampton offers one central contact point for all of the University's services to external organisations, including the public and private sector businesses. To contact them telephone 0800 068 5023.

Connect Midlands - provides new and growing technology companies located in the Midlands with access to a peer group network, potential investors, technology transfer opportunities, enterprise events, investment readiness training and key skills workshops.

ContactKE - provides speedy and easy access for businesses to the wide range of expertise and specialist resources available in the West Midlands' Universities.

Coventry City Council - Business Support responsible for stimulating business investment; helping established businesses to grow, developing the local workforce, creating wealth and jobs and linking people with jobs and training opportunities.

Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) can address the practical needs of manufacturers by delivering hands-on advice and support through specialist manufacturing advisors and a network of expert associate providers. They assist with any aspect of manufacturing including productivity improvements, new and enhanced product development and operational efficiency.

National Business to Business Centre (NB2BC) - The NB2BC ensures that new technology contributes to business and delivers real benefits.

Smarta is a new business support website, billed as Facebook for entrepreneurs, to be launched in the autumn of 2008. Designed to back other business support schemes, such as the government's network of Business Link advice centres, Smarta will put those wanting to start or grow their own business in touch with other entrepreneurs.

Staffordshire University Services for Business & Industry - Programmes aimed at bringing real competitive advantage to businesses in the region.

Staffs Business Innovation Centre (BIC) - dedicated to provide advice and support at little or no cost to help encourage innovation

Regional Business Networks

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This web page is still under construction and will be updated shortly

2012 Olympic Opportunities

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2012 Olympic Opportunities

A groundbreaking business ‘dating agency’ was launched early in 2008 at Birmingham’s Villa Park stadium, to help companies compete for thousands of business opportunities, helping deliver the London 2012 Olympic, Paralympic Games and related projects.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and London Organising Committee (LOCOG) expect to spend over £8bn, with an estimated 75,000 future business opportunities, covering direct contractors and their supply chains, over the coming years.

This ‘London 2012 Business Network’ is accessible at www.london2012.com/business

It will help companies to compete for London 2012 business opportunities directly with London 2012, or with suppliers in its supply chain.

The Network has three component parts:-

      1)   essential information for West Midlands companies on upcoming opportunities and how to supply London 2012

      2)     business events taking place in the region related to 2012

      3)     the new ‘CompeteFor’ service, a business ‘dating agency’ that will match West Midlands companies to thousands of opportunities supplying London 2012 contractors.

ODA and LOCOG will advertise their direct contract opportunities online through CompeteFor. Successful contractors will be encouraged to also advertise their supply chain opportunities on CompeteFor. For example the Olympic Stadium construction contractor ‘Team Stadium’ opened the service with an advert for their site accommodation cleaning contract.

Companies at every further level of the London 2012 supply chain will be encouraged to advertise their supplier opportunities through CompeteFor. There will be Tenders from both the public and private sectors on the system.

After registering basic company information, one time only, any interested business can view the opportunities advertised. Companies can then complete a business profile, which involves answering a series of simple questions, to be able to compete for opportunities.

A company’s business profile is automatically tested against a small number of minimum standards in areas such as health and safety. If these requirements are not met the company is automatically referred to tailored business support, to help improve their performance. This service is provided free by Business Link West Midlands.

Once a company’s profile is successfully published on CompeteFor, they are automatically matched to opportunities which suit their business and invited, by email, to apply for them by filling out a short, tailored application form. The buyer advertising the contract then selects a shortlist of companies and invites them to formally tender through the buyer’s own procurement system.

Details of the winning bidder(s) are published on CompeteFor, and unsuccessful short-listed bidders receive feedback from the buyer. Throughout the process, business support agency, Business Link, is on hand to help companies maximise their chances of success.

Jim Johnston, 2012 Business Manager at Advantage West Midlands said:-

“The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are now starting to offer a new and unprecedented opportunity to West Midlands firms, to supply the event with goods and services. In world terms, Britain is a tiny country, and the West Midlands is one of the regions closest to London. CompeteFor now offers an easy, free-of-charge system for West Midlands firms to identify and bid for these contracts.

“As well as the direct contracts from London 2012, there are other, 2012-related projects which will offer billions of pounds of contracts, over and above the costs of building for, and operating, the 2012 Games. These include contracts from the five 2012 “Host” boroughs in London, transport improvements in London and south-east, and the £5 billion “Stratford Village” project. It is hoped that many of these Tenders will also appear on CompeteFor, in due course.

“Olympic business can be won. At least six ICT companies from the West Midlands have already won contracts to supply London 2012, several of them through the CompeteFor system”

For information on CompeteFor and how to register, visit www.london2012.com/business

In addition, Glasgow has won the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Tenders from this other major sporting event can be accessed at www.glasgow2014.com

For general help and business support on 2012 opportunities, contact: Business Link in the West Midlands on:- 0845 113 1234 or http://www.businesslinkwm.co.uk/

Useful References

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A directory of organisations which provide resources which you may find useful.