Start and Specialise Business Support Programmes

• Value: £102K

Of the 2,590 East Sussex business that started in 2016, only 1,165 or 45% were still trading five years later. We want to ensure that businesses starting in East Sussex have the help they need to start well, that they are supported to develop a clear vision for their business and have the confidence and skills they need to flourish. 'Start' will be commissioned to provide support for new businesses and provide high quality interventions that have a positive impact on the business, supporting them to develop and grow. 'Start' will have a budget of £85,000 and will run from 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2025. A possible extension of up to three months has been built into the contract, and with this extension the budget for this lot may rise to an estimated £102,000 (pro rata extension).

• Value: £435K

The 'Specialise' Programme is designed to provide specialist provision to businesses that require technical, specialist, or expert support to help them overcome barriers and continue to deliver a growth in employment, turnover or productivity. 'Specialise' will give local businesses access to high quality support from proven and experienced specialists to enable increased growth. The programme will achieve this through the provision of approximately 12 hours of 1 to 1 support to eligible businesses in the East Sussex area. There is flexibility on the number of hours of support provided to each business, the minimum being 8 hours and the maximum being 16 hours (although in very specific situations these parameters can be amended with approval from ESCC). There is a requirement for the programme to have a minimum average of 10 of hours support provided per business. The number of hours of support provided should be determined through an initial diagnostic session held with each business. 'Specialise' is funded to ensure that it can provide high quality specialist support, and it is therefore expected that this will be done with business with the greatest need and with the greatest potential to grow. The quality of these interventions with these businesses will ensure that these interventions have real impacts on FTE employment, turnover and/or productivity. 'Specialise' will have a budget of £362,464 and will run from 1st January 2023 to 31st March 2025. A possible extension of up to three months has been built into the contract, and with this extension the budget for this lot may rise to an estimated £434,956 (pro rata extension).