Opening Markets
Public Sector markets
Tender Writing Training
We are funding a series of tender writing training workshops to give you an understanding of the public sector commissioning process and to help you write better tenders. The first two phases of this training were delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy.
Phase 2 consisted of 6 training events which were held January - June 2009. Phase three of tender writing training will be delivered from autumn 2009 to March 2011. Once the contract for providing this service has been awarded, details will appear here.
The Scottish Government has also funded Tendering for Public Service Contracts. This is a step by step guide to best practice in bidding for, winning and maintaining public sector contracts.
Supplier Development Programme
The Supplier Development Programme works with SMEs to provide access to support that helps them effectively compete for and deliver public sector contracts. The Scottish Government has provided for enterprising third sector organisations and social enterprises to be able register for the programme. This also includes registration on the supplier development database, that is used by public sector purchasers to identify potential suppliers.
Registering for the Programme is free. Use the link above.
Public Contracts Scotland portal
The Public Contracts Scotland portal gives you free access to contract opportunities in Scotland. This includes contracts with Local Authorities, NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government, Higher and Further Education and Emergency Services. As well as being able to browse the database of available contracts. You can register on the site to receive free e-mail alerts about contracting opportunities in which you have registered an interest.
Opportunities at the Commonwealth Games
The Scottish Government is keen to maximise the social benefit that can be achieved through Commonwealth games contracts. Through the use of community benefit clauses in contracts there will be opportunities for enterprising third sector organisations to deliver contracts and sub-contracts for the Games.
The Aspire to Enterprise programme will work with enterprising third sector organisations that want to develop the skills and understanding required to effectively bid to deliver services at the games.
Public Social Partnerships
The Scottish Government is funding a programme to develop 10 public-social-partnerships in Scotland between 2009 and 2011.
These partnerships (known as PSPs for short) build on the Italian concept of co-planning. They take place in three stages
- Third Sector organisations work with public sector purchasers to design a service
- A consortia of third sector organisations deliver the service as a short-term pilot, helping to refine the service as this proceeds to maximise community benefit
- The service, which has therefore been designed using service users and which has been developed to maximise community benefit is then tendered for longer term delivery
The Lessons Learnt Report from the PSP pilots that have already been undertaken can be accessed here
Social Sector Markets
S2S - Social enterprise trade fair, Edinburgh Corn Exchange, April 23
The 2009 S2S trade fair took place at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange on the 23rd April 2009. The theme was the Marketplace and the fair provided the perfect arena for social enterprises or those with an interest in the sector to meet, trade, exchange ideas and establish new relationships.
Further information on the S2S event is available via the website
Working in consortia
Enterprising third sector organisations are increasingly looking for opportunities to operate in consortia. A guide to forming consortia, match funded by the Scottish Government, can be accessed here.
The Scottish Government has match funded a guide for the third sector on forming consortia
A summary of the guide on developing consortia can be accessed here
The Scottish Government is working with CEiS on a programme of support to help third sector organisations form consortia, including with private companies as a means of delivering community benefit clauses.
Business models
Social enterprise can grow and learn from each other through replication and franchising. Details about how to do this can be found on this guide written by CEiS and funded by Scottish Government
Private Sector Markets
Private sector - social enterprise networking events
The Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition to deliver a series of events (under the banner of "Community of Business") at which established social enterprises are invited to attend both to exhibit and network with private businesses. These will be run by leading chambers of commerce as well as the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI). The programme also includes visits for established private businesses to social enterprises in order for the private sector to gain a thorough understanding of the social enterprise business model.
The Community of Business booklet, showing examples of collaboration between the sectors can be accessed here