Pre- Market Engagement to inform the Northern Ireland’s proposed Entrepreneurship Support Service on behalf of 11 NI councils.

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice is to notify the market of the 11 NI Council’s intention to hold a pre-market engagement with interested parties to help shape and inform the development of the future Entrepreneurship Support Service for Northern Ireland. The scope of the services includes activity to be delivered under four elements, representing a continuum of support that will be required from pre-start support, through start-up and the growth journey thereafter. Each element may comprise of a range of projects or initiatives, each with their own area of focus and expertise to help individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses. Engage -Engage will focus on identifying individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations, as well as encouraging people to consider starting a business as a viable option for them, drawing on partnerships with organisations already active in this space. Foundation - The foundation element of the project will focus on more intensive support geared to establishment of ‘employer enterprises’ (Higher Value/ VAT+ Potential starts). Key activities will include business planning, a programme of masterclasses, 1 to 1 advice to refine business plan, support with access to finance and further peer support/networks. Enabling Growth - This element of the project is aimed at stimulating high growth. All businesses receiving support through this element are expected to be ‘employer enterprises’. They will receive differentiated and tailored support focused on cohorts such as SME start-up enterprise founders, who can be the life blood of high streets and local economies; and innovation-driven enterprises with a strong aspiration to grow, with a focus on regional/ export markets. Support would include; access to ‘live’ masterclasses, post-start mentoring, connections to sources of finance and ‘grow-on’ accommodation; and peer support/ networks. Scaling - The scaling element entails account management support for later stage acceleration (for start-ups typically over 2 years old).