Articles
1. Greensand Ridge Grants
2. Pitching for Council Business
Greensand Ridge Grants
Launch of £2.4 million investment fund to boost Greensand Ridge rural economy
A group working across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire has up to £2.4 million to invest and is inviting interest from local rural businesses.
The group, known as the Greensand Ridge Local Action Group, has won funding from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) as part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to invest in exciting and innovative business and community enterprises in the locality. Although applications can be considered at anytime over the next three years the group is keen to encourage projects to come forward as soon as possible.
Charles Whitbread, chair of the Greensand Ridge group, said:
“We are looking to invest our funds in exciting, new, collaborative projects which help local businesses, farmers, foresters and other small rural enterprises to diversify into new markets, particularly those connected with ‘green’ tourism and leisure, carbon reduction and local food and drink.”
The Group aims to use the fund to support the local rural economy and help it to become more competitive and sustainable. A Greensand Ridge rural development strategy and investment prospectus has been produced by the Group to help guide its investment activity.
Caron Kendall, project manager for the Greensand Ridge Project said:
“Rural businesses are the lifeblood of rural communities. This £2.4 million investment fund is great news for the Greensand Ridge area we are looking for innovative rural development projects and low-carbon business initiatives. I encourage anyone interested to get in touch with the group as early as possible.”
The management of the fund is being led by BRCC, a countywide community development and environmental charity. A team of trained staff has been appointed by BRCC to support applicants to develop their project ideas and complete the necessary application paperwork. The application process has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible with all applications being considered on a rolling basis at monthly panel meetings.
Those interested in further information are advised to visit www.greensand.org.uk or call Caron on 01767 626465.
Ends
Pitching for Council Business
We had a very useful talk from the head of procurement at Bedford Borough Council at the February meeting of the Bedford SME Business Breakfast Club
Here are the notes for the meeting with links for more information.
Bidding for Business with Bedford Borough Council
Mike Nacey - Procurement Manager
The Borough Corporate Plan
Priority 1:
Economic Development, Regeneration & Enterprise
Objective 1A:
Supporting Businesses
develop business partnerships
improve business networking
investor Development Programme
develop Bedford’s tourist attractions
Legal Framework
EU Procurement Directive
open, fair, non-discriminatory
UK legislation
Council Financial Procedures
Value for Money – statutory duty
Best Practice – Audit & Scrutiny
Financial Procedures - bidding
Contract value determines bid process
up to £500 : 2+ quotations
£501 to £9,999 : 2+ quotations
£10,000 to £99,999 : 3+ quotations
over £100,000 : 3+ tenders
over EU thresholds : EU tenders
(works £3,927,260; supplies & services £156,442)
Procurement Structure
Procurement Steering Group
corporate coordinating body
Service Departments:
day-to-day procurement
tenders & quotations
purchase orders, invoice queries
contracts and suppliers management
Procurement Service
support Service Depts on tenders and contracts
procurement systems & processes, including e-tenders
corporate contracts
expenditure reports & analysis; efficiency & savings
What's in a good bid
Answers to all our questions
Full, compliant specification
technical details
delivery details – quantity, time, place
Price schedule with main elements
Any proposed special conditions
Contact details
What's in a good contract
What you agree to do
What we agree to do (eg. pay!)
What happens if you or we don’t
How we can improve performance
Legal, insurance etc requirements
A clear, concise contract is a useful collaborative tool, not an attempt to catch the other party out
Future Developments
Harmonisation at regional level
Collaboration among Beds councils
Council Procurement website
document review programme
Risk Management Strategy
e-tendering
In a nutshell
We at the Borough Council recognise:
our duty to support local businesses
the potential of local businesses to contribute:
sustainability
responsive service
local knowledge
For More Information
Click here for Borough procurement website
General procurement websites:
“Selling to government” (guide)
“Winning the contract” (online course)