CAR for Delivery of Workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help to support Business Gateway
Renfrewshire Council · 20 November 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 20 November 2025 and its agenda
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OFFICIAL ___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resource and Customer Services Policy Board On: 20 November 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: The Chief Executive and The Director of Finance & Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Contract Authorisation Report for Delivery of Workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help to support Business Gateway (RC-CPU- 25-124) ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek the formal approval of the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board to award a Contract for Delivery of Workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help to support Business Gateway to Strategem (Scotland) Limited. 1.2 The recommendation to award this Contract follows a procurement exercise which was conducted as an Accelerated Open Procedure for an above Threshold Services Contract in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, as amended and the Renfrewshire Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 1.3 A Contract Strategy was approved by both the Head of Economy and Development and the Strategic Category Manager on 12 August 2025. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board authorises: 2.1 The Head of Corporate Governance to award a Contract for Delivery of Workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help to support Business Gateway,
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OFFICIAL reference RC-CPU-25-124 to Strategem (Scotland) Limited (Co. no. SC195494). 2.2 The award of the Contract for a period of 2 years. The anticipated commencement date of the Contract is 05 January 2026; however, the actual date will be confirmed in the Council’s Letter of Acceptance. 2.3 The award of the Contract up to a maximum value of £196,000 (£98,000 per annum) excluding VAT. 2.4 The following liability of either Party: • the aggregate liability of either party for all Defaults resulting in direct loss of or damage to the property of the other under, or in connection with, the Contract shall in no event exceed £250,000 Sterling; and • the annual aggregate liability under the Contract of either party for all Defaults shall in no event exceed the greater of £1,000,000 Sterling of the price payable by the Council to the Service Provider in the year in which the liability arises. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Renfrewshire Council is seeking a Service Provider, with the competence and capability to deliver workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help to support Business Gateway in the Renfrewshire Council area. The current Contract is due to expire on the 31 December 2025. 3.2 The services provided by this Contract will include Core Start Up, Business Base, Specialist Workshops, Surgeries and Expert Help Consultations for growing businesses in areas such as Business Financial Management, Business Strategy, Growth and Development, Human Resources, Leadership and Skills, Procurement, Marketing, Innovation, Intellectual Property, Information Technology, Digital Development and Cyber Security, Energy Efficiency and Net Zero, Internationalisation and Tourism. 3.3 A Tender was issued using the accelerated Open Procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, as amended and the Renfrewshire Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contract. A Contract Notice was published on the Find a Tender Service via the Public Contracts Scotland website on 25 September 2025.
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OFFICIAL The Invitation to Tender was also published and available on this date from Public Contracts Scotland – Tenders, with a tender submission deadline of 12 noon on 10 October 2025. 3.4 During the live tender period, 36 organisations expressed an interest in the tender opportunity. By the tender submission deadline, 5 organisations had submitted a tender submission response. The Council contacted those organisations who did not respond to ask their reasons for not participating, and the responses ranged from being unable to deliver all elements of the specification to not having capacity. 3.5 All 5 Tender submissions were evaluated against a pre-determined set of criteria in the form of the Single Procurement Document Scotland (“SPD”) by representatives from: the Corporate Procurement Unit, Health and Safety, Security & Compliance team, Corporate Risk team and Economic Development. All 5 tender submissions complied with the minimum selection criteria of the SPD. 3.6 The 5 tender submissions were then evaluated against the Award Criteria of 60% Quality and 40% Price. 3.7 The scores relative to the Award Criteria for each Tenderer are noted below: Tenderer Name Quality Score (60%) Price Score (40%) Total Score Strategem (Scotland) Limited 47.00% 37.45% 84.45% Inspirent Ltd 41.75% 37.74% 79.49% CJM Lumina Ltd 38.25% 38.10% 76.35% Academy of Enterprise Education Ltd 33.75% 40.00% 73.75% Social Ant Ltd 24.50% 39.17% 63.67% 3.8 The evaluation of the tender submissions received identified that the tender submission by Strategem (Scotland) Limited was the most economically advantageous tender. 3.9 Community Benefits were requested as part of this procurement process and Strategem (Scotland) Limited has confirmed the following Community Benefits will be delivered as part of the Contract:
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OFFICIAL Community Benefit Number Offered Industry Awareness Events 1 Industry Skill Transfer to Schools 1 Business advice/support to a local SME 1 Non-financial support for a Social Enterprise 2 ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The costs for this Contract will be met by the Economic Development Service budget with a maximum Contract value of up to £196,000 (£98,000 per annum) for the two year Period of the Contract excluding VAT. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None directly arising from this report. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Place - Improving lives and securing wellbeing through a stronger, inclusive and sustainable economy, being creative, imaginative and linking opportunities to enhance the benefits for Renfrewshire • Economy - Creating sustainable employment opportunities for people who live in Renfrewshire, attracting good employers to the area and encouraging growth of businesses already operating here, ensuring that all people can benefit from the inclusive growth in Renfrewshire 4. Legal - This tender exercise was carried out in accordance with the procedures for an above Threshold Accelerated Open Procedure under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 as amended and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 5. Property/Assets – None directly arising from this report. 6. Information Technology - Strategem (Scotland) Limited was evaluated by the Council’s Security & Compliance team and met the Council’s requirements. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified
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OFFICIAL arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - Strategem (Scotland) Limited health and safety credentials were evaluated by the Council’s Corporate Health and Safety team and met the Council’s requirements. 9. Procurement – The procurement procedure outlined within this report shall ensure that the Council meets its statutory requirements in respect of procurement procedures, efficiency, and modern Government. 10. Risk - Strategem (Scotland) Limited insurances were evaluated by the Council’s Corporate Risk team and met the Council’s minimum requirements The following limit of liability caps for Default in accordance with the General Conditions of Contracts for Services: • the aggregate liability of either party for all Defaults resulting in direct loss of or damage to the property of the other under or in connection with the Contract shall in no event exceed £250,000 Sterling and • except as set out in Condition 18.1 the annual aggregate liability under the Contract of either party for all Defaults shall in no event exceed the greater of £1,000,000 Sterling of the price payable by the Council to the Service Provider in the year in which the liability arises. 11. Privacy Impact - As part of the procurement exercise, a data privacy impact assessment was conducted by Economy and Development Services and the Council’s Information Governance team. Strategem (Scotland) Limited will be a data processor and will sign the Data Processor Agreement prior to delivery of the service. 12. Climate Risk - The level of impact associated with the Contract was assessed using the Scottish Government Sustainability Test and is considered to be low impact. Sustainability was included as part of the technical question in the tender and Strategem (Scotland) Limited have committed to delivering low carbon environmental model and paperless working. Strategem (Scotland) Limited will monitor and report to the Council on the environmental impact.
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OFFICIAL 13. Children’s Rights – None directly arising from this report. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None directly arising from this report. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Amy Crumb, Procurement Assistant, Corporate Procurement Unit, Amy.Crumb@renfrewshire.gov.uk