The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) wish to give notice of a planned procurement opportunity in relation to delivery of the Business Support Service (BSS). The service will supplement guidance available on gov.uk and business.gov.uk. and is a key part of DBT’s Business Growth Service. The BSS should provide information, advice, guidance, and signposting on any business issue for any kind of business, charity or social enterprise, including pre-startups and start-ups, in England. The contract is structured as a two-year offer with the option to extend for up to two further one-year periods (2+1+1). The initial contract value is £5 million. Any future extensions are subject to budget approval. Secretary of State for Business and Trade will in due course be transferred to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade by an Order in Council (secondary legislation) under section 2 of the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975. Scope of the requirement: The proposed procurement will seek a supplier to provide integrated business support including: Multi- channel access through telephone, webchat, email, social media, and instant messenger (such as WhatsApp) A database of business information for use by advisers and some external organisations The ability to stand up an emergency response plan with 24 hours’ notice from DBT Maintaining partnerships and relationships across the business support eco-system There is no requirement to deliver a digital front-end or website, however, the successful supplier will need to be flexible and able to contribute to, or integrate with, any similar delivery undertaken by government. Proposed Procurement Route: It is currently anticipated that the procurement will be conducted using a Competitive Flexible Procedure comprising Stage 1 – Conditions of Participation and Stage 2 – Tender Evaluation.

Procurement Act 2023

Summary of Changes: Date of Tender Notice Publication (estimate), Total Contract Value and Procurement title.

The purpose of this engagement notice is to invite suppliers to participate in preliminary market engagement with a view to developing the authority's requirements and preparing tender documents. Please email [email protected] to express interest in taking part in this market engagement process by 19th August 2026. We will then be in contact to arrange the next steps. Preliminary market engagement will be conducted via a Teams call at 11:00-12:30 on 26th August 2026. Purpose of Market Engagement: The Department wishes to engage with potential suppliers to: Test the feasibility of the proposed service model. Understand market capability and capacity. Inform the development of Conditions of Participation and tender requirements. Explore delivery and commercial model options. Identify opportunities to promote competition and SME participation. Understand innovation and best practice within the market. The Department is also considering piloting an additional component of the Business Support Service which supports businesses wishing to specifically trade in Northern Ireland under the Windsor framework agreement: The feasibility of the model and identify delivery options and challenges. This engagement does not form part of any procurement process and will not be used to formally assess suppliers.