Digital Economy Strategic Partnership

In brief, this piece of consultancy work will cover the following specific activities:

• Establish a network of West Midlands tech and digital ‘ambassadors’ – individuals or firms that have their roots in the West Midlands but now operate in another country or part of the UK. This network should provide support and mentorship to existing West Midlands firms and provide greater connectivity to firms or investors abroad.
• Support the recruitment process for a West Midlands Tech Commissioner, to provide a visible point of leadership for the digital and tech economy. This individual would advocate for our sector, engage with investors, encourage firms to relocate, and advise the WMCA Economy team and Mayor on how to achieve our aims. Also provide ongoing support for the West Midlands Tech Commissioner once recruited, linking them to opportunities for advocacy and engagement.
• Support the establishment of workspaces for digital and tech entrepreneurs/start-ups, particularly in places that are underserved and for communities that don’t access existing provision. This should be through engagement with firms that provide co-working and accelerator spaces, aligned with WMGC activity, and partnering with Housing and Regeneration teams in the LA/WMCA to identify potential sites. This should also align with work being undertaken to develop the regional business support system, ensuring that workspaces can benefit from any advisory or support services being commissioned through WMCA.
• Work with the WMCA to ensure that we maximise the value of the Co-Invest Fund for the digital and tech sector. This could include the establishment of a specific portal or guidance for digital and tech firms.
• Close working with the WMCA’s partners (including, but not exclusively, Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, Make UK, UKie, Federation of Small Businesses, CBI etc…)
• Reporting of progress: The winning tenderer will report progress to the WMCA Economic Growth Board. The WMCA Economy team will provide support in how this engagement functions, but it will be important to provide updates and assurance to the board and to use their insight (and that of the WMCA’s partners – see above) in developing projects.
• In delivery of the contract, the winning tenderer will be expected to raise significant matched commercial funding to match this public investment over the course of the two years (this may be from in-kind sponsorship/donations from the private sector, or other that would count as ‘match’). There is no expectation that external ‘match’ funding would in place at the beginning of the contract.
• In delivery of the contract, the winning tenderer will be expected to take into account (and have regard to) the range of other WMCA aims and policies, which include green and inclusive growth.