BGWM Digital Transformation (Discovery Phase)

Overview

Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) is the current West Midlands business support service and the primary digital entry point into the wider region's business support ecosystem. Delivered by West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), through West Midlands Growth Hub, BGWM forms a vital part of the region's commitment to providing a "no wrong door" approach to business support. As part of the new WMGC Growth Hub operating model, a new digital service is required to provide a seamless entry journey for all businesses while supporting clear routing, referral management, business intelligence capture and outcome tracking across the wider business support ecosystem. This may or may not be under the same brand. Following a strategic review, WMGC has adopted a Hybrid Universal Front Door model for the business support digital service, which provides a consistent and high-quality entry experience for all businesses and quickly routes businesses to the most appropriate support while managing expectations around provision through clear positioning and tailored customer journeys. While the future digital service will provide a universal entry point, universal access does not mean that every business will receive person-led support. The primary role of the service is to identify and enable the most appropriate next step for the business. Small, micro, pre-start and startup businesses will be supported through automated referrals to Local Enterprise Services, other local and national provision, plus curated digital content and tools. High-growth potential and strategic businesses will be identified through proportionate digital triage and transferred rapidly into person-led support through the High Growth Service and Strategic Account Management functions. The future digital service is intended not only to signpost businesses that are not yet eligible for person-led High Growth support to external provision, but also to operate as a regional digital support layer. It will help address common business needs directly through high-quality digital tools, guidance and tailored recommendations. These tailored resources would supplement evidenced gaps in provision and improve continuity rather than replicate support already available through local, regional, national or private-sector providers. The future digital service should be informed by recognised best practice from comparable business support ecosystems and digital service models. Discovery activity should assess existing market solutions and ensure any future service delivers clear additional value to businesses and stakeholders, avoiding unnecessary duplication of functionality, content, tools or services already available elsewhere. To ensure future investment decisions are evidence-based and aligned to business needs, WMGC is seeking to appoint an experienced agency or consortium to undertake a comprehensive Discovery Phase that will validate user needs, test key assumptions underpinning the hybrid model, define service requirements, and develop a robust specification for future procurement and implementation. This is an initial procurement associated with the first phase - Discovery - of this project.