SELECT - JUNE 2022
SELECT
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“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Charles Darwin REAL STORIES ABOUT REAL PEOPLE
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Hello and welcome
Issue 13
Stories Produced with thanks to:
It’s been a while since we published an issue of Stories Magazine. We feel very lucky to be working on this issue with Haven Gateway Partnership who are working hard to get businesses in Harlow and surrounding areas signed up to the Opportunity Harlow Portal. The Portal is where SMEs can find exciting business opportunities locally, publicise their services to larger organisations, and benefit from training and networking events. We have themed this issue SELECT. During bidding or tendering for a project the process of SELECTION is nail-bitingly critical for those participating. Since attending the events run for Opportunity Harlow members, aside from gaining weight from the delicious refreshments on offer, I have learnt how important it is for businesses to work together to increase their chance of selection. I have also learnt that ensuring you answer the tender questions in your own way but always with a pertinent solution is key, and ultimately making sure your proposal reads well, has no typos and is in good English gets your proposal noticed for the right reasons.
Magnificent Stuff & Haven Gateway Partnership Content curation www.magnificentstuff.net www.haven-gateway.org MW Studio Design & Layout www.mwstudio.uk
As the programme of events resumes, I look forward to continuing to learn, network and be inspired by both the content and connections I am fortunate enough to be exposed to as a member. It’s well worth signing up. In fact, it’s a no-brainer! To wrap up, it goes without saying that we continue to be very grateful to our loyal readers, to all those businesses and individuals continuing to support driving a positive perception of Harlow. This issue we will hear from the CEO of Haven Gateway Partnership, the incredibly knowledgeable Anita Thornberry, we will read about some of the members of the portal, understand more about the programme and ultimately inspire.
THIS ISSUE OF HARLOW STORIES IS PRODUCED ON BEHALF OF
CREATED BY
In the meantime, please do get in touch to share your stories, support the magazine and help promote the Harlow Portal. For now, take some time out have a read and please do feedback if you have anything you would like to contribute. Enjoy the issue, Emma
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Welcome from the Opportunity Harlow Team Opportunity Harlow is run by The Haven Gateway Partnership on behalf of Harlow District Council. Their aim is to make the Harlow economy resilient.
The Team:
Anita Thornberry Executive Director
Patrick Maynard Client Relationship Manager
Robert Edge Business Development Manager
Lisa Brazier Programme Director
Charlotte Porter Marketing & Communications Manager
Jenny Ryan Programme Manager
“Knowing something’s out there that’s advocating the Harlow area and connecting local businesses is great. For us, it’s a platform to meet more local Jane Attreed Events Manager
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business owners.” Emma Robson, Stort Valley Spirits
Why join Opportunity Harlow? Opportunity Harlow is a government-funded pilot project, delivered by the Haven Gateway Partnership on behalf of Harlow District Council, to help local businesses access procurement opportunities offered by both the public and private sectors via our portal. It is also, through our networking events, an opportunity for local businesses to engage and do business with each other. The project is open to businesses in Harlow and the surrounding area and is delivering support by helping them navigate procurement processes to increase their chances of success. To date, we have had events around Social Value, Framework Agreements, Bidding Strategies, Joint Ventures, Cyber Security, Sustainability and How to Bid to help increase awareness and knowledge around the requirements of the public sector and larger private sector organisations.
Opportunity Harlow is helping create a larger network of businesses in the Harlow area. Members can use the portal to promote their businesses to each other and the free events programme is a brilliant way to network.” Harlow Portal member
There are some very significant projects coming to Harlow in the near future – Harlow/Gilston Garden Community, the relocation of the UK Health Security Agency to Harlow and the new Princess Alexandra Hospital – which can provide real and significant opportunities for local businesses. Awareness of how to access procurements by Harlow District Council, Harlow College and the National Health Service is also addressed by the project. So, sign-up at www.opportunityharlow.co.uk for more information and access to the resources available. It is free and you have the potential to gain a lot from it for the future success of your business.
Some of these events will be repeated for those who have missed out on them, but the presentations of all events are available for everyone on the Portal once businesses have signed-up to it. The portal also has a range of resources to help businesses with other requirements that the public sector in particular has for procurement such as professional accreditations.
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The Preston Model and how it inspired Opportunity Harlow
Opportunity Harlow has been created to encourage smaller Harlow-based businesses to bid for contract opportunities with larger organisations in Harlow that are purchasing more goods and services locally.
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It is a pilot scheme with funding until October 2022 which supports a wider community wealth building project committed to develop ways in which prosperity can be shared locally. Similar programmes have been successfully developed in other UK cities such as Preston and Manchester City. The Preston Model is a great example of how such a programme stimulated growth in the local economy, created jobs and directly benefitted the local community. Spending by large organisations was directed back into the city by offering local suppliers in the area the opportunity to bid for Preston-based contracts. In 2013 only 5% of the £750m spend by the largest Preston-based organisations was spent in Preston. By 2017, spend within the city on local products and services had increased from £38 million to £111 million. Skills of local people were improved and in 2018 Preston was named ‘Most Improved City in the United Kingdom’ in ‘Good Growth for Cities 2018’. The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), whose work focuses on community wealth building by developing local supply chains, is now providing specialist support and consultancy to over 20 councils that are implementing similar programmes. As part of Harlow Council’s Economic Development Strategy, the Harlow Growth Board consulted with
CLES on how Anchor Institutions (large organisations with the highest spend in their local area) could be utilised to bring more local benefit – both economic and social. This led to the formation of a Harlow Steering Group which drove the development and formation of the Opportunity Harlow programme to deliver these local objectives. The Opportunity Harlow pilot project reports back on the outcomes on a regular basis which are then reported back to the Harlow Growth Board, and to Essex County Council as the accountable body. At the end of the project in October 2022, the pilot will be formally evaluated. Harlow Council and Growth Board partners will be seeking to learn the lessons of the Opportunity Harlow project in a timely fashion to enable consideration of continuity of what works well, resources permitting. Alison Fox is Harlow Council’s lead officer for the Opportunity Harlow project and she welcomes any feedback on the project – alison.fox@harlow.gov.uk More details on the Preston Model can be found on the CLES website: www.cles.org.uk
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Case Study
Coming together Advice from Somerset Larder on how local suppliers can come together as a consortium to bid for work that would be too great for local suppliers bidding alone.
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Large scale contracts, like catering for a nuclear power station, can feel out of reach for a small supplier and are often only an option for major players with supply chain experience. Similarly, large organisations don’t want to deal with lots of smaller suppliers. But with the increasing drive for localism to support sustainability, owners of major projects are more committed to spend their money locally than ever before. This provides an opportunity for smaller suppliers to work together as a consortium to bid for a large contract that is beyond the capability of a single business. Somerset Larder is a great example of one such consortium that succeeded in winning the contract to provide all food and catering at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Their consortium allowed local small food producers, such as farmers, butchers, and bakers, to be involved in a major project right on their doorstep. It also allowed EDF, the Hinkley Point project owner, meet its corporate social responsibility objectives to both maximise expenditure with locally owned businesses as well as reducing carbon consumption with a predominantly local supply chain. Somerset Larder facts: • Catering is provided to a growing workforce currently at 7,500 • Restaurant food is provided to all parts of the complex including worker’s accommodation • The consortium has been created from suppliers within a 30-mile radius of Hinkley Point • More than 85% of produce supplied to the nuclear power station is from Somerset and the surrounding area • Within the last 2 years, the number of Somerset Larder employees has doubled • In October 2021 they served their 5 millionth meal! Initially the consortium was created solely to provide food but as the project progressed there was an opportunity to supply the catering too. So, the consortium transformed from a food supplier into a sophisticated restaurant business. Key learnings from the Somerset Larder Consortium: • Start preliminary discussions early. The local food producers started discussing about what would become Somerset Larder as early as 2009 – five years before the contract was awarded in 2014 • Adjust how partners work together. As pre-construction discussions progressed, consortium partners came and went as they got a better understanding of the commitment involved
• Use external professional services. Services from lawyers and accountants were required to structure the collaboration • Local networking was important even with competitors. Small suppliers find themselves working alongside their competitors, but the financial rewards make the collaboration worthwhile • Be adaptable to change. At Hinkley Point the number of workers that require catering has increased rapidly but will reach a peak in 2024 as the power station’s construction nears completion in 2028 • Use consortium knowledge and expertise to explore new opportunities. Somerset Larder have big ambitions and big ideas to transfer their skills to new large-scale projects Some final thoughts: To make a consortium more appealing to those awarding the contract it’s wise to create a consortium to test the water with smaller projects first, as they will prefer to see evidence and experience of working well together. With no guarantee of a successful win, SMEs can be put off by the upfront time and effort required to create a consortium. However, funding may be available from the project sponsors and there is help and advice from bodies such as Opportunity Harlow. For more information on Somerset Larder please visit their website www.somersetlarder.co.uk
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Forget Competition:
Collaboration is the key to business success
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After the last few years of unprecedented upheaval, many businesses have not only struggled to weather the storm but now find themselves in an even more competitive market. While it might be tempting to hunker down and focus inwards, finding your way in the new normal might just require a more flexible and cooperative mindset. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re stronger together. You only have to look at the way our local communities have pulled closer to overcome recent challenges to find a salutary lesson for those of us in business.
Competitiveness might be ingrained in the corporate psyche, but in reality it’s collaboration that’s the key to driving businesses forward, especially for SMEs. As much as we all like to think our own superlative business skills and services are where it’s at, in reality, the old PR adage of “it’s who you know, not what you know,” certainly factors into the equation. While business excellence is obviously essential, and will get you a long way, making those all-important human connections is where true success lies. For us here at Magnificent Stuff, working closely with local businesses and investing in the Harlow community as a whole is something that has always been at the heart of our ethos. The lasting, mutually beneficial relationships we’ve selected to establish over the years aren’t just integral to our own success, they contribute to that of our partners and feed into strengthening wider community ties. The trick to collaborative working is compatibility. You need to select your partners carefully, not only to find people who offer the practical skills, knowledge or services that complement your business aims, but to find those who share your vision, work ethic and attitude. Once you make the right connections, a new world of business opportunities and community support will open up.
Collaboration can take many forms. What they are depends on the type of business you run and your mutual goals. Perhaps merely sharing business expertise and ideas is what will push you forward, plug those skills gaps or help you solve problems. Or it may be that pooling financial or physical resources is the key to saving you time and money or offering your clients more comprehensive services. On the community front, working with local organisations is great for organic marketing, attracting new talent and creating fresh business opportunities. You’ll need to put in the groundwork, but the dividends more than pay off. Make time to do your research on other businesses in your area, get to those networking events, join your local business bureau and follow community pages to see what’s going on in the heart of your town. It’s worked for us. After all, every connection you make could not only lead to a valuable professional opportunity but also play an integral role in helping your local community thrive. If you’d like to collaborate with an established marketing agency with its finger on the pulse of Harlow, Essex and beyond, contact us at Magnificent Stuff. Email info@magnificentstuff.net or call 07834 760627
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Stort Valley Spirits Stort Valley Spirits founder Emma Robson shared her amazing success story and her surprising local food and drink journey of discovery.
How did Stort Valley Spirits start? Stort Valley Spirits started during lockdown in October 2020. After finding my international travel job no longer viable during the pandemic, I decided to take a new career path inspired by a family member that produces a range of gin, rum, whisky and vodka liqueurs. In those early months we outgrew our first two warehouses, so in May 2021, we moved to our current office in Sawbridgeworth and took on a larger warehouse. What’s the big idea behind your business? We’re really passionate about supporting local suppliers. Our core range of spirits and cocktail kits were popular during lockdown, but customers were also asking for beer kits, so we approached Harlow brewery – Redchurch and have since built up a strong relationship with them. We sell their beers at local farmer’s markets, and they stock our spirits in their bar. It’s been a fantastic collaboration and they have been a huge support to us.
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We then expanded our range to include sparkling wine, roasted coffee and alcohol-free beer as well as reaching out to local food producers. It’s surprising what fantastic locally produced goods are in Harlow and the surrounding areas. We’ve got a diverse range of wonderful products like truffle oil, sauces and marinades, biscuits and crostini, fudge, and chocolate. With these drink and food suppliers on board we were able to tap into the corporate gifting market – offering gift hampers of locally produced food and drinks. It’s about getting out there and talking to people. The more people you know, the more business relationships you can build. Where are your customers situated? We do sell nationally via our website but generally speaking, our customers are local. We work with local companies such as estate agents who gift our hampers to people moving into their new homes – what better way to say what a great area you’ve moved
into than a hamper of locally produced food and drink! We also supply local supermarkets and pubs. Then we go out into the community by attending farmer’s markets and festivals. We like to get involved in the local community as much as possible which is why we sponsor the Harlow Ladies Rugby Team. Apart from food and drink suppliers, do you also work with other local businesses? As a business we want to support local in everything we do, where we can. We try and use as many local businesses as possible – it’s what we believe in. We also have an incredible team – some really amazing people who we’ve found locally and that share our values. Do you have relationships with some of the larger businesses in Harlow? It’s often hard to find the right people in the larger organisations to let them know what’s available locally. For example, we know recipients of our
local produce hampers are absolutely bowled over by them because they’re full of locally produced items, so we contacted a few bigger companies in Harlow before Christmas to make them aware of our hamper gift range. However, the response was low - we believe it’s too easy for large businesses to search on the internet for hampers and use national retailers. We can offer a better service than national retailers and can customise the gifts too. Local businesses provide excellent customer service should anything go wrong – which happens from time to time.
“We’re really passionate about supporting local suppliers.” Local suppliers know that one bad review can be disastrous for their business so go that extra mile to ensure customers have a fantastic service.
Why did you become an Opportunity Harlow member?
Have you attended any of the free Opportunity Harlow events?
The programme provides such an amazing opportunity for local businesses to engage with each other. I think many businesses don’t necessary look to other local businesses for their needs. A quick internet search probably won’t bring up a local supplier because they won’t have spent thousands of pounds getting to the top of the search engines like Amazon and other big players. So, we need to find alternative ways to engage with each other and Opportunity Harlow gives us that chance.
Yes, we attended the Bid Preparedness event. Amazingly after the talk we ended up discussing a potential Harlow food and drink festival! That’s an incredible opportunity for us to be involved with and will allow us to give back to the community.
Opportunity Harlow should make larger businesses aware of the great things they can purchase locally. It’s about changing their mindset to be more community focused.
We always want to focus on being local. We would love to be stocked by more local pubs and restaurants. We want to reach more people via events like farmer’s markets and wow them with what’s available on their doorstop. We’re also doing fundraisers with St Clare Hospice, and we will continue to sponsor the Harlow Ladies Rugby team – it’s about giving back to the community to help it thrive. We want to champion Harlow and the surrounding area in everything we do.
Knowing something’s out there that’s advocating the Harlow area and connecting local businesses is great. For us, it’s a platform to meet more local business owners. It’s free because it’s government funded. The events are only a couple of hours, and the information is really useful. So why not take part!
The events are a great opportunity that I think some people don’t realise are open to smaller businesses. What about the future of your business? Where do you see your business going?
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ANITA’S TOP 10
Procurement
Tips
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Write a Bidding Strategy
This will help you to identify your long-term aims and objectives and decide what type of work you need to bid for to meet those goals. It needs to be flexible enough, though, to take advantage of any additional opportunities that arise – I am a great believer that if you decide on a direction and clearly articulate it, you will notice more and more opportunities that fit your objectives. If it’s all a bit chaotic and in your mind only, you don’t have the peripheral vision for the opportunities to be noticed. Writing a strategy will also help you to avoid knee-jerk bidding which can be very damaging for a business and they are often unsuccessful, wasting a lot of time and resource. Sometimes even repeatedly.
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Anita has worked in the field of economic regeneration for 20 years. She started her career at English Heritage, arguing the economic benefits of heritage assets to secure funding. From there, Anita joined Regional Development Agencies working on projects such as the Olympics bid and writing the Tourism Legacy Plans for the bid. In 2007 Anita joined Southend Borough Council as the Head of Enterprise, Tourism and Regeneration where she delivered a £25m regeneration programme for the town centre, increased tourism revenue to £350m per annum and helped create a thriving business community. Before joining Haven Gateway Partnership, Anita was MedTech Campus Director for Anglia Ruskin University.
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Do Your Research
This is integrally linked to having a strategic approach to bidding but is so important, I think it deserves its own tip. Before the opportunity to tender has even been released to the market, make sure you understand the environment you are looking to move into. For example, if you are interested in public procurement opportunities, understand and research which part of the public sector. Like business, the public sector is not homogenous so it does not procure in a uniform way. Some parts of the public sector (e.g. NHS) carry out a lot of procurement at a national level whereas others (e.g. Local Authorities) don’t necessarily. Your research should also include a competitor analysis so you can be clear how you are different and how to get that across in your tender response. Finally, research where your preferred clients advertise their procurement opportunities and register with them. Nothing will fall into your lap; you do have to look for it.
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Bid/No Bid
I cannot stress enough the need for you to evaluate whether you should pitch for a tender. Be clear in your own mind that you can absolutely deliver what is being asked for. You only need to fail once to find getting another chance very difficult. Anyone who is procuring for a service or product is looking for reliability and it is a huge headache if they are let down midproject. So be sure you are up to the challenge. Check that you have both the financial and human capacity for the additional work and, if not, ask yourself if you are willing to increase your capacity with all that that entails. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is that your submission is successful!
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Have Your Evidence
You need to inspire confidence that not only can you deliver but that you can do it well. So, gather a portfolio of testimonials and case studies of your successes as they relate to the ask of the tender. Also, make sure you have all the insurances, policies, strategies, and statements in place (e.g. Equality & Diversity). You don’t want to fall at the first hurdle so dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
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What Type of Bid?
Work out well in advance what type of tenders you are going to pursue – lots of small ones or a couple of big ones? A combination of the two? Are you aiming for one-off contracts or going onto large Framework Agreements? Remember that the small tenders can be highly competitive whilst having only one or two contracts can be risky – what happens if you are unsuccessful in the re-tender process? Consider, can you spread your risk by joining a consortium or forming a Joint Venture? What are the pros and cons of that, e.g. open book accounting etc. Do your due diligence on the type of business you want.
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Answer the Exam Question!
Always, always, always provide the answers the tenderers want to see, not what you might want to write. Read, re-read then read the tender again. Then do it again. Make sure you understand completely what exactly is being asked for. Write down any questions you might have as you have them and check the deadline date for submission. Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions very carefully – failure to comply will mean disqualification. The devil is ALWAYS in the detail.
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Reading Between the Lines
Sometimes, a lot can be implied in the wording of a tender that can give you a competitive advantage if you pick up on it. For example, we run sector-specific projects that we procure work for. If you have experience in that sector – though it will not be a requirement – you will have an advantage over someone who does not. We also have targets to meet on those projects and a bidder who sees themselves as part of the wider team achieving those targets through their contribution – and expresses that in their tender submission – has an advantage. So, consider if there is anything you can infer from the way in which the Request for Quotation (RFQ) has been written.
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Pricing
The cost of delivering the contract is the cost to you. Do not undercut yourself to be the cheapest, it never ends well. And do not undercut yourself with a view to adding in costs later, that will not end well either. So, carry out a Full Economic Costing to you on your submission so you are sure that everything is accounted for. In your submission, demonstrate where you represent excellent value for money which is a consideration when the submissions are being evaluated. Finally, make sure you present the pricing schedule as it has been asked for.
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Presentation
As I say, the devil is in the detail and so make sure your grammar is good and there are no typo’s – get your submission reviewed by someone who is objective and can pick up on these things. Nothing annoys a frustrated editor like me than those sorts of mistakes – they make me start to question your commitment to the work if I see too many. So, submit a professional return. This IS a competition so stand out for the right reasons. Returns can be formulaic so show you YOU are in the appendices and in how you have written in the submission about your approach to the contract.
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Networking
Through networking you can sometimes get to know the buyers but you can also get to know how to be alerted to opportunities that are coming up. You can get a feel for what’s coming on the horizon and even the context around it, e.g. the refurbishment of a building or open space which will help you with how you word your submission by showing a more in-depth understanding than someone else. Networking can also provide you with future opportunities to create Joint Ventures or consortia. Remember, the large projects want to engage with the local supply chain so make sure to take up all networking opportunities as this is how they reach out. Also, check your trade media and local associations for the promotion of opportunities, especially the larger projects.
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Do you work with other local businesses?
Introducing...
DA Gas, Heating & Plumbing Harlow based DA Gas, Heating & Plumbing founder Dave Armstrong, shares his thoughts on the importance of local networking to win more business.
Tell us about your business. I run a plumbing and heating company based in Harlow. We’ve got a team of four engineers plus admin support staff. We’ve been trading since 2015. We have domestic customers but also commercial customers like landlords, estate and letting agents and other local businesses too. What sort of work are you looking for? We are looking for a balance of domestic and commercial work. Currently we work with a couple of schools outside Harlow so I’d like to explore working with the public sector further within the town and surrounding villages, but often the opportunity for those types of projects tend to go out to larger companies. What makes your business different from others? Heating and plumbing engineers largely all do the same work, so to stand apart we offer amazing customer service. It’s something we take very seriously. We follow up on every customer, every job, whether it’s a tap, shower, or new central heating system.
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Our customers always get a follow-up call to make sure that everything’s OK. We have full-time admin staff so the phone can always be answered. You can see our high standard of customer service reflected in all our positive online reviews – we have more than any other local plumbing and heating contractor.
“We always look to Harlow first. I’ve built up a lot of good local relationships with other businesses here. Networking is important for us. We use other local trades every day that we regularly pass work to and receive work from.” Why did you choose to base your business in Harlow? I moved here about 15 years ago. I love Harlow and so want to keep things as local as possible. Some of our staff are also based here.
We always look to Harlow first. I’ve been a member of Success for Business, a BNI group in Harlow, for four years. So, I’ve built up a lot of good local relationships with other businesses here. Networking is important for us. We use other local trades every day that we regularly pass work to and receive work from. We use trades like roofers, tilers, electricians, plasterers. Have you worked with any of the large organisations in Harlow – private or public sector? It’s something we’d like to do but finding the right contacts is difficult. It’s about knowing who to speak to within those companies and having access to them. We would also need some assistance in putting tenders together as we are new to that. This where I think Opportunity Harlow can help. How would you describe Opportunity Harlow to a non-member? The idea is that large contract opportunities that happen within the town will be become available for small business to tender. Whereas before we might not have known about them. So, the big idea is that the money stays within the town and goes to local people. There’s also some business events and networking too where you can get some help with bid writing and procurement. How can members find out about these events? I have a link to the members website and then you can just book yourself on there. For more information on DA Gas, Heating & Plumbing or to have a coffee with Dave and learn more about his business please contact him www.dagas.co.uk
Tell us about your business. I’m one of the two founders of Mosaic Recruitment and we’ve been operating in Harlow for 10 years. We are a commercial recruiter, and we recruit a wide variety of office-based personnel across the board which could include anyone from a Marketing Manager or HR Manager to an Administrator. Rather than specialise in a particular sector, we get to know each client individually and gain an understanding of their requirements and their culture. This knowledge allows us to act as a strategic recruitment partner, so we understand them and their business and can add real value within the recruitment process.
Introducing...
Mosaic Recruitment
Where are your clients based? Most of our clients are Harlow based but we also work across Essex and Hertfordshire. We also work remotely. So, we might have a client in Harlow, but they may also have offices in Bristol where they are looking for an HR Manager. With the advent of working remotely we can do that now because we all to communicate better online whereas prior to Covid we probably worked remotely less frequently. Why is Mosaic Recruitment based in Harlow? Before I worked for Mosaic, I worked for a large corporate and I used to run an area, from North London down to Norwich. So, setting up our business in Harlow made sense as it is a good location. It suited both my business partner and I as we both live in the local area. Also, I’ve got a house here, I’ve got roots here, I’ve got family in the town, and we also know the area well. Harlow was convenient. We knew there would be great business opportunities here. Do you work with any of the larger organisations and companies in Harlow? Yes, we are working with Harlow Council, and we’ve worked with Essex County Council and some of the other larger employers. But we are finding that some of the larger organisations tend to have agreements in place with both national and global suppliers so it’s difficult to engage with them.
Susan Curran, one of the founders of a Harlow based commercial recruiters, explains how she would like more Harlow businesses to focus locally.
Why do you think the larger Harlow organisations don’t look locally to buy goods and services?
What do you think are some of the barriers when working with local businesses?
I think people don’t know what’s out there and available. Whereas years ago, the way we engaged with people was to pick up the phone and talk to them to forge local connections. Now businesses use voicemail to field calls, so it’s hard to engage with the right people because you just can’t pick up the phone and talk to them.
The difficulty in Harlow is that we are not able to engage with the larger organisations because they’re probably not aware of what’s available locally. They’re thinking about buying loaves of bread from that local baker or milk from the local dairy, and supporting local retail outlets, but they’re not actually extending that train of thought to business transactions i.e. Could I buy my recruitment services locally?
“If we can buy something locally, we will.” Do you use local suppliers? We’ve got a local IT guy - he’s in Sawbridgeworth. We’ve used him for years. It’s something we always try to think about. Can we get that service locally? Why do we have to use a national business? Why would we use a global business in preference to a local supplier?
Why have you become an Opportunity Harlow member? I got involved with this project because there’s a lot of people who have started thinking about buying locally. Many people think about buying products locally but what about services? Some businesses don’t seem to have that mindset. So, I’ve been very keen to promote the concept of trading locally. For more information on Mosaic Recruitment visit their website www.mosaic-recruitment.com
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I want to see Harlow prosper Raja Naveed shares his vision to make an impact in the local community with his business, Eco Efficient Home Solutions. Why did you start EEH Solutions? I left my role in the profit-driven financial services sector because I couldn’t see how I could make an impact in society. I wanted to create a business that makes a difference. During lockdown lots of my friends and family were out of work. They were multi-skilled tradespeople – a great resource. One day it just came to me that this resource was a great opportunity and that I could do something to help them. My plan was to go into the energy sector. It was driven by new schemes that became available during the pandemic like the Green Homes Grant scheme which provides financial help towards installing energy efficient improvements in homes. And that’s how our journey began. I started the business in 2021, so we’ve been trading for about a year and a half. Our core business is retrofitting eco efficient home solutions such as external wall insulation. We’re very specific in what we do. We work in the private and public sector. I started the business with a team of three, but we’ve been growing rapidly. Our whole supply chain network is now about 120 people. And we are still looking for more – in the last three weeks we’ve interviewed 18 people.
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It’s been crazy. I’m extremely busy. I currently do around 80 hours a week! I’m also juggling my family life because we’ve just had a new baby. What is driving your high level of recruitment? Recently we bid for four tender contracts and won all four! They are essentially the same contract but covering four different areas: Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridge. We were not expecting to win all four so now we are in a very good position but need to urgently recruit skilled tradespeople. How important is it for you to recruit locally? Very important. We want to help the community. The vision behind the business is not profit driven, we are community driven. There is so much common sense in investing within the community to help the prosperity of the community. I always try to find talent in Harlow. We work closely with Harlow job centre and we’ve taken on Kickstarters and Apprentices. We have an office team and a site team. 90% of our office team live in Harlow. We are also talking to colleges to help up-skill young people and for them to understand that a career as a tradesperson can be lucrative because there is a national shortage of good skilled labour.
Tell us more about your company values Sometimes, as business leaders, we get too focused on one thing – profits or shareholders and stakeholders. We lose focus on the people and the things that matter – the community we live in. At work I try to make an environment where everyone feels like we are a community, not just colleagues. I encourage training and education as that’s key to growing. Yesterday we had 14 tradespeople here just for some training and we’ve had more this morning. We’re continuing that development. We are recruiting people who are maybe unhappy in their current roles. I want them to feel they are coming somewhere that’s different with a different vision. I want everyone to feel like they’re being empowered. A lot of the guys here haven’t been given any opportunities. All were out of work for nearly two years. But I saw something in every one of them and I want to upskill them too. I want to give back to the community. We are working with local charities like Phoenix and the Woodland Trust plus some local mosques and community clubs. We’re currently writing a pledge that for every new install we do, money will be put back into the community. Why is it important to focus locally? I want to see Harlow prosper. I want to see it change. And I want Harlow to benefit from opportunities like the largescale construction projects that are happening here including Gilston Garden Community, the UK Health Security Agency and the new Princess Alexandra Hospital.
How has Opportunity Harlow helped your business? Honestly speaking it has been priceless for me so far. As a result of the support and networking opportunities we’ve received from the Opportunity Harlow project we’ve been introduced to HTS to present our domestic insulation services as well as to the Retrofit Academy regarding the upskilling of some of our staff members. Plus, the information shared at the events has been invaluable. There’s a lot of businesses in Harlow that don’t really understand the tendering process. But we’ve been provided with all that knowledge and first-hand experience for free! Businesspeople are missing out if they don’t attend these talks. It’s easy to get discouraged from contract opportunities because you don’t understand the bidding process, or you feel bidding for a contract is something that only larger businesses do. But it can work for SMEs too. We are a textbook case for that. The events have shown me a whole different angle because it’s given us the opportunity to meet the buyers and discuss different elements of the tender process. It was so useful to met someone from the Essex County Council procurement team who told us what they are looking for from a social value point of view. We also met a large contractor who shared what they expect from smaller contractors. It’s helped us think ahead. Our bidding strategies will be different from what they used to be.
“Sometimes, as business leaders, we get too focused on one thing – profits or shareholders and stakeholders. We lose focus on the people and the things that matter – the community we live in.” If local businesses in Harlow can take advantage of this incoming investment, I could see Harlow becoming an affluent town.
Any final comments? We want to change Harlow in a positive way. It would be a great injustice if it doesn’t happen.
How can small businesses take advantage of the investments coming to Harlow? It needs to be a group effort from businesspeople within the industry. It’s not something that EEH Solutions can solely do. If we are going to benefit from the investment coming into Harlow, everyone needs to try. And I want to make sure that we’re playing our role. We want to be part of that.
There’s £3 billion of investment being made in Harlow over the next 10 years. I heard that for every £1 earnt locally, it’s spent up to 3 times in the area, so we are talking nearer to £10 billion. Even if only 5% of that gets re-invested into Harlow – it’s going to have a big impact. For more information on Eco Efficient Home Solutions visit www.eeh-s.com
We’re preparing ourselves which is why we’re members of Opportunity Harlow and have attended all the events.
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Jubilee Food & Drink Festival Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with locally produced food and drink at Harlow’s awardwinning Redchurch Brewery. Be amazed at what’s available from local producers in Harlow and nearby like flavoured gin liqueurs from Stort Valley Spirits. Discover tempting produce such as bread, sauces, biscuits, cakes, craft beer and more. Food options will suit all including vegan and vegetarian options. Non-alcoholic drinks available. The event will showcase local businesses who will be selling products to take home from 12pm-4pm, while drinks and snacks will be served until 8pm. It’s a free event. Just turn up and enjoy! This event is for families and anyone with an interest in locally produced food and drink. Redchurch Brewery is at Mead Park, 15-16 River Way, Harlow CM20 2SE – just off Edinburgh Way. Parking is available nearby. This festival is sponsored by Opportunity Harlow to bring local businesses together and build upon the existing close-knit food and drink network within Harlow. Delivered on behalf of Harlow District Council and funded by the UK Government.
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Saturday 4th June 2022 12pm-4pm Redchurch Brewery 15-16 River Way CM20 2SE
Opportunities and Events Best Practice in Bid Writing Webinar 9 June 2022, 8am to 9:30am, online
Explore a genuine tender document and dig deeper into how questions should be answered. How often do you have the opportunity to meet the person that reads completed tender documents and learn valuable insights like: What are they looking for? What will make your bid stand out from your competitors? What could result in a rejected bid? What’s required for a successful bid, easy-to-understand actions as well as pitfalls to avoid are just some of the insights that Harlow business owners can learn at one of the free Opportunity Harlow events designed to support smaller businesses that wish to bid for contracts in large organisations and the public sector.
“It was really interesting to find out from the person that actually reads the bids what they are looking for. It’s particularly hard when bidding for public sector contracts because you don’t know the organisation and people personally. So you don’t know what they want”. Susan Mosaic Recruitment
Anita Thornberry, Executive Director of the Haven Gateway Partnership, has a wealth of experience in the bidding process working on projects such as the Olympics bid and on many public sector projects. Anita’s vast knowledge of being on the receiving end of bid submissions will give attendees tips on whether to bid for a contract – emphasising the need to be strategic and targeted. Will winning a particular contract benefit your business, and do you have the right resources? She’ll also highlight where businesses often fall at the first hurdle, for example, not having the required policies in place. Attendees will be given the opportunity to explore a genuine tender document digging deeper into the meaning behind certain sections and how questions should be answered. Important questions will be raised like the importance of costing your bid accurately as the buyer’s tender document is unlikely to include a budget. Other discussions will include the importance of good presentation and correct use of appendices. Who should attend these events? The event is open to any small or medium sized business based in and around Harlow that wants to learn more about bidding for contracts in the public sector or larger businesses. Attendees do not need prior knowledge of supplying goods and services to larger organisations or the public sector – you may simply want to know where to start. Those that already have tender experience may benefit from Anita’s first hand experience and knowledge. Register now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/best-practice-in-bidwriting-tickets-317621463347
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Grow your business Become an Opportunity Harlow member. It’s free!
Highlighting potential business opportunities from large businesses in Harlow. Attend free events to gain greater bidding knowledge. Promote your services and connect with other Harlow businesses.
Why join? Opportunity Harlow is a free programme funded by the UK Government designed to help strengthen the Harlow economy. It provides a gateway for small and medium sized businesses to connect with larger organisations in Harlow purchasing goods and services locally.
How to join Visit www.opportunityharlow.co.uk/apply-now or scan the QR code
For more information: www.opportunityharlow.co.uk www.opportunityharlow@haven-gateway.org 07739 971 658
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Join I-Construct
It’ s free and you could receive a grant of up to £1 0k or 9 hours of mentoring! I-Construct network membership is open to those working in the construction and built environment sector, or the supply chain.
I-Construct members can access: • • •
• • •
Grant support, and advice on extra funding opportunities. 1:1 mentoring and support. Supply chain and business development services. Our new Innovation Hub building for live events. Online events and networking. Support to launch new products and services.
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How to apply It’s easy to join our community! Sign up at www.i-construct.org.uk and we’ll be in touch to confirm your membership. There is no joining fee because I-Construct is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Stories
“I’VE ALWAYS APPROACHED THINGS WITH HUNGER AND JUST ENOUGH FEAR. PLENTY OF CONFIDENCE, YOU KNOW, BUT JUST ENOUGH FEAR TO WORK EXTRA HARD. PARALYZING FEAR DOES NOTHING, BUT THE KIND OF FEAR THAT MAKES YOU NERVOUS ENOUGH TO REALLY BE AWARE AND FOCUSED? I LIKE THAT KIND OF FEAR.” Q U E E N L AT I FA H
IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPPORTUNITY HARLOW
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