Southwark Supplier Readiness Programme

Heart of the City, in collaboration with MSDUK and the Southwark Council, is delighted to offer the Southwark Supplier Readiness Programme.

This is a free dynamic support programme designed for business to business (B2B) and business to government (B2G) businesses based in Southwark looking to build the skills, knowledge and networks needed to navigate procurement processes and position themselves as credible, contract-ready suppliers.

The programme will provide practical, actionable support to help your business grow.

This hybrid programme blends in-person workshops with online mentoring to introduce participants to the fundamentals of public and private sector procurement, and running a responsible business. It will also support the development of essential transferrable skills such as pitching and bid writing.

Participants will work on a tailored business growth plan, supported by peer-to-peer mentoring and expert-led surgery sessions with large corporate and public sector partners.

The programme comprises four modules and a minimum of 18 contact hours, and is delivered as follows:

• 1 Online Onboarding Session.
• 4 Workshops:
  • Introduction to Procurement.
  • Introduction to Successful Bidding.
  • Social Value.
  • Net Zero for SMEs.
• 2 Online Mentoring Sessions with Peers.
• 1 Online Net Zero Surgery.
• 3 Growth Plan clinics.
• Additional benefits: invitations to networking, capacity building and knowledge sharing events.

Applications for the second cohort are now open.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for fully funded support through the Southwark Supplier Readiness programme, your business must:

• Be based in Southwark.
• Be registered in the UK.
• Meet the micro and small enterprise criteria (see here).
• Have a minimum projected turnover of £50,000 in the next 12 months.
• Have a minimum of 3 employees (including part-time or freelancer collaborators).