Decision details

To approve a variation to the Council’s contract with Hustle & Heels Ltd, to deliver additional business support services and outputs for an additional £40,000, in accordance with Contract Standing Orders (CSO) 10.02 (a).

• The programme delivery partner (Hustle & Heels, H &H) has delivered the contracted business support services and outputs for strands 2 and 3 of the existing contract - namely “business support for small businesses that are struggling” and “support for new start-ups” respectively.

• H&H are, therefore, not taking on new enquiries or applications for business support under these two strands. However, there is ongoing high demand for support from these strands. The scale of demand for these strands is such that H&H has started to compile a waiting list of small businesses and local residents wanting to receive support.

• The Haringey Business Support Programme is currently the only programme of its kind in the borough. Without the variation, there will be no programme providing intensive, face-to-face 1:1 business support advice and support for micro/small businesses, who are struggling and for residents wanting to start up their own businesses.

• A delegated decision is, therefore, required to extend the Council’s Business Support contract with H & H to help address this significant demand- by delivering additional business support services and outputs. This will include the provision practical 1:1 business advice and support to 50 small businesses- to help them manage through business difficulties, develop, and safeguard jobs as well as local residents wanting to start up their own businesses.

• In addition, to helping address the significant demand from local small businesses and potential entrepreneurs- the contract variation will enable the Council to utilise a forecast £40,000 underspend from the SIP2 Business Support & Workspace programme. This Government funded programme needs to be spent by 31 March 2025 - otherwise the Council will lose the grant funding.

• Finally, the contract variation will build on the success of the existing contract, which to date, has delivered a range of business support and advice to 96 businesses- including to struggling small businesses, growth potential businesses and residents wanting to start up new businesses.

The following alternative options were considered:

(i) Do Nothing
This option was rejected because it would have resulted in the Council losing external grant funding to provide much needed 1:1 business support and advice to micro/small businesses, who are struggling and support for residents wanting to start up their own businesses.

(ii) Re-commission the provider of the existing contract by extending the contract.
This option was selected for the following reasons:
• The Council procured the contract with Hustle & Heels through a competitive tender process.
• H&H has successfully delivered the contract and exceeded some of their contracted outputs. By extending the contract, it will build on the success of the existing contract and ensure continuation of business support provision in the borough- delivered by a business support organisation with a proven experience and track record of successfully delivering the current business support service and contracted outputs.
• It will ensure the continuous use of exist infrastructure, systems, and procedures (including marketing & promotion, branding, business/client recruitment &selection processes, monitoring, and output recording systems) – developed by the current provider working with the Council’s Inclusive Economy Team.
• The variation will ensure the forecast 40k SIP underspend is utilised, in time, for activities that benefit local businesses and economy – instead of the Council losing the Government funding for not spending the grant by the 31 March 2025 deadline.