Access to Contracts
Build South London
Partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Union, the Build South London project is designed to assist businesses in accessing contracts specifically within the construction sector.
Build South London project will assist businesses working in the construction, design and building services sector in practical resourceful collaborations to improve their environmental performance and to access contracts. With a strong focus on resource efficiency the project will enable South London businesses to play a larger role in London's Green Economy.
The project will support local businesses within the twelve South London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton and Wandsworth through a series of events, workshops, one-to-one sessions and accreditations.
The focal point of the project is to develop applied environmental policy and pro-environment activities within the construction, design and building services sectors maximising resource efficient business practices and opening new routes to market. Working together, participating SMEs will discover new supply chain opportunities, and will apply accredited environmental policies and processes across their collaborations.
Who does it apply to?
Small and medium sized businesses can join the Build South London network and they will discover what they need to know and do to compete more effectively in the supply chain enabling the network to provide demand led business and skills development support.
Why would the Build South London Project benefit me?
Training Workshops
The training workshops will have a greater focus on business networking. At these events, there will be support provided by expert presenters on various subjects, including:
• The ‘Green Economy’
• General waste minimisation
• Business growth
• Winning contracts and;
• Avoiding government spending cuts.
Delegates will be encouraged to network with other delegates, and will be signposted to web portals providing opportunities for collaborative networking, as well as an explanation of what this means, and the benefits that can be accrued.
Environmental Workshops
Participants in each workshop will be selected on the basis of the common challenges facing them. This will enable the participants to engage as a group as well as individual enterprises. Presenters will take the SMEs through the findings from their reports and will develop individual action plans. The SMEs will have the opportunity to review and clarify any questions arising. The workshop will also cover staff engagement and using environmental credentials to win new business. The report will help focus SMEs on the key issues, building on the initial diagnostic and preparing them for the formal action plan. Unlike prior projects, these action plans will have specific interim targets for energy and waste saving that will track progress towards the SMEs' overall target.
One to one support
One-to-one support allows greater engagement with the SME and gives a greater opportunity to clarify and review and key issues affecting them.
Support to businesses to achieve accreditation
The support to businesses to achieve an environmental accreditation is split into several parts:
1. Beneficiaries enter the programme where LCRN staff will ascertain their eligibility, arrange an audit and book them into a training event, guiding them through the programme from there on in.
2. An audit of the SME's premises will take place that should take 3-4 hours on average
A tool will then used to measure the organisation's carbon footprint, and outline actions that can be taken by the organisation to reduce their carbon footprint. All this advice is specially tailored to each organisation. The report created for each SME will provide a framework for an individual carbon reduction plan that focuses on the key issues affecting each SME. The information will be collated into a report and beneficiaries will attend a workshop or receive one-to-one support. During this workshop, each beneficiary will receive bespoke advice on how to reduce waste and energy use, as well as write an environmental policy.
Beneficiaries will then be required to submit an environmental policy and a carbon reduction action plan, before a certificate for an environmental accreditation can be awarded to the beneficiary.
Who are our delivery partners?
Carbon Smart – www.carbonsmart.co.uk
London Community Resource Network – www.lcrn.org.uk
How much does it cost?
The services offered under this project is free to businesses based within the South London Boroughs.
If you have any questions or would like further information regarding this project, please contact Rose Saunders:
Phone: 020 8253 4222
