✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 9 Oct 2026, 16:17.
Opportunity overview
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are looking to complete a further Pre-Market Engagement (PME) to gather information from the market around the Creative industry.
The West Midlands has a large and diverse creative economy, characterised by a high proportion of small organisations, micro-businesses and freelancers operating across different creative subsectors and places. While there is already a range of business, skills and sector support available, evidence informing the development of the WM Collaborator Fund has identified gaps in the support available to help creative businesses, organisations and individuals progress, scale and access higher-value opportunities.
WMCA is undertaking this pre-market engagement exercise to better understand current challenges, test the proposed approach, identify effective delivery models, and gather feedback that will inform the design of any future programme and associated procurement activity. Feedback will help shape the scope, outcomes and delivery approach of any intervention that may be commissioned.
**Suppliers are invited to attend an engagement event held via Microsoft Teams on 26th October at 1:30pm. Suppliers who submit an interest in this PME by 5pm on the 23rd will be sent an invitation link.
PLEASE NOTE – This is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition and therefore publication or response does not commit WMCA or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest.
Please also note that this is not a formal PQQ or expression of interest in a tender exercise. This Pre-Market Engagement is to be used purely by WMCA to gather information.
** Please Note that suppliers should not contact officers of the WMCA directly regarding this opportunity, all questions should be submitted through the Bravo Portal.
Portal Website:
https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk
Bravo Solution Project Reference: project_1254
Pipeline notice- ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b
Classification
CPV66122000 — Corporate finance and venture capital services
CPV66171000 — Financial consultancy services
CPV79421000 — Project-management services other than for construction work
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
Published notice details
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
Project-management services other than for construction work
Delivery locations
Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 2
Region
UKG
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Planning and budget
Milestones
Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are looking to complete a further Pre-Market Engagement (PME) to gather information from the market around the Creative industry.
The West Midlands has a large and diverse creative economy, characterised by a high proportion of small organisations, micro-businesses and freelancers operating across different creative subsectors and places. While there is already a range of business, skills and sector support available, evidence informing the development of the WM Collaborator Fund has identified gaps in the support available to help creative businesses, organisations and individuals progress, scale and access higher-value opportunities.
WMCA is undertaking this pre-market engagement exercise to better understand current challenges, test the proposed approach, identify effective delivery models, and gather feedback that will inform the design of any future programme and associated procurement activity. Feedback will help shape the scope, outcomes and delivery approach of any intervention that may be commissioned.
**Suppliers are invited to attend an engagement event held via Microsoft Teams on 26th October at 1:30pm. Suppliers who submit an interest in this PME by 5pm on the 23rd will be sent an invitation link.
PLEASE NOTE – This is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition and therefore publication or response does not commit WMCA or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest.
Please also note that this is not a formal PQQ or expression of interest in a tender exercise. This Pre-Market Engagement is to be used purely by WMCA to gather information.
** Please Note that suppliers should not contact officers of the WMCA directly regarding this opportunity, all questions should be submitted through the Bravo Portal.
Portal Website:
https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk
Bravo Solution Project Reference: project_1254
Pipeline notice- ocds-h6vhtk-06e69b
Due
6 Nov 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
095749-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
1 VERSION
1
095749-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
West Midlands Combined Authority is conducting pre-market engagement for a possible Networks and Leadership Programme under the WM Collaborator Fund, intended to address support gaps for creative businesses, organisations and individuals. This is an information-gathering exercise, not a live tender or formal expression of interest.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to providers of creative-sector business support, leadership and network programmes, skills support, delivery-model design, project management or consultancy. Participation is limited to informing a possible future procurement.
Key points identified
Engagement eventSuppliers are invited to attend a Microsoft Teams event on 26 October at 1:30pm.Evidence: “Suppliers are invited to attend an engagement event held via Microsoft Teams on 26th October at 1:30pm.”
Interest deadline for event invitationSubmit interest in the PME by 5pm on 23 October to receive an invitation link.Evidence: “Suppliers who submit an interest in this PME by 5pm on the 23rd will be sent an invitation link.”
Question routeSubmit questions through the Bravo Portal; do not contact WMCA officers directly.Evidence: “suppliers should not contact officers of the WMCA directly… all questions should be submitted through the Bravo Portal.”
94% approved-analysis confidence5 supplier criteria identified5 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
West Midlands Combined Authority is conducting pre-market engagement for a possible Networks and Leadership Programme under the WM Collaborator Fund, intended to address support gaps for creative businesses, organisations and individuals. This is an information-gathering exercise, not a live tender or formal expression of interest.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to providers of creative-sector business support, leadership and network programmes, skills support, delivery-model design, project management or consultancy. Participation is limited to informing a possible future procurement.
Key deliverables
Attend the Microsoft Teams supplier engagement event
Provide market feedback on challenges, proposed approach, delivery models, scope and outcomes for a potential future programme
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
5 criteria identified
Engagement event
99% confidence
Suppliers are invited to attend a Microsoft Teams event on 26 October at 1:30pm.
View supporting evidence
“Suppliers are invited to attend an engagement event held via Microsoft Teams on 26th October at 1:30pm.”
Interest deadline for event invitation
98% confidence
Submit interest in the PME by 5pm on 23 October to receive an invitation link.
View supporting evidence
“Suppliers who submit an interest in this PME by 5pm on the 23rd will be sent an invitation link.”
Question route
99% confidence
Submit questions through the Bravo Portal; do not contact WMCA officers directly.
View supporting evidence
“suppliers should not contact officers of the WMCA directly… all questions should be submitted through the Bravo Portal.”
Portal reference
99% confidence
Bravo Solution project_1254.
View supporting evidence
“Bravo Solution Project Reference: project_1254”
Supplier eligibility criteria
94% confidence
Unknown; no eligibility criteria are stated for this pre-market engagement.
View supporting evidence
The supplied notice description states engagement arrangements but no eligibility criteria.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Indicative maximum value
80% confidence
Up to £2,300,000 stated in the source record; applicability to a future contract is not explained.
View supporting evidence
Opportunity source data: value_max GBP 2300000.
Commercial terms
96% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No commercial terms are stated in the supplied notice description.
Delivery
Potential delivery geography
78% confidence
West Midlands is indicated; the source also lists United Kingdom delivery coverage.
View supporting evidence
Description concerns the West Midlands; delivery locations are listed as UKG and UK.
Programme scope
96% confidence
Potential support intended to help creative businesses, organisations and individuals progress, scale and access higher-value opportunities.
View supporting evidence
The notice describes identified gaps in support for creative businesses, organisations and individuals.
Delivery timetable
98% confidence
Unknown; this is pre-market engagement for a possible future programme.
View supporting evidence
The notice says feedback will inform the design of “any future programme and associated procurement activity.”
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Status
99% confidence
Upcoming early-stage pre-market engagement; bidding is not open.
View supporting evidence
Display status is upcoming; the notice states it is “an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition.”
Procedure
99% confidence
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender.
View supporting evidence
Notice type: “Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender”.
Competition status
99% confidence
Not a formal PQQ, expression of interest, or tender exercise.
View supporting evidence
“This is not a formal PQQ or expression of interest in a tender exercise.”
Future procurement
99% confidence
Possible only; participation does not commit either party or confer preferential treatment.
View supporting evidence
The notice says it does not commit WMCA or respondents to a future procurement and provides no preferential treatment.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Not a tender
99% confidence
This is market engagement only, not a call for competition; no bid should be inferred to be open.
View supporting evidence
The notice expressly describes an information-gathering exercise rather than a call for competition.
Future procurement uncertainty
99% confidence
A future programme or procurement is not committed and may not proceed.
View supporting evidence
The notice states that publication or response does not commit WMCA or respondents to a future procurement.
Unspecified future requirements
98% confidence
Final scope, procurement route, selection criteria, contract terms, delivery timetable and submission requirements are unknown at this pre-market stage.
View supporting evidence
The notice states that feedback will inform the design, scope, outcomes and delivery approach of any future intervention.
Date ambiguity
97% confidence
The event dates are stated only as “26th October” and “23rd”, without an explicit year in the narrative. The notice publication timestamp is October 2026.
View supporting evidence
Notice narrative gives day/month only; source publication timestamp is 2026-10-09.
Classification alignment uncertainty
94% confidence
The listed CPV codes relate to finance, financial consultancy and project management, while the narrative focuses on creative-sector support, networks and leadership. Their intended applicability is not explained.
View supporting evidence
Supplied CPV classifications and notice description differ in emphasis.
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
Continue in your ProcuraAxis workspaceFree account · Full approved analysis