TENDER CLARIFICATION No 1 TENDER TITLE: Innovation Advisory Service TENDER REF: NWDA00224 Please find below questions raised and answers provided in relation to the above tender. Please confirm in your tender response that you have incorporated these questions and responses. Question 1:
How does this service fit in with Knowledge to Innovate and also what are the differences?
Response: The main differences relate to the scope of services within these projects as outlined below. The distinction between innovation proficiency and motivation was highlighted in Succeeding Through Innovation: 60 Minute Guide to Innovation Turning Ideas Into Profit1, and is a helpful distinction in understanding the scope of services within each project. Knowledge to Innovate The services provided by this project relate to addressing “Innovation Proficiency” This relates to services aimed at successfully delivering innovation as a key business process and specifically supporting companies to deliver new services or products to market or implement new business processes. As such the key objectives of this project are as follows; • Improve the levels of innovation and competitiveness in small and medium sized companies in the Northwest. • Bring Innovations to market in reduced timeframe •
Build company innovation capacity and knowledge
Innovation Advisory Service (IAS) The services provided by this project relate to addressing “Innovation Motivation”. The following issues are highlighted as critical in order to improve the motivation of companies to innovate: • Failure to recognise and respond to changes/threats/opportunities • Lack of leadership, ambition and vision • Failure to understand, evaluate and manage/share risk As such the aims of IAS are as follows • Increase awareness of the importance of innovation to business performance 1
Succeeding Through Innovation: 60 Minute Guide to Innovation Turning Ideas Into Profit, DBERR (http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file34902.pdf) TC001 V2/SC Issued: June 2007
• • •
Increase motivation and impetus to innovate, primarily through providing specialist innovation IDB services Increase business to business collaboration and “open innovation” Strengthen the regional innovation system by increasing the number of innovation active firms in the region
These aims will be achieved through specialist Innovation Information, Diagnosis, Brokerage and Guidance, complementing the Business Link targeted sector brokers. An innovation audit will be undertaken, using specialist innovation diagnostic tools, and an action plan will be developed in order to enhance the innovation capability of the client organisation. We anticipate the relationship between these services as follows • Specialist Innovation IDB undertaken by Innovation Advisory Service • Innovation plan developed by Innovation Advisory Service outlining key actions required, with reference to critical success factors in Innovation Performance • Signposting and brokerage by Innovation Advisory Service to relevant innovation partners, support services, sources of knowledge, finance etc. Knowledge to Innovate would be included as one of these key support services and would be most relevant where the client has an innovation pipeline of ideas and projects to develop, appraise and implement.
Procurement Department Date of issue: 6th September 2007
TC001 V2/SC Issued: June 2007