Business Development Support for the Arts Sector in Wales

Descriptions

PRIOR INFORMATION NOTICE (PIN) ISSUED BY ARTS COUNCIL OF WALESBusiness Development Support for the Arts Sector in WalesIntroductionThe Arts Council of Wales is the official public body charged with funding and developing the arts in Wales. Our mission is to make the arts central to the life and well being of the nation.We invest in a wide range of activity that provides opportunities for people across Wales to enjoy and take part in the arts. And we fund a network of organisations (our Arts Portfolio Wales) and others whose creative activities connect with audiences and participants.We also provide strategic services that build capacity and expertise across the sector. In these areas we do not provide services directly ourselves, but procure the best providers with proven knowledge and expertise. One of these services is Business Development Support, the focus of this Prior Information Notice (PIN).We offer a suite of such services, including our recently launched “Resilience” which is a business transformation programme that is design to develop skills and capacity amongst members of our Arts Portfolio Wales.We are now looking to complement this service with additional technical expertise that will be available to a wider range of individual artists, arts organisations and micro businesses in the cultural sector.In recent years we have invested on average around £50-£95,000 each year on these services.The contextThis is a time of significant challenge in the publicly funded arts sector. Public sector cuts continue to bite, patterns of attendance and participation are changing, traditional models of operation and ways of working are being turned on their head. Digital technology is offering new opportunities for organisations to transform their business practices. However, capacity in the sector is stretched. There is an urgent need for the arts sector in Wales to rise to these challenges if it is to thrive and continue to enrich the lives of future generations.This PIN refers to the provision of specific and discrete services for the benefit of those working in the publicly funded arts. We are not seeking to replicate or duplicate services currently available through the Creative Industries team at the Welsh Government. Instead, we want to identify organisations and/or individuals who understand how to develop projects and partnerships that are appropriate to the business needs of the cultural sector.The range of potential opportunities is very wide, and we want to ensure that we achieve best value in our use of limited budgets. We cannot do everything, so we wish to explore the optimum fit between innovative and relevant services, appropriately expert providers and value for money. To help us assess market potential, we are publishing this Prior Information Notice (PIN).We believe that there are likely to be many creative and innovative potential partners who can help us in this work. So we are inviting Expressions of Interest from any appropriately skilled business, organisation or creative professional who can offer relevant services in one or more of the areas below. Depending on the range of interest shown, we will then tailor our formal Invitation to Tender to achieve the best results for the budget available.Our over-arching GoalA thriving arts sector in Wales where strong leadership and entrepreneurial ambition delivers a resilient and successful arts sector.We are especially interested in developing the capability of arts organisations, artists groups and public sector providers of arts activities. However, we would also be interested in imaginative proposals for scaleable services that might be of benefit to individual artists.What we need to do to achieve this?Governance and LeadershipWe know that effective and skilled leadership is key to successful organisations. From boards to artistic directors we want to support initiatives that develop the characteristics of good leadership in ways that have a positive impact on the arts sector in Wales. We are interested in supporting projects that allow existing and potential leaders to grow and develop.What kinds of projects might we be looking to support?These could include:•peer group support networks•Action Learning sets•‘Labs’ and projects that enable structured learning and reflection•mentoring and coaching programmes•formal leadership development programmes relevant to the arts sector•Professional Development courses, seminars or workshops that allow arts sector leaders to develop fresh and relevant skillsStrong and durable organisationsSuccessful organisations are audience focused and agile in their business practice. They understand what they do well and they have the skills to maximise income and get best value out of their public funding. We recognise, however, that some organisations can sometimes need a little help and support in achieving these goals.What kinds of projects might we be looking to support?These could include:•creative ways of developing productive relationships with business and the private sector that deliver mutual benefits•strategies for improving income generation, including training in fundraising, corporate, trusts, foundations, and individual giving•developing philanthropy•projects that identify potential and opportunities for outside investment within the sector•ways of ‘monetising’ Intellectual Property•assistance with creating sponsorship packages and developing relationships with potential funders•supporting the sector to make the best creative use of technology for fundraising purposes (including digital business development)InnovationSurvival in an uncertain world requires the arts sector to respond constantly, and imaginatively, to change. We are interested in individuals and organisations who have the skills and expertise to identify new solutions to familiar problems – insightful and innovative approaches to problem solving that unlock new delivery models, skills and resources.What kinds of projects might we be looking to support?These could include:•research and development of new ideas and models that have already been through the developmental scoping phase•developing new skills and systems•pilot projects for innovative ideas to strengthen business models•developing creative links with the private sector•market development initiatives•the practical application of academic or experimental research•developing technological and digital capability•developing the potential of technology to assist with fundraising, such as new ways of CrowdFunding•develop new partnershipsA note on the scope of this PINInformation explaining how to submit your Expression of Interest is set out below. However, anyone wishing to submit an Expression of Interest needs to be aware of the sceop of what we’re looking for.This PIN includes a very wide range of potential activity. We have intentionally set the bar high and the breadth wide. We want to allow every opportunity to attract the interest of the most imaginative and innovative providers of professional services. However, following examination of Expressions of Interest, it is likely that we will focus our brief (both in terms of cost, and what it is reasonable to achieve) and/or express the subsequent Invitation To Tender in terms of discrete ‘packages’ of work.We believe that it is unlikely that a single organisation (or individual) will be equally expert in all of the areas identified above. We would expect those expressing an interest to play to their strengths and focus on a smaller, and more specific, range of services. Organisations submitting an Expression of Interest might find it helpful – for illustrative purposes only – to indicate how they might assemble service packages, and what a daily rate for those services might be.NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=62535.