Contract for Durham Business Opportunities Programme (DBOP) Oktoberfest Exhibitor Support Programme

This contract is to deliver a programme of intensive support to small businesses exhibiting for the first time at the Durham Oktoberfest Engineering and Manufacturing Exhibition, which takes place in County Durham annually in October. This is one of five strands of intensive support that are to be procured as part of the Durham Business Opportunities Programme (DBOP) which is ERDF funded.

The purpose of the programme will be to increase their capacity to grow and enable smaller engineering and manufacturing businesses to identify and take advantage of market opportunities presented at the Oktoberfest Exhibition. This will include support on how to prepare for exhibiting in order to get the most out of it, and how to follow through after the event to capitalise on sales leads and contacts made during the exhibition.

The Contract start date will be 7th August 2017 and will end following completion of the 2018 year programme (approximately 31st October 2018). The Contract however may extended in a third year to undertake the 2019 programme for the Oktoberfest Exhibition. Any extension will be agreed by the Council and the appointed organisation, any extension may also be dependent on funding which will be outlined by the Council at the time. The Council has confirmed ERDF (European Regional Development Funds) funding to enable delivery of this Project and meeting the funding constraints will be a requirement of this Contract and of the successful delivery partner.