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Business Name: en-soi pour-soi arts Ltd
Potential Business Address: Clerkenwell
Business Registration Address: London
Telephone: 07936883652
Email: Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com
Website: http://existence-before-essence.com
VAT Details: Not VAT Registered yet
Legal Status: Private Limited Company
Company registration number: 081344084
2017
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Table of contents
Confidentiality Agreement
1 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Who are we?..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Vision Statement............................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 What we need to progress................................................................................................................................................................ 7
1.4 Opportunities and Threats................................................................................................................................................................ 7
1.5 Exit Strategy...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
2 Strategy and Implementation .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.1 The Team .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 UK Tenders/Proposals....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.3 Europe ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
2.4 Partnerships for SDGs .................................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.5 Unique Research............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.6 Strategic Alliances........................................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.7 Competitive Edge............................................................................................................................................................................ 12
3 Target Market.................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Market Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.2 Key Customers ................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
3.3 Main Competitors ........................................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.6 Bitesize Marketing Plan................................................................................................................................................................... 15
4 Financial Projections .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
4.1 Sales Forecast ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
4.2 Projected Cash Flow........................................................................................................................................................................ 17
5 Funding, Start-up costs and Tax Relief................................................................................................................................................ 17
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Confidentiality Agreement
Oleuanna Twig of
en-soi pour-soi arts
152 City Road
Islington
London
EC1V 2NX
( Business )
and
( Recipient )
Date of this agreement......
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It is agreed that the Recipient wishes to read and consider the Business Plan produced by the Business and the
Business wants to disclose it to them so they both agree to do this on the terms of this agreement.
Signature of Business:
Name: Oleuanna Twig
Date:
Title: Owner
Signature on behalf of Recipient:
Name:
Date:
Title: Partner
1. On the basis that both the Business and the Recipient are interested in meeting each other to discuss the
possibilities of establishing a relationship relating to the affairs of the Business it is agreed that the Recipient
undertakes to the Business to treat as confidential the Business Plan and all information in any medium or format
(whether marked "confidential" or not) whether in writing or oral which the Recipient receives during the
relationship from the Business ( Confidential Information ).
2. The Recipient undertakes not to use the information for any purpose, other than for the purpose of considering
the collaboration detailed at point 1 above, without obtaining the written agreement of the Business.
3. This agreement shall not apply to any information which:
i. enters the public domain other than as a result of a breach of this agreement;
ii. is received from a third party which is under no confidentiality obligation or restriction on use in respect of that
information; or
iii. is independently developed by the Recipient without the use of or reference to the confidential information of
Business.
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4. The Recipient acknowledges that the Confidential Information, and the media and tangible property recording
it, is the absolute property of the Business.
5. Each of the parties shall ensure that each of its affiliates and employees shall comply with the terms of this
agreement.
6. This agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any termination or expiry of this
Agreement.
7. The obligations under this Agreement shall continue for five years.
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1 Executive Summary
1.1 Who are we?
Recently the United Nations reworked its Millennium goals into the new Sustainable Development Goals which
now has 17 targets and topics with the ambition of eliminating absolute poverty by 2030. As one of those who
will play a part in striving for this ambition, this is a group of highly qualified and seasoned professional
researchers supported by the very best young graduates that want to focus on researching ways to eradicate
extreme poverty, in the UK, Europe and Globally. The Head Office is based in the UK however; there will be an
office in France in 2017 and soon to be one in the Sahel. The Research Organisation can offer the full range of
research services covering qualitative and quantitative methods, research design, report writing, literature
review and presentations.
If an advocacy or participatory (emancipatory) approach to the research would better suit the inquiry so that a
marginalised or vulnerable group will be given a voice, if possible, the team will involve them in all the stages of
the research. Or possibly a mixed method to triangulate the research can be applied, giving it a more balanced
and deeper understanding of the issue, a brief can be followed or research can be designed to suit those needs.
Although the Research Organisations focus is on poverty, it encompasses experts that can support your work
around housing, health and social care, education and economic development, with new specialisms added to
the ´research skills bank´ monthly, relishing the opportunity to challenge a new issue. Not just a practical, but an
analytical understanding of the issue can be implemented, focusing on the social or economic disadvantage and
assist in effectuating a sustainable resolve. Not only will passion and enthusiasm be infused into the work but
this experience will be helping towards a bigger aspiration – developing a ´Think Tank´ that can contribute to
setting the agenda for a world free of the scourge of absolute poverty.
This research organisation is unaligned with any political affiliations or social movements, so using this
independent consultation from outside your own organisation removes any fear of bias in the findings.
Although unaligned, the premise of the organisation is that of humanitarian and therefore, does join the efforts
of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). More people are demanding corporate
responsibility from their governments and Businesses and employees want to work within companies that have
a more sustainable worldview, SDGs makes up most of the organisations core research values, which includes:
long-term development sustainability, collaborative working practices, gender equality, reducing hunger and
malnutrition with unified techniques and creating research job opportunities globally making the research
inclusive and led by the people who need it most.
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The research will deliver:
 An analytical framework and methodology appropriate to the project's objectives, with a coherent
approach.
 A credible strategy for undertaking all elements of the proposed work.
 An explorative, disruptive approach to the subject.
 Understanding of the brief and knowledge of the relevant sources of evidence
 The capacity to deliver high-quality research within the proposed timescale.
 Expertise, experience and credentials in relation to the area of work.
 Credible and realistic identification of the key risks and ethical issues, and effective strategies to address
these.
 And of course, be cost effective.
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1.2 Vision Statement
This is a social impact business or social enterprise that wants to eradicate the continuing poverty that occurs in
the Sahel. The issue of drought, poverty and starvation have haunted our lifetimes; we want to be an
independent unaligned body of researchers and reporters that concentrate solely on finding a long-lasting
solution through means of access to trade markets for rural farmers and rural people. We want to continue to
raise our own capital and be as self-sufficient as we can to achieve this goal. We branched our thinking out
further to a media aspect to the organisation, creating and producing Human Rights based Short Films and
Documentaries so support and capital will be predominantly through our services and products alone. Within
the next five years, we want to become a world leading Think Tank in Poverty alleviation. No one should die of
starvation or malnutrition in the 21st Century.
1.3 What we need to progress
Although the research is highly aspirational, it has very basic start-up needs to become a fully functioning
organisation. A first-round investment of £150,000 will help us house our team of core management and
researchers in a London office, supply the equipment they need to start the research and enable us to access
platforms that will assist in us securing long-term contracts. We are looking for short-term partnerships,
investors or a business loan. Return on investment can be discussed further if we find an interested partner.
1.4 Opportunities and threats
The initial market is already established for the research and comes in the form of Tenders or Proposals from the
public sector, private organisations and individuals who use that service. We sell our service by bidding on
Tenders or writing a Proposal for the work offered and in the future, will hope to collaborate on varying funded
research with other research organisations. As we will be made up of a multi academically diverse research
team, we will be flexible in the work we can take on and not be limited by one discipline. We shall also be
involved with the European Union TED platform as well as the Enterprise for Europe Network and seek
Partnership with the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; all these opportunities are explained
further in section two.
As this is a unique idea there are very few other organisations set up as Poverty Alleviating Think Tanks, the
initial threat is starting with Tender platforms where there are a lot of market research companies quite firmly
established in the field and the go-to for local and national research but this can be combatted by advertising to
do the research for less. As we grow in reputation and begin to do unique research for businesses and global
governments the threats shall decrease.
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1.5 Exit Strategy
We will not be thinking about becoming a public company within the next five years and we would like the
Investor/Partner to retire within five years which we feel will be more than long enough to receive a satisfactory
return, so the most appropriate exit would be to buy back their shares. Considering the nature of our research
we would want to continue developing as a business and not want to sell and depending on our successes, we
can continue establishing ourselves as a Poverty Alleviating Think Tank.
2 Strategies and Implementation
2.1 The Team
Oleuanna Twig
Job Title: Owner
Twenty years’ experience of working within local government, Charities and NGO’s working in roles ranging from
homeless frontline worker to Commissioning Officer. Over the past twenty years, have worked projects that
have been part of the procurement process, looking after service providers such as; The Richmond Fellowship
and Women’s Aid, also Local Council’s in-house Services. Undertook Service reviews of providers of housing-
related support, who were in receipt of the supporting People Grant, this includes desktop reviews as well as
visiting providers. Took service review findings collated them in reports, which then an Action Plan could be
negotiated between the service provider and the Local authority, which was updated over a period of time until
a signing off date was agreed. Prepared and Conducted Annual Financial Meetings, which included the
breakdown and analysis of Housing Providers’ expenditure, reporting the results of which are then subsequently
benchmarked for cost analysis, using tools adapted by the team. Writing a report and setting up an Action Plan
populated by the findings in the Annual Financial Meeting, this would then lead to setting their budgets for the
new financial year and helping them to manage their budgets by developing the weaker aspects of the service
delivery.
Negotiate and monitor contracts between the Council and Supporting People Service providers being sure to be
aware of any legislative changes, which may affect contracting and ensure these are incorporated in the
documentation. Developed policies and procedures across the range of contractual issues and assisted in the
development and commissioning of new services to ensure that they meet the needs of the authority in terms
of service levels and cost effectiveness, liaised with operational staff and the Commission for the Regulation of
Care to ensure compliance by providers with contract conditions and Service Agreement. Advised and assisted
service providers attain quality standards, including the housing support standards. This experience gave rise to
the idea of developing an organisation that would be initially Tender based.
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As the recession began had to move out of Social Work and set up as a freelancer. Spent six years as a freelance
journalist which naturally led to becoming an activist involved with organisations such as Chatham House,
International Federation of journalists, Reporters without borders, International Food Policy, Global Witness,
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, International Institute for Environment and Development, All Out,
Irin/Humanitarian news and analysis service from the UN and Reprieve to name but a few. Studied an MSc in
Education for Sustainability and now going on to do a MSc in Agricultural Economics with SOAS/University of
London, which is in preparation to do a PhD within Cirad Montpellier, this deals with the agrifood systems across
the Sahel as well as studying markets, organisations, institutions and operators' strategies, the plan is to gather
as much knowledge on an accessible trade model for rural farmers and rural people in the least developed
countries and expand the organisation from the UK into Europe and then onto the Sahel.
We have a temporary Management Team made up of two Bid Writers and one Senior Researcher. There are also
thirty-seven Researchers (this number grows weekly) who are poised ready to start work once we have our
funding. The Researchers academic abilities range from Doctorates to fresh and eager graduates all within the
economic and social research field.
2.2 UK Tenders/Proposals
Tender refers to the process whereby governments and financial institutions invite bids for large projects that
must be submitted within a finite deadline. For projects or procurement, most institutions have a well-defined
tender process, as well as processes to govern the opening, evaluation and final selection of the vendors. This
ensures that the selection process is fair and transparent.
We shall start with government low-value contracts and as a new Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME),
there is currently a Government white paper in our favour influencing Public Sectors to award low-value
contracts to new business and this usually shows up in their audits so they have to be actively participating in
the new scheme which potentially gives us a foot in the door. Small companies are often successful in public
sector contracting because they can offer:
 Expertise unavailable in larger companies
 A more intrinsic understanding of their research needs
 A subjective understanding of client requirements
 A willingness to work closely with clients in partnership
We have several Tender platforms that we have already engaged with that can help us find research, we shall
also be writing to as many Local and National Government bodies, NGO´s and Charities that reside in the UK.
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2.3 Europe
After we have built up a reputation, references and a trading history through the local Tendering/Proposal
process, we will start applying for research through the European Union which presently has a research policy
incentive for Research and Innovation agreed for 2020, they have also acknowledged the value in SMEs,
recognising us as vital for innovation and giving us special incentives to participate, one being Horizon 2020.
These incentives will boost the creation of jobs and growth in our field allowing us to be able to sustain our
growth into Europe long-term. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and innovation programme that has
ever been produced, it has nearly €80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020) which, of
course, is something we would very much like to be a part of.
“Horizon 2020 actively supports SMEs by providing both direct financial support, and indirect support to increase
their innovation capacity. 'Innovation in SMEs' aims at creating a bridge between the core of the framework
programme - support to research, development and innovation projects - and the creation of a favourable
ecosystem for SME innovation and growth.
The objective of ‘Innovation in SMEs’ is to optimise the Research, Development & Innovation environment for
SMEs, including through the establishment and facilitation of a range of support services, with the aim of
strengthening the innovation capacity of SMEs and creating value on the market and/or into society, thus
underpinning the Europe2020 strategy for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth.”
European Commission
Another initiative is the Enterprise Europe Network which brings together six hundred partner organisations in
more than fifty countries to help business innovate, grow and succeed in the European marketplace. What this
means for SMEs with ambitions to Innovate and grow, is access to a full suite of innovation and
internationalisation support services from one source covering the whole of Europe. We have already submitted
our proposal to the platform and are waiting for it to go live.
There is also the TED platform (Tenders Electronic Daily) which is the Supplement to the Official Journal of the
EU (OJ S), dedicated to European Public Procurement. This is where substantial, European and Global long-term
contracts can be obtained through the Tender/Proposal process.
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2.4 Partnerships for SDGs
As mentioned in our introduction one of our many drivers is to help with the new Sustainable Development
Goals which was set by United Nations in the Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world
leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of seventeen Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030.
“What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals, otherwise known as the Global Goals, build on the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in
2000, aimed at an array of issues that included slashing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access
to water and sanitation. Enormous progress has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a unifying
agenda underpinned by goals and targets. Despite this success, the indignity of poverty has not been ended for
all.”
United Nations Development Programme.
Partnerships for SDGs is an online platform for encouraging global engagement around multi-stakeholder
partnerships and voluntary commitments in support of the implementation of the sustainable development
goals and their targets. We have signed up with the Partnership for SDGs but will not fully register our
methodologies and mechanisms until we have our team in place and an agreed poverty alleviation strategy is in
place.
2.5 Unique Research
Whilst we are developing as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO) through the processes of
Tenders/Proposals nationally and internationally, we shall be learning about the issues and the blocks to
alleviating poverty. This will then lead the way for us to start doing our own unique research for businesses,
charities NGOs and individuals, which will give us a better understanding of how to tackle the Sahel and the
continuing devastation that exists there. Although poverty is on the decline worldwide it is an improvement that
is uneven around the world and increases with each refugee evacuation within least developed countries (LDCs).
We want to help build stronger sustainable economies within LDCs recognising that our work must include all
the individuals of the community as this will help create jobs, improve equality and work towards a sustained
reduction in poverty.
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2.6 Strategic Alliances
Starting our organisation with the procurement process will enable us to develop a reputation and get our brand
out into the research arena. Whilst establishing ourselves we hope we can, through networks such as the
Department for International Development (DFID), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and
Chatham House, collaborate with Universities and university-based researchers or host a Ph.D. student, have
access to Business and Local Government Data Research Centres and work alongside some of the leading Think
Tanks that inform policy. Also, the potential to work with DFID as a supplier that manages a development
programme on their behalf opens the international platform for us which not only gives us international
procurement opportunities but access to international development funding and a particular goal of this
organisation.
But what would be very exciting is to work besides the already collaborated ESRC-DFID Joint Fund for Poverty
Alleviation Research - Phase 2. This scheme has four objectives;
 To fund new thinking on international development issues.
 To raise the quality and impact of social science research in development
 Encourage multi-disciplinary research
 Give access to international development research funding to a broader set of actors
This project has been extended and has been of interest to us for some time as this recognises businesses in our
position and wants to help fund new ideas.
2.7 Competitive Edge
Having competition in our line of business is a brilliant bonus for us, means that we are not the only ones trying
to resolve this devastating issue. What we have noticed though, is that we seem to be the only organisation set
up to become a Poverty Alleviating Think Tank in the UK if not Europe which will naturally make us the leading
specialist in our field (for now), we are therefore a niche market that will supply to large organisations and
governments. Our competitive advantage is that we are setting up now just as the world summit has occurred
asking the world to get involved with the Sustainability Development Goals. This means there will be tax breaks
and incentives for businesses to show they are doing what they can to help reach the Summits targets, we shall
be there to help them. We shall also be there for Charities, Governments and NGOs that a need specialist
consultation with a cost structure that will be accessible for all.
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3 Target Market
3.3 Market Overview
Conducting the following research has allowed us to corroborate our business idea and method and help inform
our strategy. Economic and Social Research within the UK, EU and globally is becoming a high-value growth
industry where SMEs within this field have become recognised as valuable for the economic recovery. This
became apparent as we looked at Tenders around the Globe and how - even during the recession - the work
never died down. This is one of the many reasons why the organisation was formed as it seemed it would be an
excellent way to bring steady money into the business as well as try to become a leader in the industry
worldwide.
We have selected a key location in London so we can be accessed easily for meetings and for us to attend
seminars and lectures, which are always held largely in the London area especially by Chatham House, London
School of Economics and an hour away is the Economic and Social Research Council, these connections will help
us to develop stronger relationships with these already outstanding research institutions. We have a training
Bid Manager who will oversee our initial training course with after care on-call assistance when needed, which
ensures we remain competitive and up-to-date on new practices, legislations and industry standards but with
the adage of learning how to turn a good profit with a specialised training and a development manager who
understands broader academia.
Our main objectives with our initial procurement process will be an understanding of;
 Reviewing the ITT/RFP document to understand the needs of the buyer
 Breaking down a question to ensure compliance
 Researching the buyer and developing a winning strategy using the ‘grid’ approach
 Structuring a compelling answer by weaving in that strategy
 Objective content evaluation to drive up the final score
This will make sure as a team that we all understand the Tendering/Calls for Proposals process including all
those already experienced in the procedure being in congruency with the rest of the team. As there are varying
criterions, the customer will be looking for an organisation to excel in value on application, e.g.
 Fitness for purpose
 Warranty
 Quality, Environmental and safety considerations
 Energy conservation
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 Disposal Value
 Capacity of the supplier
 Wider benefits to the customer
 Creating strategic partnerships
 Payments terms
 The relative risk of the proposal
 The performance history of the supplier
 All direct and indirect financial costs and benefits over the life of the procurement
 The flexibility of the proposal to adapt to possible change
 The anticipated price that could be obtained or cost incurred, at the time of disposal
Our main hurdle as a start-up is not having a history as a team, this can be combatted by cold calling we already
have a few interested low-value customers who want to put us on their books for future research support. The
team we have poised for employment has an extensive understanding and a history of research and, at least, a
quarter of those people have experience of the Research Tender process. We would also reap the benefit of the
incentives that are in SME’s favour currently, especially within the EU and the UK.
3.4 Key Customers
Development agencies, World Bank, EU Development and Cooperation, Millennium Challenge Account,
Agence Française de Développement, African Development Bank, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and The
European Investment Fund are amongst some of the potential customers at a global level.
On the Local Regional and National level we want to be working with Local Governments initially by accessing
Government Open Tenders, our business has the opportunity to gain vast and considerable amounts of work
from this reliable source, offering not only contracts for work being Tendered, but also an opportunity to obtain
on-going work through building relationships and establishing our business as a reputable and trustworthy
supplier to government, this will lead the way to applying to private sector companies eventually allowing us to
move into Europe with a proven track record.
3.5 Main Competitors
It was a lot easier to find a list of local competitors that are eligible for the Research Council Funding (annexe 1),
competition outside of this list are mainly University based and local market research companies. In the
international market are the organisations picking up the DFID Tenders, for example, Landell Mills Ltd, Adam
Smith International Ltd and the Overseas Development Institute. What will give us our eventual edge, once
established, is the trade patent we want to develop and then begin to specialise in. the awful problem with our
line of work is there is always room for new ideas to enter the field and assist with the substantial issues.
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3.6 Bitesize Marketing Plan
Category Strategy
Target Market Initially Local Government, NGOs, Charities. Commencing into
the EU via TED, European Network Enterprise, Horizon2020
then onto international development departments such as
DFID, ending up producing unique research from us.
Positioning Statement We want to redefine research and produce high quality,
effective and sustainable solutions for the people that need it
most.
Offering to customers  adventurous research or disruptive innovation, in
relation to the trade patent
 collaboration and the exchange of ideas across and
within disciplines and institutional boundaries
 collaboration with international and non-academic
partners
Price Strategy As we are starting with bidding for Tenders then we need to
be as cost effective as possible making us the more attractive
proposal, so we must go in lower than our competitors. For
unique research, we shall have to price that per how long the
research will take and how many researchers are needed.
Sales Strategy Expand by 5% each 6th
month period, if possible, expanding
on the team and the locations.
Service Strategy We will need to create an assessment of each customer
needs. We want to make the research individual for each
project we take on.
Promotion Strategy Web sites, emails, meetings, partnerships, presentations, and
lectures, appear anywhere where there are talks on Poverty
Alleviation.
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4 Financial Projections
4.1 Sales Forecast
The projected profit forecasts may seem unduly expedient if you only take into account low-value tenders
(£5000 to £100,000) which is the level we will probably be starting from but we want to be able to take on
several contracts at a time and in annexe 2 shows the best-case scenario of entering the EU quickly. Below is a
table giving an overview of what most Councils in the UK value their Tenders and contracts at;
Risk Value Range Typical Procedure
LOW RISK Under £0 - £5,000 1 Quote Must be written and must
represent Value for Money
LOW RISK £5,000 - £25,000 3 Quotes Must be written quotes one from
a local supplier if possible.
MEDIUM RISK £25,000 - £100,000 OJEU
threshold
Formal Tendering They normally use their Approved
Supplier Database or may
advertise, depending on the
market
MEDIUM - HIGH
RISK
Over £100,000 OJEU
Tendering
Formal Tendering Contracts will be advertised to
supplement the Approved
Supplier Database depending on
the market.
HIGH RISK >OJEU threshold - £10 million OJS Details of all published OJEU
notices may be obtained from the
Official Journal of the European
Union
VERY HIGH RISK >£10 million OJS “
Official Journal of the European Union (OJS) Tenders/Calls for proposals for research can start at £300,000 for as
little a duration as 6 -13 months. With High-Value Public Tenders the EU regulations stipulate that higher value
(above £100,000) tenders have to be published across Europe and the European Economic area. However,
contracts which are advertised in the OJS as high-value can still be viable options for a lot of SMEs.
We estimate to start securing Tenders by January 2016 depending on how quickly we can get the funds to get
the team in place. We will try to expand the business each month by about 5% depending on the number of
Tenders we can win. By year three, we are aiming to increase the team and have offices in Paris by then and
within the Sahel but this is also dependent on how well we can do in Europe. Due to the nature of the
Tendering process, it may take a few months for the bidding evaluations to be made and then confirmed.
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4.2 Projected Cash Flow (Annex 1)
5 Start-up Costs and Funding
We think that £150,000 is a reasonable start-up figure considering the amount of equipment and memberships
we would need to acquire to get us up and functioning within the Tendering field with a view of growing into the
EU quickly. It will also cover us for the first three months until we secure our first big contract. We shall have as
little overheads as possible and encourage remote working as offices are the most expensive necessity but we
shall only hire meeting rooms as and when needed.
Tax Relief – information cited from UK Business Angels Association and Seedcamp
“Angel Investors who pay tax in the UK have access to important Tax relief schemes that have been provided by
the Government in recognition of the risks that angel investors take and to show their backing for this important
source of finance for small businesses: EIS, SEIS & SITR”
“EIS – Enterprise Investment Scheme
The Enterprise Investment Scheme is designed to help smaller, higher-risk companies raise finance by offering
tax relief on new shares in those companies that qualify. For the investor, it’s a tax efficient way to invest in
small companies.
The EIS is aimed at the wealthier, sophisticated investors. People can invest up to £1,000,000 in any tax year and
receive 30% tax relief. However, they are locked into the scheme for a minimum of three years. EIS seeks to
encourage investment into unlisted companies, discover more about the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
SEIS – Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme
SEIS is an incredibly generous derivative of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and was introduced in April
2012. Its aim is to encourage seed investment in early stage companies. Investors, including directors, can
receive initial tax relief of 50% on investments up to £100,000 and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption for any
gains on the SEIS shares. The maximum amount to be raised for each company is £150,000.”
We hope this will be a tax efficient way for our investors to come on board and offer a reputable level of security
to their investment.”
18
London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com
This is the stream of Tax relief that best suits our model as we are a social impact business.
SITR - Social Investment Tax relief
“For angel investors interested in investing in social impact businesses or those with a social purpose, SITR
provides a range of income and capital gains tax reliefs which can be claimed by individual investors for
investments they have made in social enterprises, with a view to helping people and communities.
It will be in place for investments made, or capital gains arising, in the period from 6 April 2014 to 5 April 2019.
You are potentially able to claim 1 or more of the following reliefs, in respect of your investment in one (or
more) social enterprises:
• Income Tax relief – at 30% of the amount you invest
• Capital Gains hold-over relief – depending on when the investment was made and when the gain arose
• Capital Gains disposal relief – an investment which has attracted Income Tax relief is exempt from Capital
Gains Tax if you dispose of it for more than you paid To be able to claim Income Tax or Capital Gains hold-over
reliefs:
• you (as the investor), the investment and the social enterprise must first meet certain SITR
conditions
Conditions that apply to investors and the investment to claim SITR
There are some conditions which you must meet, to be able to support a claim to SITR. These relate to:
• your relationship with the social enterprise
• the terms on which you’ve invested in the social enterprise
• the type of investment you’ve made
Your relationship with the Social Enterprise:
You can invest either directly in your own name, or have a nominee invest on your behalf. If you make your
investment via a nominee, it is you and not the nominee who can claim tax relief. Either way, there are rules
about the closeness of the relationship between you and the Social.”
For more information on SITR tax relief please read (Annex 2).
19
London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com
Thank you for reading
FIN

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en-soi pour-soi arts 'existence before essence' business plan

  • 1. Business Name: en-soi pour-soi arts Ltd Potential Business Address: Clerkenwell Business Registration Address: London Telephone: 07936883652 Email: Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com Website: http://existence-before-essence.com VAT Details: Not VAT Registered yet Legal Status: Private Limited Company Company registration number: 081344084 2017
  • 2. 1 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com Table of contents Confidentiality Agreement 1 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Who are we?..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Vision Statement............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 What we need to progress................................................................................................................................................................ 7 1.4 Opportunities and Threats................................................................................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Exit Strategy...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2 Strategy and Implementation .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 The Team .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 UK Tenders/Proposals....................................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Europe ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Partnerships for SDGs .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.5 Unique Research............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.6 Strategic Alliances........................................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.7 Competitive Edge............................................................................................................................................................................ 12 3 Target Market.................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Market Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13 3.2 Key Customers ................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 3.3 Main Competitors ........................................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.6 Bitesize Marketing Plan................................................................................................................................................................... 15 4 Financial Projections .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Sales Forecast ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Projected Cash Flow........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 5 Funding, Start-up costs and Tax Relief................................................................................................................................................ 17
  • 3. 2 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com Confidentiality Agreement Oleuanna Twig of en-soi pour-soi arts 152 City Road Islington London EC1V 2NX ( Business ) and ( Recipient ) Date of this agreement......
  • 4. 3 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com It is agreed that the Recipient wishes to read and consider the Business Plan produced by the Business and the Business wants to disclose it to them so they both agree to do this on the terms of this agreement. Signature of Business: Name: Oleuanna Twig Date: Title: Owner Signature on behalf of Recipient: Name: Date: Title: Partner 1. On the basis that both the Business and the Recipient are interested in meeting each other to discuss the possibilities of establishing a relationship relating to the affairs of the Business it is agreed that the Recipient undertakes to the Business to treat as confidential the Business Plan and all information in any medium or format (whether marked "confidential" or not) whether in writing or oral which the Recipient receives during the relationship from the Business ( Confidential Information ). 2. The Recipient undertakes not to use the information for any purpose, other than for the purpose of considering the collaboration detailed at point 1 above, without obtaining the written agreement of the Business. 3. This agreement shall not apply to any information which: i. enters the public domain other than as a result of a breach of this agreement; ii. is received from a third party which is under no confidentiality obligation or restriction on use in respect of that information; or iii. is independently developed by the Recipient without the use of or reference to the confidential information of Business.
  • 5. 4 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 4. The Recipient acknowledges that the Confidential Information, and the media and tangible property recording it, is the absolute property of the Business. 5. Each of the parties shall ensure that each of its affiliates and employees shall comply with the terms of this agreement. 6. This agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any termination or expiry of this Agreement. 7. The obligations under this Agreement shall continue for five years.
  • 6. 5 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Who are we? Recently the United Nations reworked its Millennium goals into the new Sustainable Development Goals which now has 17 targets and topics with the ambition of eliminating absolute poverty by 2030. As one of those who will play a part in striving for this ambition, this is a group of highly qualified and seasoned professional researchers supported by the very best young graduates that want to focus on researching ways to eradicate extreme poverty, in the UK, Europe and Globally. The Head Office is based in the UK however; there will be an office in France in 2017 and soon to be one in the Sahel. The Research Organisation can offer the full range of research services covering qualitative and quantitative methods, research design, report writing, literature review and presentations. If an advocacy or participatory (emancipatory) approach to the research would better suit the inquiry so that a marginalised or vulnerable group will be given a voice, if possible, the team will involve them in all the stages of the research. Or possibly a mixed method to triangulate the research can be applied, giving it a more balanced and deeper understanding of the issue, a brief can be followed or research can be designed to suit those needs. Although the Research Organisations focus is on poverty, it encompasses experts that can support your work around housing, health and social care, education and economic development, with new specialisms added to the ´research skills bank´ monthly, relishing the opportunity to challenge a new issue. Not just a practical, but an analytical understanding of the issue can be implemented, focusing on the social or economic disadvantage and assist in effectuating a sustainable resolve. Not only will passion and enthusiasm be infused into the work but this experience will be helping towards a bigger aspiration – developing a ´Think Tank´ that can contribute to setting the agenda for a world free of the scourge of absolute poverty. This research organisation is unaligned with any political affiliations or social movements, so using this independent consultation from outside your own organisation removes any fear of bias in the findings. Although unaligned, the premise of the organisation is that of humanitarian and therefore, does join the efforts of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). More people are demanding corporate responsibility from their governments and Businesses and employees want to work within companies that have a more sustainable worldview, SDGs makes up most of the organisations core research values, which includes: long-term development sustainability, collaborative working practices, gender equality, reducing hunger and malnutrition with unified techniques and creating research job opportunities globally making the research inclusive and led by the people who need it most.
  • 7. 6 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com The research will deliver:  An analytical framework and methodology appropriate to the project's objectives, with a coherent approach.  A credible strategy for undertaking all elements of the proposed work.  An explorative, disruptive approach to the subject.  Understanding of the brief and knowledge of the relevant sources of evidence  The capacity to deliver high-quality research within the proposed timescale.  Expertise, experience and credentials in relation to the area of work.  Credible and realistic identification of the key risks and ethical issues, and effective strategies to address these.  And of course, be cost effective.
  • 8. 7 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 1.2 Vision Statement This is a social impact business or social enterprise that wants to eradicate the continuing poverty that occurs in the Sahel. The issue of drought, poverty and starvation have haunted our lifetimes; we want to be an independent unaligned body of researchers and reporters that concentrate solely on finding a long-lasting solution through means of access to trade markets for rural farmers and rural people. We want to continue to raise our own capital and be as self-sufficient as we can to achieve this goal. We branched our thinking out further to a media aspect to the organisation, creating and producing Human Rights based Short Films and Documentaries so support and capital will be predominantly through our services and products alone. Within the next five years, we want to become a world leading Think Tank in Poverty alleviation. No one should die of starvation or malnutrition in the 21st Century. 1.3 What we need to progress Although the research is highly aspirational, it has very basic start-up needs to become a fully functioning organisation. A first-round investment of £150,000 will help us house our team of core management and researchers in a London office, supply the equipment they need to start the research and enable us to access platforms that will assist in us securing long-term contracts. We are looking for short-term partnerships, investors or a business loan. Return on investment can be discussed further if we find an interested partner. 1.4 Opportunities and threats The initial market is already established for the research and comes in the form of Tenders or Proposals from the public sector, private organisations and individuals who use that service. We sell our service by bidding on Tenders or writing a Proposal for the work offered and in the future, will hope to collaborate on varying funded research with other research organisations. As we will be made up of a multi academically diverse research team, we will be flexible in the work we can take on and not be limited by one discipline. We shall also be involved with the European Union TED platform as well as the Enterprise for Europe Network and seek Partnership with the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; all these opportunities are explained further in section two. As this is a unique idea there are very few other organisations set up as Poverty Alleviating Think Tanks, the initial threat is starting with Tender platforms where there are a lot of market research companies quite firmly established in the field and the go-to for local and national research but this can be combatted by advertising to do the research for less. As we grow in reputation and begin to do unique research for businesses and global governments the threats shall decrease.
  • 9. 8 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 1.5 Exit Strategy We will not be thinking about becoming a public company within the next five years and we would like the Investor/Partner to retire within five years which we feel will be more than long enough to receive a satisfactory return, so the most appropriate exit would be to buy back their shares. Considering the nature of our research we would want to continue developing as a business and not want to sell and depending on our successes, we can continue establishing ourselves as a Poverty Alleviating Think Tank. 2 Strategies and Implementation 2.1 The Team Oleuanna Twig Job Title: Owner Twenty years’ experience of working within local government, Charities and NGO’s working in roles ranging from homeless frontline worker to Commissioning Officer. Over the past twenty years, have worked projects that have been part of the procurement process, looking after service providers such as; The Richmond Fellowship and Women’s Aid, also Local Council’s in-house Services. Undertook Service reviews of providers of housing- related support, who were in receipt of the supporting People Grant, this includes desktop reviews as well as visiting providers. Took service review findings collated them in reports, which then an Action Plan could be negotiated between the service provider and the Local authority, which was updated over a period of time until a signing off date was agreed. Prepared and Conducted Annual Financial Meetings, which included the breakdown and analysis of Housing Providers’ expenditure, reporting the results of which are then subsequently benchmarked for cost analysis, using tools adapted by the team. Writing a report and setting up an Action Plan populated by the findings in the Annual Financial Meeting, this would then lead to setting their budgets for the new financial year and helping them to manage their budgets by developing the weaker aspects of the service delivery. Negotiate and monitor contracts between the Council and Supporting People Service providers being sure to be aware of any legislative changes, which may affect contracting and ensure these are incorporated in the documentation. Developed policies and procedures across the range of contractual issues and assisted in the development and commissioning of new services to ensure that they meet the needs of the authority in terms of service levels and cost effectiveness, liaised with operational staff and the Commission for the Regulation of Care to ensure compliance by providers with contract conditions and Service Agreement. Advised and assisted service providers attain quality standards, including the housing support standards. This experience gave rise to the idea of developing an organisation that would be initially Tender based.
  • 10. 9 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com As the recession began had to move out of Social Work and set up as a freelancer. Spent six years as a freelance journalist which naturally led to becoming an activist involved with organisations such as Chatham House, International Federation of journalists, Reporters without borders, International Food Policy, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, International Institute for Environment and Development, All Out, Irin/Humanitarian news and analysis service from the UN and Reprieve to name but a few. Studied an MSc in Education for Sustainability and now going on to do a MSc in Agricultural Economics with SOAS/University of London, which is in preparation to do a PhD within Cirad Montpellier, this deals with the agrifood systems across the Sahel as well as studying markets, organisations, institutions and operators' strategies, the plan is to gather as much knowledge on an accessible trade model for rural farmers and rural people in the least developed countries and expand the organisation from the UK into Europe and then onto the Sahel. We have a temporary Management Team made up of two Bid Writers and one Senior Researcher. There are also thirty-seven Researchers (this number grows weekly) who are poised ready to start work once we have our funding. The Researchers academic abilities range from Doctorates to fresh and eager graduates all within the economic and social research field. 2.2 UK Tenders/Proposals Tender refers to the process whereby governments and financial institutions invite bids for large projects that must be submitted within a finite deadline. For projects or procurement, most institutions have a well-defined tender process, as well as processes to govern the opening, evaluation and final selection of the vendors. This ensures that the selection process is fair and transparent. We shall start with government low-value contracts and as a new Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME), there is currently a Government white paper in our favour influencing Public Sectors to award low-value contracts to new business and this usually shows up in their audits so they have to be actively participating in the new scheme which potentially gives us a foot in the door. Small companies are often successful in public sector contracting because they can offer:  Expertise unavailable in larger companies  A more intrinsic understanding of their research needs  A subjective understanding of client requirements  A willingness to work closely with clients in partnership We have several Tender platforms that we have already engaged with that can help us find research, we shall also be writing to as many Local and National Government bodies, NGO´s and Charities that reside in the UK.
  • 11. 10 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 2.3 Europe After we have built up a reputation, references and a trading history through the local Tendering/Proposal process, we will start applying for research through the European Union which presently has a research policy incentive for Research and Innovation agreed for 2020, they have also acknowledged the value in SMEs, recognising us as vital for innovation and giving us special incentives to participate, one being Horizon 2020. These incentives will boost the creation of jobs and growth in our field allowing us to be able to sustain our growth into Europe long-term. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and innovation programme that has ever been produced, it has nearly €80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020) which, of course, is something we would very much like to be a part of. “Horizon 2020 actively supports SMEs by providing both direct financial support, and indirect support to increase their innovation capacity. 'Innovation in SMEs' aims at creating a bridge between the core of the framework programme - support to research, development and innovation projects - and the creation of a favourable ecosystem for SME innovation and growth. The objective of ‘Innovation in SMEs’ is to optimise the Research, Development & Innovation environment for SMEs, including through the establishment and facilitation of a range of support services, with the aim of strengthening the innovation capacity of SMEs and creating value on the market and/or into society, thus underpinning the Europe2020 strategy for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth.” European Commission Another initiative is the Enterprise Europe Network which brings together six hundred partner organisations in more than fifty countries to help business innovate, grow and succeed in the European marketplace. What this means for SMEs with ambitions to Innovate and grow, is access to a full suite of innovation and internationalisation support services from one source covering the whole of Europe. We have already submitted our proposal to the platform and are waiting for it to go live. There is also the TED platform (Tenders Electronic Daily) which is the Supplement to the Official Journal of the EU (OJ S), dedicated to European Public Procurement. This is where substantial, European and Global long-term contracts can be obtained through the Tender/Proposal process.
  • 12. 11 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 2.4 Partnerships for SDGs As mentioned in our introduction one of our many drivers is to help with the new Sustainable Development Goals which was set by United Nations in the Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. “What are the Sustainable Development Goals? The Sustainable Development Goals, otherwise known as the Global Goals, build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of issues that included slashing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water and sanitation. Enormous progress has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a unifying agenda underpinned by goals and targets. Despite this success, the indignity of poverty has not been ended for all.” United Nations Development Programme. Partnerships for SDGs is an online platform for encouraging global engagement around multi-stakeholder partnerships and voluntary commitments in support of the implementation of the sustainable development goals and their targets. We have signed up with the Partnership for SDGs but will not fully register our methodologies and mechanisms until we have our team in place and an agreed poverty alleviation strategy is in place. 2.5 Unique Research Whilst we are developing as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO) through the processes of Tenders/Proposals nationally and internationally, we shall be learning about the issues and the blocks to alleviating poverty. This will then lead the way for us to start doing our own unique research for businesses, charities NGOs and individuals, which will give us a better understanding of how to tackle the Sahel and the continuing devastation that exists there. Although poverty is on the decline worldwide it is an improvement that is uneven around the world and increases with each refugee evacuation within least developed countries (LDCs). We want to help build stronger sustainable economies within LDCs recognising that our work must include all the individuals of the community as this will help create jobs, improve equality and work towards a sustained reduction in poverty.
  • 13. 12 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 2.6 Strategic Alliances Starting our organisation with the procurement process will enable us to develop a reputation and get our brand out into the research arena. Whilst establishing ourselves we hope we can, through networks such as the Department for International Development (DFID), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Chatham House, collaborate with Universities and university-based researchers or host a Ph.D. student, have access to Business and Local Government Data Research Centres and work alongside some of the leading Think Tanks that inform policy. Also, the potential to work with DFID as a supplier that manages a development programme on their behalf opens the international platform for us which not only gives us international procurement opportunities but access to international development funding and a particular goal of this organisation. But what would be very exciting is to work besides the already collaborated ESRC-DFID Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation Research - Phase 2. This scheme has four objectives;  To fund new thinking on international development issues.  To raise the quality and impact of social science research in development  Encourage multi-disciplinary research  Give access to international development research funding to a broader set of actors This project has been extended and has been of interest to us for some time as this recognises businesses in our position and wants to help fund new ideas. 2.7 Competitive Edge Having competition in our line of business is a brilliant bonus for us, means that we are not the only ones trying to resolve this devastating issue. What we have noticed though, is that we seem to be the only organisation set up to become a Poverty Alleviating Think Tank in the UK if not Europe which will naturally make us the leading specialist in our field (for now), we are therefore a niche market that will supply to large organisations and governments. Our competitive advantage is that we are setting up now just as the world summit has occurred asking the world to get involved with the Sustainability Development Goals. This means there will be tax breaks and incentives for businesses to show they are doing what they can to help reach the Summits targets, we shall be there to help them. We shall also be there for Charities, Governments and NGOs that a need specialist consultation with a cost structure that will be accessible for all.
  • 14. 13 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 3 Target Market 3.3 Market Overview Conducting the following research has allowed us to corroborate our business idea and method and help inform our strategy. Economic and Social Research within the UK, EU and globally is becoming a high-value growth industry where SMEs within this field have become recognised as valuable for the economic recovery. This became apparent as we looked at Tenders around the Globe and how - even during the recession - the work never died down. This is one of the many reasons why the organisation was formed as it seemed it would be an excellent way to bring steady money into the business as well as try to become a leader in the industry worldwide. We have selected a key location in London so we can be accessed easily for meetings and for us to attend seminars and lectures, which are always held largely in the London area especially by Chatham House, London School of Economics and an hour away is the Economic and Social Research Council, these connections will help us to develop stronger relationships with these already outstanding research institutions. We have a training Bid Manager who will oversee our initial training course with after care on-call assistance when needed, which ensures we remain competitive and up-to-date on new practices, legislations and industry standards but with the adage of learning how to turn a good profit with a specialised training and a development manager who understands broader academia. Our main objectives with our initial procurement process will be an understanding of;  Reviewing the ITT/RFP document to understand the needs of the buyer  Breaking down a question to ensure compliance  Researching the buyer and developing a winning strategy using the ‘grid’ approach  Structuring a compelling answer by weaving in that strategy  Objective content evaluation to drive up the final score This will make sure as a team that we all understand the Tendering/Calls for Proposals process including all those already experienced in the procedure being in congruency with the rest of the team. As there are varying criterions, the customer will be looking for an organisation to excel in value on application, e.g.  Fitness for purpose  Warranty  Quality, Environmental and safety considerations  Energy conservation
  • 15. 14 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com  Disposal Value  Capacity of the supplier  Wider benefits to the customer  Creating strategic partnerships  Payments terms  The relative risk of the proposal  The performance history of the supplier  All direct and indirect financial costs and benefits over the life of the procurement  The flexibility of the proposal to adapt to possible change  The anticipated price that could be obtained or cost incurred, at the time of disposal Our main hurdle as a start-up is not having a history as a team, this can be combatted by cold calling we already have a few interested low-value customers who want to put us on their books for future research support. The team we have poised for employment has an extensive understanding and a history of research and, at least, a quarter of those people have experience of the Research Tender process. We would also reap the benefit of the incentives that are in SME’s favour currently, especially within the EU and the UK. 3.4 Key Customers Development agencies, World Bank, EU Development and Cooperation, Millennium Challenge Account, Agence Française de Développement, African Development Bank, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and The European Investment Fund are amongst some of the potential customers at a global level. On the Local Regional and National level we want to be working with Local Governments initially by accessing Government Open Tenders, our business has the opportunity to gain vast and considerable amounts of work from this reliable source, offering not only contracts for work being Tendered, but also an opportunity to obtain on-going work through building relationships and establishing our business as a reputable and trustworthy supplier to government, this will lead the way to applying to private sector companies eventually allowing us to move into Europe with a proven track record. 3.5 Main Competitors It was a lot easier to find a list of local competitors that are eligible for the Research Council Funding (annexe 1), competition outside of this list are mainly University based and local market research companies. In the international market are the organisations picking up the DFID Tenders, for example, Landell Mills Ltd, Adam Smith International Ltd and the Overseas Development Institute. What will give us our eventual edge, once established, is the trade patent we want to develop and then begin to specialise in. the awful problem with our line of work is there is always room for new ideas to enter the field and assist with the substantial issues.
  • 16. 15 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 3.6 Bitesize Marketing Plan Category Strategy Target Market Initially Local Government, NGOs, Charities. Commencing into the EU via TED, European Network Enterprise, Horizon2020 then onto international development departments such as DFID, ending up producing unique research from us. Positioning Statement We want to redefine research and produce high quality, effective and sustainable solutions for the people that need it most. Offering to customers  adventurous research or disruptive innovation, in relation to the trade patent  collaboration and the exchange of ideas across and within disciplines and institutional boundaries  collaboration with international and non-academic partners Price Strategy As we are starting with bidding for Tenders then we need to be as cost effective as possible making us the more attractive proposal, so we must go in lower than our competitors. For unique research, we shall have to price that per how long the research will take and how many researchers are needed. Sales Strategy Expand by 5% each 6th month period, if possible, expanding on the team and the locations. Service Strategy We will need to create an assessment of each customer needs. We want to make the research individual for each project we take on. Promotion Strategy Web sites, emails, meetings, partnerships, presentations, and lectures, appear anywhere where there are talks on Poverty Alleviation.
  • 17. 16 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 4 Financial Projections 4.1 Sales Forecast The projected profit forecasts may seem unduly expedient if you only take into account low-value tenders (£5000 to £100,000) which is the level we will probably be starting from but we want to be able to take on several contracts at a time and in annexe 2 shows the best-case scenario of entering the EU quickly. Below is a table giving an overview of what most Councils in the UK value their Tenders and contracts at; Risk Value Range Typical Procedure LOW RISK Under £0 - £5,000 1 Quote Must be written and must represent Value for Money LOW RISK £5,000 - £25,000 3 Quotes Must be written quotes one from a local supplier if possible. MEDIUM RISK £25,000 - £100,000 OJEU threshold Formal Tendering They normally use their Approved Supplier Database or may advertise, depending on the market MEDIUM - HIGH RISK Over £100,000 OJEU Tendering Formal Tendering Contracts will be advertised to supplement the Approved Supplier Database depending on the market. HIGH RISK >OJEU threshold - £10 million OJS Details of all published OJEU notices may be obtained from the Official Journal of the European Union VERY HIGH RISK >£10 million OJS “ Official Journal of the European Union (OJS) Tenders/Calls for proposals for research can start at £300,000 for as little a duration as 6 -13 months. With High-Value Public Tenders the EU regulations stipulate that higher value (above £100,000) tenders have to be published across Europe and the European Economic area. However, contracts which are advertised in the OJS as high-value can still be viable options for a lot of SMEs. We estimate to start securing Tenders by January 2016 depending on how quickly we can get the funds to get the team in place. We will try to expand the business each month by about 5% depending on the number of Tenders we can win. By year three, we are aiming to increase the team and have offices in Paris by then and within the Sahel but this is also dependent on how well we can do in Europe. Due to the nature of the Tendering process, it may take a few months for the bidding evaluations to be made and then confirmed.
  • 18. 17 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com 4.2 Projected Cash Flow (Annex 1) 5 Start-up Costs and Funding We think that £150,000 is a reasonable start-up figure considering the amount of equipment and memberships we would need to acquire to get us up and functioning within the Tendering field with a view of growing into the EU quickly. It will also cover us for the first three months until we secure our first big contract. We shall have as little overheads as possible and encourage remote working as offices are the most expensive necessity but we shall only hire meeting rooms as and when needed. Tax Relief – information cited from UK Business Angels Association and Seedcamp “Angel Investors who pay tax in the UK have access to important Tax relief schemes that have been provided by the Government in recognition of the risks that angel investors take and to show their backing for this important source of finance for small businesses: EIS, SEIS & SITR” “EIS – Enterprise Investment Scheme The Enterprise Investment Scheme is designed to help smaller, higher-risk companies raise finance by offering tax relief on new shares in those companies that qualify. For the investor, it’s a tax efficient way to invest in small companies. The EIS is aimed at the wealthier, sophisticated investors. People can invest up to £1,000,000 in any tax year and receive 30% tax relief. However, they are locked into the scheme for a minimum of three years. EIS seeks to encourage investment into unlisted companies, discover more about the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) SEIS – Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme SEIS is an incredibly generous derivative of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and was introduced in April 2012. Its aim is to encourage seed investment in early stage companies. Investors, including directors, can receive initial tax relief of 50% on investments up to £100,000 and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption for any gains on the SEIS shares. The maximum amount to be raised for each company is £150,000.” We hope this will be a tax efficient way for our investors to come on board and offer a reputable level of security to their investment.”
  • 19. 18 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com This is the stream of Tax relief that best suits our model as we are a social impact business. SITR - Social Investment Tax relief “For angel investors interested in investing in social impact businesses or those with a social purpose, SITR provides a range of income and capital gains tax reliefs which can be claimed by individual investors for investments they have made in social enterprises, with a view to helping people and communities. It will be in place for investments made, or capital gains arising, in the period from 6 April 2014 to 5 April 2019. You are potentially able to claim 1 or more of the following reliefs, in respect of your investment in one (or more) social enterprises: • Income Tax relief – at 30% of the amount you invest • Capital Gains hold-over relief – depending on when the investment was made and when the gain arose • Capital Gains disposal relief – an investment which has attracted Income Tax relief is exempt from Capital Gains Tax if you dispose of it for more than you paid To be able to claim Income Tax or Capital Gains hold-over reliefs: • you (as the investor), the investment and the social enterprise must first meet certain SITR conditions Conditions that apply to investors and the investment to claim SITR There are some conditions which you must meet, to be able to support a claim to SITR. These relate to: • your relationship with the social enterprise • the terms on which you’ve invested in the social enterprise • the type of investment you’ve made Your relationship with the Social Enterprise: You can invest either directly in your own name, or have a nominee invest on your behalf. If you make your investment via a nominee, it is you and not the nominee who can claim tax relief. Either way, there are rules about the closeness of the relationship between you and the Social.” For more information on SITR tax relief please read (Annex 2).
  • 20. 19 London UK | 07936883652 | Oleuannafreelance@gmail.com | existence-before-essence.com Thank you for reading FIN