Sheffield (UK), February 2008 - Learning Light (LL), a non-profit organisation that focuses on integrating systems and aligning learning and people development programmes to meet strategic business goals, has created the UK's first Virtual Enterprise Network (VEN). It comprises a consortium of companies and tenders for large private and public sector contracts to sell learning-related products and services and aims to benefit both customers and suppliers.
LL's CEO, Mark Pittaway, explained: "The VEN brings together businesses to meet customer requirements. It allows innovative and creative companies that are unlikely to have the resources to win - and supply - large contracts on their own to combine within a proper legal and project management framework, to win, and to deliver these contracts."
He continued: "For example, through the VEN, public sector organisations can establish a framework agreement that provides them with one point of access to a wide range of innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These firms can be called upon as required to meet the organisations' changing learning solution needs and at the same time hit government targets for procuring from SMEs - but it all happens within a less risky environment."
This is because each member of the VEN is 'vetted' before joining and once a contract is awarded, the VEN members collectively guarantee to complete the contract and agree to work to a common project management methodology to ensure customers receive a consistent approach. Not least, it also saves procurement departments a lot of work in negotiating separate agreements with each SME when an overarching agreement can be used to access a wider range of innovative learning products and solutions than would normally be feasible.
In forming and leading the consortium, LL is working with VEN Operations Ltd - a Yorkshire Forward project. The only other example of a VEN is currently operating in the USA.
LL's VEN member organisations offer a range of complementary capabilities that are continually being grown with the addition of new members. The current organisations include Andymayer.net, BiBC, Futurate, Hocapito, Pixelearning, TechnoPhobia, and Soundhouse.
"Each of these companies brings a unique skill set to offer leading-edge solutions, innovation, and agile thinking so characteristic of small companies", said David Patterson, LL's head of partnership.
"An ongoing frustration to many small and medium enterprises is the cost and complexity of public sector procurement. However, with companies working together in this manner using the VEN model of ready-made contractual agreements, governance, and collaboration toolsets, LL and its group of enterprising companies have demonstrated that large contracts are not beyond small and medium enterprises", he added.
