Case studies

From £20,000 to £100,000: How Passion4Social Secured a Decade-long Council Contract

Background

Passion4Social is a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a mission to create sustainable employment opportunities for disabled people and people from minority groups. It provides web development, graphic design, social media, and digital accessibility services.

During SDP’s Meet the Buyer National in 2019, Passion4Social was able to learn about Aberdeen City Council’s ABZWorks project which then led to a win of nearly £100,000 of public sector work.

Early Days

Passion4Social started off in June 2018 as a creative agency of only four people. A year and a half later, its leadership recognised the need to expand the company’s revenue sources, and identified public sector contracts as an opportunity to do so.

Managing Director and Co-Founder, Thiago Carmo, said: “As a social enterprise, it’s hard to start a company because you are not aiming for profit, you are aiming to achieve your mission. And achieving a surplus must happen, but it is to reinvest the money and hire more people.”

He added: “We came across SDP through a mix of research and word of mouth. We didn’t know much about the bureaucratic side of public contracts and supplying to the public sector. From insurance and policy requirements to the advantages of becoming recognised as a supported employer, so SDP introduced us to a lot of the basics early on.”

SDP Training

Through the SDP website, Passion4Social accessed training that helped the team understand the requirements of public sector procurement and how to structure a competitive bid. They attended webinars on policy requirements, Community Benefits, Quick Quotes and how to improve bid scores.

Thiago recalled: “It’s not just about the services you provide, but how you present them. Through SDP, we learned how to explain our services effectively and we understood what public authorities require from a supplier. We can now factor that into our strategies and decide whether we need a particular accreditation, certification, or policy in place before going to tender. That way, we don’t waste time preparing for unsuitable bids.”

Networking Events

Alongside the training, the Passion4Social team attended various SDP networking events, including Meet the Buyer National in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024, and Meet the Buyer North and Fife Council Meet the Buyer in 2020.

Thiago said: “The networking opportunities were the aspect we valued the most. It was at one of these events that we were able to secure two clients who are still with us to this day, almost seven years on.”

First Contract Win

It was during a Meet the Buyer event that Passion4Social first learned about an opportunity with Aberdeen City Council: an accessible online portal to help young people explore and plan career paths called ABZWorks.

Thiago said: “We found out about the contract opportunity at Meet the Buyer. Connecting with the buyer in person meant that when we submitted our bid, they already knew who we were. It wasn’t a blind proposal going in cold, so making that connection during the event was a real benefit.”

Following this win, Passion4Social went on to maintain the ABZWorks website under a contract that has been renewed until 2030. The project later expanded to include ABZCampus, a website supporting career development by providing information on technical courses.

What began as a two-year engagement has since opened the door to two further projects within Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

Thiago highlighted: “That initial contract was about £20,000. However, if we consider the subsequent renewals and the other projects that came from it, the overall value of this work is close to £100,000.”

Growing the Business

Winning that first contract was a turning point for Passion4Social.

Thiago reflected: “In our first nine months, our total revenue was £15,000. The following year, when we secured our first contract, it was £100,000, meaning that project represented 20% of our business revenue that year. It gave us the confidence to keep going and pursue other opportunities. We went on to win more public contracts after that, including higher-value ones. That first win was crucial for building the belief that we could keep moving forward.”

Today, Passion4Social has grown from a team of only four people to a group of over 20, including employees, freelancers, volunteers, and interns, 80% of whom are disabled or identify as disabled.

Future Plans

Passion4Social continues to engage with SDP and keeps an eye out for new opportunities.

Thiago said: “We always check the SDP newsletter and website to see if there’s anything new or relevant for us. In particular, it’s the Meet the Buyers that we’re most interested in attending, as they have the potential to bring in new clients.”

Advice to Suppliers

Thiago encouraged other businesses to engage with SDP too.

He said: “Go for it. Regardless of your experience with public contracts or the tendering process, there’s something for every stage. If you’re at the beginning of your bidding journey, SDP can provide you with advice on things you can implement right away.”

He concluded: “But I’d also recommend it to more mature bidders, to stay up-to-date and keep learning. At the last Meet the Buyer I attended, I learned something about the Public Contracts Scotland platform I didn’t know - and I’ve been using it for the last seven years! There’s always something new to take away.”

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