Lloyd Sewell - 16 Westdene Meadows

Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8UJ

Tel: 01483 267098 – Mobi: 07866 607197

Lloyd@tfc-training.com  - http://http://ipt101.atwebpages.com/index.htm

 

 

 

 

Mr Jean-Luc Abrivard

Head of Unit

European Commission

European Information Unit

Brussels

                                                                                 Date:27 June 2005

 

 

REF:ENTRE/2005/A/14027

 

 

 Hello Mr Abrivard,

 

Many thanks for your response to my complaint, and your detailed information as to the background and structure of the EIC concept, I would however like to draw your attention to the following point(s) of fact

 

1.                  I first contacted Mr Richard Hall by telephone at the EIC Southampton sometime towards the end of 2002 after my programme had received the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) endorsement seal.

 

2.                  I informaed Mr Hall about my training programme.and requested information about the possibility of EU grants or EU loans, that would allow me to market my programme.

 

a.       Mr Hall replied that he had never received any request for such information in the past, and that I should send him details of my training programme – which I did –

Mr Hall also sent me information relating to grant awarding agencies.

 

b.      After some weeks I contacted Mr Hall again and he replied that – he had looked at the powerpoint documents that I had sent to him and if he received any such request in the future  – he would pass on the details of my programme, (I kept in regular contact through email and telephone calls with EIC Southampton)

 

c.       I heard nothing further despite several telephone calls until the email from EIC Southamption in approximately December 2004 – (ref: EIC_Ref_1) attached.

 

3.                  I attended this presentation given by EIC Southampton to see what and who was giving

such training – which r4esulted in the complaint to you.

     

4.                  My question to you is as follows:

a.       When did and under what circumstances did Mr Richard Hall make contact with the provider of the series of workshops “How to Find and Win Tenders” that was presented by Southampton European Information Centre

 

b.      Was this service provision put out to tender and what were the criteria for a successful tender to provide these workshops.

 

c.       Is a not-for-profit organisation, possibly in receipt of public funds, allowed to utilise information provided to it in confidence, compete with the provider of the information.

 

I very appreciate your natural desire to defend the EIC and its stated principles, however that does not imply that you should also condone actions which goes against those same stated principles.

 

I would have thought that since you wish to defend the principles of the EIC, the very least you could have done and I expected, was a forensic examination of the allegations – and not just a re-iteration of the principles of the EIC or restating the response from Mr Richard Hall.

 

The information provided is based on facts, if your only concern is the defence of the EIC and the questionable actions of its operatives, then I am very sorry to have wasted your time by complaining, I will not under any circumstances have any further dealings with Mr Richard Hall and Southampton EIC.

 

I firmly believe that there is a word in the dictionary for people who feed on others, especially when they are in a very strong position and their victim(s) is in a weak position and has no voice.  

 

 

 

Very best regards and once again, many thanks for your response

 

 

 

 

 

Lloyd Sewell

Tendering for Contracts Training Ltd