Official UK procurement notice
Enforcement and Collection Agency Services
Authority: Cumberland Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionCumberland Council is seeking to appoint two Enforcement Agencies to provide recovery services for Council Tax and Business Rates and collection services for Housing Benefit
Overpayments and accounts receivable (sundry) debts on behalf of the Public Health, Customer and Community Wellbeing Directorate.
Work under the contracts is to be distributed based on fifty percent allocation of the available caseload. The successful suppliers will support the Council's strategic priorities
by ensuring fair, transparent, and proportionate enforcement that promotes community wellbeing and safeguards vulnerable residents.
The below threshold concession contracts (contract) are anticipated to commence on 1 July 2026 and will continue for an initial period of two years, unless terminated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.
There is an option for the Council to extend the duration of the contract for up to two additional periods of 12 months each, subject to successfully achieving the required
outcomes.
CPV: Collection agency services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,600,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality
- Social Value
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - open competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Concession
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 12 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMT
- Last source update
- 23 Jul 2026, 14:43 BST
- Authority reference
DN798893- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-082402- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f4b0Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 26 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 14 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
The documents are available via The Chest - www.the-chest.org.uk ↗
For support using the chest please contact Proactis, using the supplier support area.
For clarifications, please ensure all correspondence is via The Chest using the message area.
Suppliers wishing to express an interest and obtain access to the tender documents should go to www.the-chest.org.uk ↗ and click on current opportunities from the navigation area on the left of the screen. On the next screen enter the contract Reference (DN798893) in the box labelled 'contains' then click search.
Click on the Blue link for the contract title to view the opportunity.
To express an interest you will need to login. If you are not already registered on the www.the-chest.org.uk ↗ you will need to return to the home page and click on Register. Register FREE link in the navigation area on the left of the screen. Registration is free of charge and your username and password will be emailed to you.
Cumberland Council are fully supportive of all aspects of diversity including ethnicity, race, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. In this respect Cumberland Council welcome an expressions of interest from ethnic minority, disabled and other diverse business communities and the voluntary sector.
Economic operators are therefore required to fully comply with all statutory obligations/applicable legislation and there will be a requirement to participate in the Authority's supplier audits on all aspects of diversity.
The Contracting Authority expressly reserves the right:
(i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and
(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will the Contracting Authority be liable for any costs incurred by the candidates. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers.
The contracting authority reserve the right to use any electronic portal during the life of the agreement.
The value provided in this notice is only an estimate.
The initial contract term is for 2 years, with 2 optional extensions of up to 12 months each.
Timeline
12 Dec 2025 → 23 Jul 2026 · 5 dates- Tender notice published313 days ago12 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMT
- Clarification questions by280 days ago14 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadline268 days ago26 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Contract starts203 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published90 days ago23 Jul 2026, 14:43 BST
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Dec 2025- Tender notice published12 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published3 Jun 2026, 10:46 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete3 Jun 2026, 10:46 BST
- Contract signature expected22 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published23 Jul 2026, 14:43 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newlyn PLCSME1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2028 · up to 30 Jun 2030Extensions: There is an option for the Council to extend the duration of the contract for up to two additional periods of 12 months each, subject to successfully achieving the required outcomes. | £800,000 | 3 Jun 2026 | Awarded |
| Dukes Bailiffs LimitedSME1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2028 · up to 30 Jun 2030Extensions: There is an option for the Council to extend the duration of the contract for up to two additional periods of 12 months each, subject to successfully achieving the required outcomes. | £800,000 | 3 Jun 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Enforcement and Collection Agency Services · Newlyn PLCSME
- Signed
- 21 Jul 2026
- Value
- £800,000
- Period
- 22 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2028 · up to 30 Jun 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- There is an option for the Council to extend the duration of the contract for up to two additional periods of 12 months each, subject to successfully achieving the required outcomes.
Enforcement and Collection Agency Services · Dukes Bailiffs LimitedSME
- Signed
- 21 Jul 2026
- Value
- £800,000
- Period
- 22 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2028 · up to 30 Jun 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- There is an option for the Council to extend the duration of the contract for up to two additional periods of 12 months each, subject to successfully achieving the required outcomes.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- DUKES BAILIFFS LIMITEDAwarded supplier
- NEWLYN PLCAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender