Find a TenderAwardedContract award notice
Published 28 Mar 2025, 11:53 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Framework for Infrastructure Support Service for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector

Official notice

Authority: Stockton on Tees Borough Council (Local council)

Framework agreementServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Framework ceiling (notional)£1,000,000framework ceiling, not attributable revenue · 1 value update
Submissions closed 23 Jul 2025awarded 21 Aug 2025
Award (standstill) to CATALYST STOCKTON-ON-TEES LIMITED
Framework period 4 yrsends 30 Sept 2029 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions · starts 1 Oct 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Infrastructure Support Service for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees

CPV: Business and management consultancy and related services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Type
Closed framework
Call-offs
call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
Places
up to 1 suppliers · 1 bids received (1.0 per place) · 1 appointed (full)
Framework period
4 yrs · up to 4 yrs 6 mo from 1 Oct 2025, Not applicable
Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
Not applicable
Published description of the framework

This is intended to be a Framework that is awarded to a top ranked sole supplier.

A fixed price has been initially been set for each year of the Framework based on previous funding for the range of services included in the current service specification.

Services will be called off as a direct award from the commencement date of the Framework.

The scope of services will be reviewed during the lifetime of the Framework and may be flexed to take into account emerging developments in priorities that occur in the VCSE sector and the priorities of the Contracting Authority.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 4 yrsSMEVCSEPublished value£1,000,000
Contract period: 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sept 2029 (4 yrs) · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensionsValue: £1,000,000 exc. VAT · £1,000,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: North EastEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: The contract value from the formation of the Framework is £200,000 per year. The overall estimated value of the Framework is £1,000,000 and allows for the flexing of services, where a change to the scope of services is seen to be necessary.
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)2
  • Economic & financial standing

    As stated in tender information.

  • Technical & professional ability

    As stated in tender information

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
Quality: 100%
Published sub-criteria (1)
  • 5 x Quality Questions as described in tender information aiming to demonstrate technical ability to delivery: 100%
Published award criteria (1)
  • 5 x Quality Questions as described in tender information aiming to demonstrate technical ability to delivery: Service Delivery Plan = 30% Service Resource Plan = 15% Ways of working = 20% Performance reporting and monitoring = 10% Infrastructure delivery = 25% Above Scores will then be further weighted to 90% of overall score Social Value commitment and delivery method statement = 10%
Conditions of participation2
  • Economic & financial standing

    As stated in tender information.

  • Technical & professional ability

    As stated in tender information

What this means for your bid
  • “Framework for Infrastructure Support Service for the Voluntary,…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
28 Mar 2025, 11:53 GMT
Last source update
21 Aug 2025, 15:10 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 1 Aug 2025
Authority reference
OPEN2025545
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-034343
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Business and management consultancy and related services
Delivery area
North East (UKC11)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04f9fa Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Payment will be made via a monthly scheduled payment based on 1/12 of the contract annual value.

Review and risk notes
Risks

The scope of the services required under this Framework could change during the lifetime of this Framework resulting in the need for a change in scope of existing services or the need to introduce additional services into the Framework. This could result in a need to issue a contract change notice to vary the annual value of the Framework.

How it was run

Official notice
Appointment period ends
23 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
16 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
call-off levy · Not applicable
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

All submissions must be made via the OPEN Tender portal, hosted on the NEPO website at www.nepo.org ↗ (www.open.org ↗)

This is an online tender process and responses must be submitted directly into the identified response fields. Attachments are allowed for some responses and this is identified on the relevant questions.

Timeline

28 Mar 2025 → 1 Oct 2025 · 10 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    28 Mar 2025, 11:53 GMT
  2. Market engagement
    14 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST

    Expressions of interest are invited from organisations who have demonstrable experience in working with and supporting organisations from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector Infrastructure.

    This market consultation is published on the North East Procurement Organisation's OPEN Procurement Portal at open-uk.org ↗

  3. Tender notice published
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
  4. Clarification questions by
    16 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
  5. Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
    23 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
  6. Award decision expected by
    1 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  7. Assessment summaries sent
    21 Aug 2025, 00:00 BST
  8. Latest notice published
    21 Aug 2025, 15:10 BST
  9. Standstill ends
    2 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  10. Contract starts393 days ago
    1 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST

Notice history

9 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 Mar 2025
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    28 Mar 2025, 11:53 GMT
    UK2
  2. Tender notice published
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
    UK4
  3. Published value updated
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
  4. Status changed to active
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
  5. Procurement method changed
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
  6. Deadline published: 23 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
    23 Jun 2025, 12:05 BST
  7. Contract award notice published
    21 Aug 2025, 15:10 BST
    UK6
  8. Status changed to complete
    21 Aug 2025, 15:10 BST
  9. Contract signature expected
    16 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awarded toValueDateStatus
CATALYST STOCKTON-ON-TEES LIMITEDVCSE16 Sept 2025 – 30 Sept 2029£830,921 inc. VAT21 Aug 2025standstill to 2 Sept 2025Standstill

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1final-stage tenders11—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Stockton on Tees Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PCVQ-6435-GNMW Dunedin House, Columbia Drive, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, North East, TS17 6BJContact name, email

Framework contractors & participating bidders

1 commercial party on the notice
  • CATALYST STOCKTON-ON-TEES LIMITEDFramework contractorGB-COH: 04016295GB-PPON: PLWC-8583-PDPM Catalyst House, Stockton-On-Tees, North East, TS18 3NJContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure