Official UK procurement notice
GMCA1903 - Production Fund Manager
Authority: Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionGreater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is seeking to award a contract for the provision of GMCA1903 GM Production Fund Manager.
In March 2026, GMCA announced a £10.5m Production Fund as part of its commitment to Good Growth in Greater Manchester. Opening in early summer 2026, the Fund will support both inward-investing and home-grown film and television projects that deliver clear economic, skills and industry benefits for the city-region. It represents a step change in Greater Manchester's approach to the screen sector, building on a strong existing ecosystem and creating the conditions for significant long-term growth.
GMCA is now seeking to appoint a Production Fund Manager to lead delivery of this flagship programme. The Fund Manager will act as the primary interface between GMCA and the screen sector, providing expert guidance to applicants, brokering relationships, assessing funding proposals and presenting clear, evidence-based recommendations to the GM Production Fund Investment Committee.
Working collaboratively across the screen industry and with GMCA, the Fund Manager will play a central role in ensuring funded productions maximise economic, cultural and skills impact, while helping position and promote the Fund as a high-quality, internationally credible offer. Operating as a trusted, sector-facing partner, the Fund Manager will work closely with GMCA and local and national industry stakeholders, including local screen offices, to provide strategic support for the growth, resilience and competitiveness of Greater Manchester's screen sector.
The initial contract period will be for 12 months, with the option to extend for up to an additional 12 months. It is intended for the contract to commence on 25th May 2026.
CPV: Business and management consultancy and related services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£140,000
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).
Lot awarding rule: Tenders will be assessed on the basis of 90% Quality and 10% Price. The full award criteria can be found within the procurement documentation published with the opportunity.
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
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 10 Apr 2026, 13:23 BST
- Last source update
- 4 Jun 2026, 15:12 BST
- Authority reference
DN812577- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-032840- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-068005Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 30 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 24 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
All tenders must be submitted via The Chest (the North West Procurement Portal) - www.the-chest.org.uk ↗.
The Chest reference for this opportunity is DN812577.
All tender responses must be submitted via The Chest. For the avoidance of doubt, tenders received in any other way will be rejected.
Timeline
10 Apr 2026 → 4 Jun 2026 · 5 dates- Tender notice published195 days ago10 Apr 2026, 13:23 BST
- Clarification questions by181 days ago24 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline175 days ago30 Apr 2026, 12:00 BST
- Contract starts151 days ago25 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published140 days ago4 Jun 2026, 15:12 BST
Notice history
3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Apr 2026- Tender notice published10 Apr 2026, 13:23 BSTUK4
- Contract details notice published4 Jun 2026, 15:12 BSTUK7
- Status changed to complete4 Jun 2026, 15:12 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE DIPPER PRODUCTIONS LTD | £168,000 inc. VAT † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · LITTLE DIPPER PRODUCTIONS LTD
- Signed
- 3 Jun 2026
- Value
- £168,000 inc. VAT
- Period
- 3 Jun 2026 – 27 May 2027 · up to 27 May 2028 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Subject to continued need, available budget and satisfactory performance.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- LITTLE DIPPER PRODUCTIONS LTDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender