Official UK procurement notice
Strategic Communications · UK public procurement notice
Authority: BORDER TO COAST PENSIONS PARTNERSHIP LIMITED (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionBorder to Coast Pensions Partnership is seeking a corporate communications agency to work with its Policy & Communications team. The appointed agency will act as a day-to-day extension of Border to Coast's team, helping it evolve its long-term communications strategy, spot and navigate issues that might affect the organisation or its partners, and carry out communications and public affairs activity and stakeholder engagement.
The selected agency will ideally know the asset management and LGPS ecosystem and understand how regulatory, political and societal factors might impact our business. It will have experience engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and have excellent communications and thought leadership capabilities in both national and trade media (financial and business). 22 tenders were received and 3 suppliers were shortlisted to the final stage.
- How the procedure runs: Multi Stage procedure will include a tender scoring, moderation and a supplier presentation stage for down-selected suppliers. As Border to Coast previously posted a Planned Procurement Notice (Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-021452) on 14th May 2025, we will be utilising a reduced tendering period of 10 days. The initial contract period is 24 months with 1x 24 month extension available. Estimated Dates below: Supplier Clarification Window 24/06/2025 – 30/06/2025 Tender Response Deadline 04/07/2025 - 12:00pm Presentations (down-selected Suppliers only) Anticipated 19/08/2025 - 21/08/2025 Successful Supplier Identified 15/09/2025 Standstill Period Start and End 16/09/2025 - 25/09/2025 Anticipated Contract Start Date 1st October 2025
CPV: Public relations consultancy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£560,000
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 sub-criteria (3)
- Quality Criteria: 70%
- Presentation stage 2 score: 10%
- Price/Value for Money: 20%
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality Criteria
- Price/Value for Money
- Presentation stage 2 score
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible 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
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 14 May 2025, 15:19 BST
- Last source update
- 6 Nov 2025, 11:02 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 15 Sept 2025
- Authority reference
DN774718- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-034952- Accelerated
- Qualifying planned procurement notice
- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051366Find a Tender
- How it runs
Multi Stage procedure will include a tender scoring, moderation and a supplier presentation stage for down-selected suppliers.
As Border to Coast previously posted a Planned Procurement Notice (Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-021452) on 14th May 2025, we will be utilising a reduced tendering period of 10 days.
The initial contract period is 24 months with 1x 24 month extension available.
Estimated Dates below:
Supplier Clarification Window
24/06/2025 – 30/06/2025
Tender Response Deadline
04/07/2025 - 12:00pm
Presentations (down-selected Suppliers only)
Anticipated 19/08/2025 - 21/08/2025
Successful Supplier Identified
15/09/2025
Standstill Period Start and End
16/09/2025 - 25/09/2025
Anticipated Contract Start Date
1st October 2025
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 26 Jun 2025, 00:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 7 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 2 Jul 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Suppliers will need to be registered on Proactis ProContract, log in and registration links are below:
Log in - procontract.due-north.com/Login/Index ↗
Registration link - procontract.due-north.com/Register ↗
Bidders will need to respond to the ProContract Expression of Interest/Advert, published under Opportunity ID DN774718, to be automatically invited to access tender documentation and submit bids.
Timeline
14 May 2025 → 6 Nov 2025 · 12 dates- Planning notice published14 May 2025, 15:19 BST
- Market engagement24 Jun 2025, 00:59 BST
Initial engagement has taken place with potential agencies in the market.
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership is seeking a corporate communications agency to work with its Policy & Communications team. The appointed agency will act as a day-to-day extension of Border to Coast’s team, helping it evolve its long-term communications strategy, spot and navigate issues that might affect the organisation or its partners, and carry out communications and public affairs activity and stakeholder engagement.
The selected agency will ideally know the asset management and LGPS ecosystem and understand how regulatory, political and societal factors might impact our business. It will have experience engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and have excellent communications and thought leadership capabilities in both national and trade media (financial and business).
- Next notice expected25 Jun 2025, 00:59 BST
- Tender notice published25 Jun 2025, 10:32 BST
- Expressions of interest by26 Jun 2025, 00:00 BST
- Clarification questions by2 Jul 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline7 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by399 days ago15 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent399 days ago16 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
- Standstill ends389 days ago25 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts384 days ago1 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published348 days ago6 Nov 2025, 11:02 GMT
Notice history
10 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 14 May 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published14 May 2025, 15:19 BSTUK2
- Planned procurement notice published14 May 2025, 16:23 BSTUK3
- Procurement method changed14 May 2025, 16:23 BST
- Tender notice published25 Jun 2025, 10:32 BSTUK4
- Status changed to active25 Jun 2025, 10:32 BST
- Deadline published: 7 Jul 2025, 12:00 BST25 Jun 2025, 10:32 BST
- Contract award notice published16 Sept 2025, 16:53 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete16 Sept 2025, 16:53 BST
- Contract signature expected30 Sept 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published6 Nov 2025, 11:02 GMTUK7
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-05: 2 releases · 14 May 2025, 14 May 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apella Advisors Limited1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sept 2027 · up to 30 Sept 2029Extensions: Initial contract term of 24 months, with 1x 24 month extension available | £560,000 inc. VAT | 16 Sept 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Strategic Communications · Apella Advisors Limited
- Signed
- 6 Nov 2025
- Value
- £463,598
- Period
- 6 Nov 2025 – 30 Sept 2027 · up to 30 Sept 2029 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Initial 2 year term followed by an additional 2 year extension
No agreed KPIs: Contract value less than £5 million including VAT
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders · 22 at stage one | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- APELLA ADVISORS LIMITEDAwarded 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 award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender