The Appointment of a Managing Agent for Sunderland City Council Business Centres

• How the procedure runs: This is a tender notice for the award of a public contract pursuant to a multi-stage competitive tendering procedure ("Competitive Flexible Procedure") in accordance with section 20(1) and (2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 ('the Act'). Suppliers' attention is drawn to the instructions set out in the Procurement Documents, which describe the multi-stage procurement process to be undertaken and set out the requirements which apply to all Suppliers participating in the procurement process. Suppliers should review the Procurement Documents, including the instructions and any supporting information carefully before submitting a PSQ and, if then shortlisted, a subsequent Tender during the next stage of the process, as failure to comply may lead to your PSQ and/or Tender (as applicable) being excluded. The Procurement process The Contracting Authority intends to follow the process set out below in this Procurement: Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and the Conditions of Participation The first stage of this Competitive Flexible Procedure entails the submission of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) which can be accessed in the Procurement Documents. The evaluation criteria and methodology which will be applied to assess the PSQ submission is set out in the Procurement Documentation accessed by the NEPO eTender system, Open. The PSQ Scoring guidance clearly sets out which sections are scored on a 'Pass / Fail' basis to identify where Suppliers can be automatically removed from the process. PSQ/Conditions of Participation Shortlisting Stage Conditions of Participation are designed to assess the Suppliers' legal and financial capacity and/or technical ability to perform the proposed contract. This includes a pass or fail mechanism, and/or a threshold which the Supplier must meet as part of a selection process to limit the number of participating Suppliers. This enables the Contracting Authority to determine which Suppliers will be shortlisted to proceed to the ITT stage of the process. Suppliers must register on the Central Digital Platform, ensure their information is up to date on the system and provide the Authority with the information requested in that system.  Suppliers who do not complete all of the required questions in the PSQ will be automatically disqualified.      Further details regarding the Conditions of Participation and how these will be evaluated by the Contracting Authority can be found in the Procurement Documents. Following the evaluation of the Conditions of Participation and the assessment of PSQ to ensure no Suppliers are deemed to be excluded or excludable (and the Contracting Authority considers that the circumstances giving rise to the application of an exclusion ground is not continuing or is not likely to occur again). Subject to the instructions as stipulated within the Procurement Documents, the anticipated number of shortlisted bidders for the subsequent Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be a minimum of three (3) (subject to the receipt of a sufficient number of compliant responses) and up to a maximum of five (5) (the exact number of shortlisted bidders is to be determined by the Council at its absolute discretion), of the highest scoring compliant PSQ responses to be invited to the next stage of the procurement process - Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender stage ("ITT"). Notification information will be issued to all successful and unsuccessful Suppliers of the outcome of this first stage. In order to successfully satisfy the Conditions of Participation on this procurement, Suppliers must: • Provide all requested information. • Meet all mandatory requirements pass/fail questions. • Respond to all discretionary requirements. • Pass the assessed elements in Section 3: Selection Questions - Financial Capacity and Technical Ability. Due to the number of Suppliers to be selected for the subsequent ITT stage, in the event that any of the shortlisted Suppliers subsequently withdraw from the ITT stage, the Contracting Authority reserves the right at its sole discretion to invite to participate in, and admit to the ITT stage (in descending order) the next highest scoring candidate who has passed all of the Pass/ Fail requirements of the Conditions of Participation and PSQ. In the event that a Supplier is subsequently admitted to the ITT stage pursuant to the paragraph above, the other Suppliers involved in the ITT stage will be notified in writing for information purposes only. Stage Two: Invitation to Tender Stage ("ITT") At this stage, the Contracting Authority will issue an Invitation to Tender ("ITT") to the shortlisted bidders that sets out the requirements for the preparation and submission of full and detailed final Tender submissions which contain all elements required for the performance of the Contract and meet all of the Contracting Authority's requirements. This stage may include individual pre-tender clarification meetings with shortlisted bidders on any element of the procurement prior to the submission of the Tenders. Tenders are expected to be final and shall be capable of acceptance by the Contracting Authority. However, the Contracting Authority may request Suppliers to clarify, specify or optimise their Tenders. Such clarification, specification or optimisation, or any additional information, may not involve changes to the essential aspects of the Tender or the requirements of the Procurement, where such variations are likely to distort the competition or give the Supplier an unfair advantage. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to seek further information pursuant to the Act in order to determine whether the Contracting Authority considers a Tender to be abnormally low for the performance of the Contract. Following submission of Tenders, the Contracting Authority expects to undertake an evaluation process to identify which Supplier has submitted the Most Advantageous Tender in accordance with the process and evaluation criteria as set out in the Procurement Documents. In the event that none of the Tenders received during the ITT stage meet the minimum requirements of the Contracting Authority (as to be defined and specified in the Procurement Documents) ("the Minimum Requirements"), the Authority reserves the right (at its absolute discretion) to subsequently elect to negotiate with any individual tenderer(s) who previously submitted a Tender that did not meet the Minimum Requirements. The purpose of any such negotiation will be to seek to amend, refine and/or enhance the relevant Tender so that it may meet the Minimum Requirements, and prior to the issue by the Authority to the relevant tenderer(s) of a subsequent invitation to submit a revised final Tender for evaluation in accordance with the evaluation criteria as set out in the Procurement Documents. As part of this stage, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to make changes to the Procurement Documents, including the Authority's requirements, other than the Minimum Requirements. Important Notice: the Contracting Authority reserves the right to vary the procedure and timeframes of the Procurement as set out in UK4 Tender Notice and any associated procurement instructions and supporting information. Reasons for this may include, but are not limited to, supporting continued competition, avoiding unnecessary bidding cost and adhering to subsequent technical or legal guidance. The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award any contract in connection with the opportunity as described in this Tender Notice. The Contracting Authority also reserves the right to cancel or amend the procurement process and does not bind itself to accept any Tender. The Contracting Authority shall not be liable under any circumstances for any costs or expenses incurred by any bidder or prospective bidder in responding to this Tender Notice or in taking part in the procurement process. Organisations should note that the estimated total value of the contract set out in this Notice represents the Contracting Authority's current best assessment of the potential value of the contract over its potential maximum ten year term (including options to extend). However, the total value will depend on various factors, including the tender outcome, market conditions, the Contracting Authority's final needs, requirements and scope and the final contract term.

CPV: Business and management consultancy and related services · IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support · Networking, Internet and intranet software package · Real estate agency services on a fee or contract basis · Repair and maintenance services of building installations · Repair, maintenance and associated services related to personal computers, office equipment, telecommunications and audio-visual equipment

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, CPTPP)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

19 Sept 2025, 17:35 BST

Last source update

1 May 2026, 15:52 BST

Award evaluation window

Submission end – 1 Mar 2026

Authority reference

OPEN20251574

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-063497

Latest notice

Contract details notice (UK7)

Classification (CPV)

Business and management consultancy and related servicesIT services: consulting, software development, Internet and supportNetworking, Internet and intranet software packageReal estate agency services on a fee or contract basisRepair and maintenance services of building installationsRepair, maintenance and associated services related to personal computers, office equipment, telecommunications and audio-visual equipment

Delivery area

North East (UKC23)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-059e7b Find a Tender

How it runs

This is a tender notice for the award of a public contract pursuant to a multi-stage competitive tendering procedure ("Competitive Flexible Procedure") in accordance with section 20(1) and (2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 ('the Act').

Suppliers' attention is drawn to the instructions set out in the Procurement Documents, which describe the multi-stage procurement process to be undertaken and set out the requirements which apply to all Suppliers participating in the procurement process. Suppliers should review the Procurement Documents, including the instructions and any supporting information carefully before submitting a PSQ and, if then shortlisted, a subsequent Tender during the next stage of the process, as failure to comply may lead to your PSQ and/or Tender (as applicable) being excluded.

The Procurement process

The Contracting Authority intends to follow the process set out below in this Procurement:

Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate within the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and the Conditions of Participation

The first stage of this Competitive Flexible Procedure entails the submission of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) which can be accessed in the Procurement Documents.

The evaluation criteria and methodology which will be applied to assess the PSQ submission is set out in the Procurement Documentation accessed by the NEPO eTender system, Open.

The PSQ Scoring guidance clearly sets out which sections are scored on a 'Pass / Fail' basis to identify where Suppliers can be automatically removed from the process.

PSQ/Conditions of Participation Shortlisting Stage

Conditions of Participation are designed to assess the Suppliers' legal and financial capacity and/or technical ability to perform the proposed contract. This includes a pass or fail mechanism, and/or a threshold which the Supplier must meet as part of a selection process to limit the number of participating Suppliers. This enables the Contracting Authority to determine which Suppliers will be shortlisted to proceed to the ITT stage of the process. Suppliers must register on the Central Digital Platform, ensure their information is up to date on the system and provide the Authority with the information requested in that system.  Suppliers who do not complete all of the required questions in the PSQ will be automatically disqualified.

Further details regarding the Conditions of Participation and how these will be evaluated by the Contracting Authority can be found in the Procurement Documents.

Following the evaluation of the Conditions of Participation and the assessment of PSQ to ensure no Suppliers are deemed to be excluded or excludable (and the Contracting Authority considers that the circumstances giving rise to the application of an exclusion ground is not continuing or is not likely to occur again). Subject to the instructions as stipulated within the Procurement Documents, the anticipated number of shortlisted bidders for the subsequent Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage will be a minimum of three (3) (subject to the receipt of a sufficient number of compliant responses) and up to a maximum of five (5) (the exact number of shortlisted bidders is to be determined by the Council at its absolute discretion), of the highest scoring compliant PSQ responses to be invited to the next stage of the procurement process - Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender stage ("ITT"). Notification information will be issued to all successful and unsuccessful Suppliers of the outcome of this first stage.

In order to successfully satisfy the Conditions of Participation on this procurement, Suppliers must:

• Provide all requested information.
• Meet all mandatory requirements pass/fail questions.
• Respond to all discretionary requirements.
• Pass the assessed elements in Section 3: Selection Questions - Financial Capacity and Technical Ability.

Due to the number of Suppliers to be selected for the subsequent ITT stage, in the event that any of the shortlisted Suppliers subsequently withdraw from the ITT stage, the Contracting Authority reserves the right at its sole discretion to invite to participate in, and admit to the ITT stage (in descending order) the next highest scoring candidate who has passed all of the Pass/ Fail requirements of the Conditions of Participation and PSQ.

In the event that a Supplier is subsequently admitted to the ITT stage pursuant to the paragraph above, the other Suppliers involved in the ITT stage will be notified in writing for information purposes only.

Stage Two: Invitation to Tender Stage ("ITT")

At this stage, the Contracting Authority will issue an Invitation to Tender ("ITT") to the shortlisted bidders that sets out the requirements for the preparation and submission of full and detailed final Tender submissions which contain all elements required for the performance of the Contract and meet all of the Contracting Authority's requirements.

This stage may include individual pre-tender clarification meetings with shortlisted bidders on any element of the procurement prior to the submission of the Tenders. Tenders are expected to be final and shall be capable of acceptance by the Contracting Authority. However, the Contracting Authority may request Suppliers to clarify, specify or optimise their Tenders. Such clarification, specification or optimisation, or any additional information, may not involve changes to the essential aspects of the Tender or the requirements of the Procurement, where such variations are likely to distort the competition or give the Supplier an unfair advantage.

The Contracting Authority reserves the right to seek further information pursuant to the Act in order to determine whether the Contracting Authority considers a Tender to be abnormally low for the performance of the Contract.

Following submission of Tenders, the Contracting Authority expects to undertake an evaluation process to identify which Supplier has submitted the Most Advantageous Tender in accordance with the process and evaluation criteria as set out in the Procurement Documents.

In the event that none of the Tenders received during the ITT stage meet the minimum requirements of the Contracting Authority (as to be defined and specified in the Procurement Documents) ("the Minimum Requirements"), the Authority reserves the right (at its absolute discretion) to subsequently elect to negotiate with any individual tenderer(s) who previously submitted a Tender that did not meet the Minimum Requirements. The purpose of any such negotiation will be to seek to amend, refine and/or enhance the relevant Tender so that it may meet the Minimum Requirements, and prior to the issue by the Authority to the relevant tenderer(s) of a subsequent invitation to submit a revised final Tender for evaluation in accordance with the evaluation criteria as set out in the Procurement Documents. As part of this stage, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to make changes to the Procurement Documents, including the Authority's requirements, other than the Minimum Requirements.

Important Notice: the Contracting Authority reserves the right to vary the procedure and timeframes of the Procurement as set out in UK4 Tender Notice and any associated procurement instructions and supporting information. Reasons for this may include, but are not limited to, supporting continued competition, avoiding unnecessary bidding cost and adhering to subsequent technical or legal guidance.

The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award any contract in connection with the opportunity as described in this Tender Notice. The Contracting Authority also reserves the right to cancel or amend the procurement process and does not bind itself to accept any Tender. The Contracting Authority shall not be liable under any circumstances for any costs or expenses incurred by any bidder or prospective bidder in responding to this Tender Notice or in taking part in the procurement process.

Organisations should note that the estimated total value of the contract set out in this Notice represents the Contracting Authority's current best assessment of the potential value of the contract over its potential maximum ten year term (including options to extend). However, the total value will depend on various factors, including the tender outcome, market conditions, the Contracting Authority's final needs, requirements and scope and the final contract term.

Requests to participate (first stage)

7 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT

Submission deadline

7 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT

Clarification deadline

31 Oct 2025, 12:00 GMT

Submission channel

Official e-sourcing portal

Electronic submission

Allowed

Accepted languages

en

• NORTH EAST BUSINESS AND INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 02441306 Sunderland Enterprise Park, Riverside,, Sunderland, North East, SR5 2TAContact emailShow contact details