professional services contracts

The council are inviting suppliers to participate in preliminary engagement to gain insight from the market with the purpose of making any potential future exercise, well framed, feasible, focused and of likely interest to the market. This preliminary market engagement questionnaire is to seek potential providers views for key areas of service provision: An Appropriate Adult (AA) service is a safeguarding service used in the criminal justice system to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable people when they are involved with the police. It exists because some people may not fully understand police procedures or be able to communicate effectively without support. The Service is delivered from a central custody suite in Spennymoor, County Durham, however on occasions Appropriate Adults may be required to attend alternative locations when a voluntary attendance interview is undertaken. The AA service currently assists custody for vulnerable adults and children on a call out basis as and when required. For adults this service is 24/7 and for children this is out of hours including bank holidays.

Newcastle City Council is seeking a suitably qualified contractor to undertake the replacement and repair of wet riser pump systems serving three high‑rise residential buildings in the Arthur's Hill area. • Westgate Court • Todds Nook • Vallum Court

The force is looking to procure a new applicant tracking system (ATS) with a view to building upon our current recruitment processes using the latest developments in ATS to provide the best possible journey to our candidates.

Newcastle City Council is the Traffic Signals lead authority for the Tyne and Wear region, consisting of Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. Agreements are also in place with Northumberland County Council and Durham County Council. The purpose of this traffic signals call-off contract is to secure specialist works that ensure signal installations are carried out accurately and efficiently, providing reliable and safe passage for all road users at junctions and crossing points. Through this procurement, the Council is seeking qualified and competent Traffic Signal Engineers and installers to undertake specialist second-fix installation, testing, commissioning and associated technical support. Works will primarily be based on the Yunex Plus+ system and delivered as part of the Council's installation programme across the region. In addition to delivering installation works, Engineers and installers will support the training and development of trainee engineers employed by the council and other existing staff.

The tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) seeks to engage the market through this Pre-Tender Market Engagement (PTME) exercise in preparation for the potential procurement of a supplier to provide an extension to an existing portacabin. Through this PTME, the Contracting Authority aims to: •Understand the market’s appetite to be involved in the potential future procurement exercise; •Validate the supplier's proposal; •Understand the capacity of the market and timescales for delivery; •Potential risks associated with the procurement; •Understand opportunities, costs and considerations; •Provide potential suppliers with an opportunity to raise queries and points of consideration in advance of any potential procurement exercise. Collaboration with the supply chain is central to our approach in delivering this project, which is a proposed extension to an existing single storey portacabin. While the Authority will maintain commercial confidentiality of information received during the PTME, its output will be communicated to potential suppliers as part of any subsequent procurement exercises. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Darlington:-Modular-and-portable-buildings./2M542J8H85 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/respond/2M542J8H85

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) ('the contracting authority') is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified supplier to design, develop and launch the first phase of a new Business Tees Valley digital platform. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Tees Valley portal at: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-Darlington:-Business-services:-law%2C-marketing%2C-consulting%2C-recruitment%2C-printing-and-security./6V663EF27B To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/respond/6V663EF27B If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

East Durham College is seeking to replace its current HR and Payroll combined system with a modern, user-friendly interface and a comprehensive, accurate user-friendly reporting function. It should be able to link directly to Sage 200 or be supported by its own finance package (separate tender). The reporting function will need to be if possible compatible with Sage 200 Finance/Accounting systems or have a finance package linked to it (separate tender). It should be able to accommodate bespoke reports which can report on and span not only tax years (April to March) but also our financial year (August to July) and academic years (September to August) as well as be able to interpret and calculate data. The reporting functionality should also if possible, facilitate reports being exported in a range of formats including but not limited to excel, word and pdf. The software will also be required to interface with an in-house data system for the purpose of import/export of staff identity profiles. The number of staff should by no means infer that this is a standard SME set up as the Organisation has a wide variety of, sometimes complex, contractual terms & basis, payments, pensions, company pay and benefits criteria, which needs to be accommodated and calculated accurately and effectively for both monthly and annual returns. Tenders must ensure they give a detailed response as to how they will provide the required services. Bids will be assessed against the evaluation criteria outlined in this document. Upon completion of the scoring process, the bidders achieving the highest overall score will be shortlisted. These shortlisted bidders will then be invited to the final stage of the process, which will consist of a presentation/demonstration and further clarification. Please refer to Annex 1 for a full and comprehensive breakdown of our requirements.

North Tyneside Council (the Authority) are seeking the establishment of a framework agreement for the completion of Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) within occupied residential properties on behalf of the Authority. The works are to be carried out with minimal disruption to residents, in compliance with all relevant building regulations, statutory requirements, and the Authority's customer service standards.

Internal Fit-Out of Eastgate Point Depot.

The provision of a Exhibition and Interpretation Supplier required to manufacture and install a range of exhibition and interpretative elements for the F Pit Museum, Heritage Visitor Centre and outdoor exhibition space based on RIBA4 technical design. In line with the Authorities requirements, we are seeking a supplier for a range of printed display boards and information panels, steel totem columns, a 3D concrete map feature, and AV hardware

The Contract will provide community welfare advice to support the Council's vision of closing the inequalities gap, so people are able to live a healthy and happy life for longer.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council are seeking Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified organisations to deliver an independent evaluation of a pilot program providing healthcare and occupational health support to small (10-49 employees) and micro-sized (9 or fewer employees) businesses. The pilot forms part of the Health and Growth Accelerator Program and aims to improve workforce health outcomes, reduce sickness absence, and test scalable models of support for SMEs.

Stockton on Tees Borough Council (SBC) is seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced providers to support the delivery of a pilot healthcare and occupational health support offer for small and micro businesses. The pilot will run for 12-month from contract award. The pilot will support SMEs through a structured package of healthcare and occupational health services, including: • Access to GP advice, • mental health and wellbeing support, • physiotherapy, and; • preventative health interventions. The offer will emphasise early intervention and prevention, digitally enabled access to support, and proportionate, SME‑friendly models that are easy to access and responsive to workforce needs.

Durham County Council (DCC) are looking to explore a digital alternative to physical Home to School Transport bus passes to reduce costs, improve efficiency, strengthen fraud controls, and enhance user experience. The Council currently issues 7,000 physical passes involving manual processing, printing, and posting. This creates delays, requires high admin effort, and offers limited real-time visibility over eligibility, pass status, and usage. We are engaging the market to understand available digital solutions, technologies, and indicative costs to inform a future business case. Scope • Digital bus passes via mobile devices. • Verification (visual/scannable) including offline options. • Real‑time activation/deactivation. • Technical capability to interface with other digital systems eg. Flexiroute. • Fraud‑prevention features. • Hybrid digital/physical options for users who are digitally excluded. • Pass lifecycle management, including issuing, suspension, reinstatement, replacement, expiry, and renewal where applicable. • Support for policy‑driven business rules (e.g. eligibility changes or temporary entitlement). This notice forms part of our preliminary market engagement, offering you the opportunity to share feedback and comments before the opportunity is released for formal tender submissions. Interested providers can access the written response questions, free of charge, by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org The deadline for completed responses is Friday 29th May 2026 at 12 noon.

A product Catalogue framework for members of the Northern Housing Consortium to purchase sustainable energy and resilience products such as batteries and PV solar panels. The intention is for suppliers to specify their products to allow for members to call off contracts to purchase these products and install them. A Premarket engagement notice will be published shortly to arrange engagement sessions to further detail the scope. For who can become members of the NHC and access the framework visit https://nhcprocurement.org.uk/who-can-access-our-solutions/

Northumberland County Council (NCC) is looking to conduct a procurement exercise to appoint a fund manager to manage the Business Northumberland Investment Fund (BNIF).

Help us build the 360° Tenant Experience Portal We are looking to create a secure, integrated, self-service platform that would deliver our vision of seamless, transparent, and efficient services that keep customers happy and engaged, cementing our position as a trusted, go-to housing association Thirteen is seeking early discussions with suppliers capable of developing this transformational platform. Why engage with us: We have a clear vision to build future‑ready digital services that surpass the sector's traditional approach and redefine what customers can expect from housing providers We're all about real outcomes that matter to people: giving our customers the freedom to self‑serve in ways that fit their lives, resolving issues at first point of contact within the portal, and delivering a level of care and satisfaction that genuinely makes day‑to‑day life easier We work across rich integration landscape that will let your systems shine We work with robust standards: GDPR, WCAG, ISO 22458, ISO 27001/CE+ to create the conditions for a successful, secure, compliant, and innovative long‑term relationship Our aim is to shape the solution with diverse customers in mind from day one, including multilingual needs and inclusive content We're keen to hear your ideas and draw on your experience so you can help shape and influence the design from the outset What we'd like to deliver for our customers 360° Tenant Timeline: Profile, documents, interactions, appointments, and updates. Omnichannel Communication: Two-way messaging and bulk communication Smart Appointments: Real-time availability, preferred-person selection, Outlook/Teams sync. Tiered workflow (self-serve, action-required, appointment-needed) with automated routing. Support Plans: Digital plans, signatures, reviews, and recommendations. Secure Document Centre: Encrypted uploads, version control, tenancy documentation. Lettings & Sign-Up: Digital tenancy onboarding with rules-based matching. Reporting: Near-time dashboards, KPIs, and export capability Open APIs (send and receive information in near real time) Who should respond We welcome interest from suppliers with experience in developing large‑scale portals, secure integrations, and accessible solutions for the public sector, along with expertise in workflow automation, case management, and calendar or scheduling capabilities. Additionally, the supplier must demonstrate a strong capability and commitment to leveraging modern and emerging technologies, with a particular emphasis on: Embedding AI‑driven capabilities such as intelligent automation, predictive insights, and natural language processing. Maintaining a future‑focused product roadmap, showing ongoing investment in emerging technologies and continuous improvement. Ensuring all AI features are secure, ethical, and compliant with relevant regulations and standards. Commitment to a collaborative innovation partnership, including opportunities to adopt new features early. Call to Action Register your interest by providing examples of similar functionality you have delivered. Where possible, please include links or demonstrations for us to review. Email procurement@thirteengroup.co.uk

Requirements Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) is a statutory water undertaker operating in the North East of England under the trading name Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) and in the southern area of England under the trading name of Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW). We would expect the agency to have good knowledge of these areas, and the media landscape within them. The contract will be to support the delivery of the NWG Corporate Affairs strategies by offering a range of effective, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to media buying. This will include, but not limited to, ongoing advice and professional support in reaching key targets and audiences across our operating regions and assisting in the delivery of the NWG Corporate Affairs goals, measures, and brand strategy, bringing campaigns to life using all aspects of media platforms. In addition to this, it is crucial that the measuring of campaign effectiveness is monitored throughout with the results delivered back through reporting. We deliver a diverse range of campaigns throughout the year, including initiatives such as Bin the Wipe, Water's Worth Saving, smart meter adoption, lead pipe replacement, digital conversion, affordability support, Priority Services, and more. Each campaign has distinct objectives - ranging from raising awareness to driving direct action - which is why we need an agency with proven expertise in creating impactful campaigns across multiple areas. Reputation is of critical importance to our organisation and sits at the core of how we select and manage our partners. As custodians of our brand, we require agencies to operate with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. Media investment is a direct reflection of our organisation, and therefore we seek a partner whose reputation in the marketplace demonstrates ethical practice, financial governance, responsible media placement, and a proven commitment to brand safety. We expect full alignment with our values, including compliance with all regulatory requirements, transparent fee structures, responsible data usage, and proactive risk management. Our media buying partner must not only deliver performance, but also protect and enhance our organisational standing through every planning, buying, and optimisation decision. We expect a clear and efficient briefing process and full collaboration to ensure seamless integration across all channels, and they are delivered exactly as briefed. The appointed agency must provide comprehensive reporting, including proof of display, campaign performance summaries, conclusions, and actionable recommendations for future activity. A dedicated account team is essential, led by a senior team member and supported by at least two additional team members. Transparency is critical - this applies to audited invoicing, commission rates, and any discounts secured on our behalf. All proposals and post-campaign reports should clearly demonstrate value against standard rate cards, including overshow and bonus spots. Advanced notification of any changes to media suppliers and their potential impact on NWG must be provided. We also require proactive monitoring of campaigns to ensure all activity is booked as briefed and delivered as agreed. Evidence of all placements must be supplied, with suitable remedies in the event of any discrepancies. Clear copy instructions, specifications, and deadlines for all channels should be communicated promptly. Emergency media support may be needed, even at weekends and during bank holidays. Full campaign reports should be delivered within ten working days of campaign completion, with weekly updates available upon request. To maintain high standards, we expect timely responses and measurable performance. Briefs, wherever possible, should be acknowledged within two working hours, and full reporting - including outdoor site proof of display - should be provided within one week of campaign completion. Regular meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) should be scheduled as required, either online or face-to-face, and site visits must be accommodated within the contract period. The agency should also facilitate quarterly media owner insight days to keep us informed of market developments. Response times for issues will be measured against agreed priorities: availability for calls at very short notice for critical matters should be a priority, and resolved within 24 hours; urgent matters acknowledged within two working hours and resolved within two business days; and important matters acknowledged within four working hours and resolved within three business days. We would expect the successful agency to reinvest a percentage of its advertising commission back into the campaign as added value. As part of this contract, we would expect the agency to have expert knowledge in providing the marketing services across the following channels - note that this is not an exhaustive list, and we would expect the agency to keep fully up to date with new channels and trends. • TV - linear and on demand • Social media • Out of Home (OOH) • Digital Out of Home (DOOH) • Radio • Digital radio • Audio streaming - e.g., podcasts, Spotify etc. • YouTube • Digital programmatic • Print • Cinema • Literature distribution / door drops Google Ads and Print - we reserve the right to go direct or use a media buyer for this option.

Home Group is seeking a contractor for void clearances and associated services for properties in the North East region.

Durham County Council (DCC) is a large public sector organisation, employing over 14,000 employees across services and maintained schools. In the 2025/26 financial year, we completed approximately 2,400 Enhanced and Standard DBS checks. DCC undertakes DBS checks on all employees in posts identified as requiring a DBS check in accordance with the DBS eligibility criteria; plus DBS checks for carers, fostering, adoption, taxi drivers, volunteers and maintained schools, amongst others. Checks ensure full compliance with recruitment processes, as well as statutory requirements. The Council also operates a rechecking process for employees, currently set at 5 years. We are seeking to formally procure the services of a DBS umbrella registered body, who will provide an electronic administration platform for the submission of DBS application forms and for the subsequent check results to be visible to users within DCC (E-Bulk System). We anticipate a requirement to process approximately 2,500 DBS applications per year for the Council. However, it should be noted that the number of applications processed may be subject to fluctuation due to organisational change, renewals required and policy decisions arising from national changes to disclosure and barring eligibility criteria. For avoidance of doubt, the spread of applications will not be uniform across any period. This notice forms part of our preliminary market engagement, offering you the opportunity to share feedback and comments before the opportunity is released for formal tender submissions. Interested providers can access the written response questions, free of charge, by registering on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org The deadline for completed responses is Monday 1st June at 12 noon.