Notice Information
Notice Title
Ambitious Essex Enhanced Growth Hub
Notice Description
Essex County Council (ECC) are seeking to award contract of the Enhanced Growth Hub with Additional Business Support on 1st April 2026. The service, working closely with the Government funded Growth Hub, will help provide the front door for businesses seeking advice and support in the County, enabling them to have the knowledge necessary to achieve growth and prosperity as well as access to business finance. The area covered by the service will be the Ceremonial County of Essex, including Southend and Thurrock Unitary Authority areas.
Lot Information
Lot 1
Options: The Authority reserves the right at any time during the Term of this Agreement to add services that are similar and/or complementary services to the Services (Additional Services) including but not limited to provisions of support services in relation to marketing, finance and construction. See Terms and Conditions publish at tender for more details of this.
Planning Information
Essex County Council is conducting soft market testing to inform the development of our future business support offer. The Council currently has a business support contract in place that will expire in March 2026, alongside our nationally funded Growth Hub contract. With changes underway in the business support landscape-including the introduction of the national Business Growth Service-we are seeking input to help shape a suitable contract and procurement process. As part of the Council's pre-procurement work, market engagement for the development of a new countywide business support service has already conducted with businesses who may use the service, via a comprehensive survey. This survey enabled us to better understand the current challenges that businesses are facing, what they would want from a business support offer, growth prospects, business support functions, and many other metrics. The Council would now like to hear from potential bidders. To respond to soft market testing please complete the questionnaire found here: https://forms.office.com/e/RPe5nEf3vv The deadline for responses is Friday 5th September.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0588ec
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014538-2026
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Planning, Tender, Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK6 - Contract Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Open
- Procurement Method Details
- Open procedure
- Tender Suitability
- SME
- Awardee Scale
- SME
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
66 - Financial and insurance services
79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
-
- CPV Codes
66000000 - Financial and insurance services
79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £1,140,000 £1M-£10M
- Lots Value
- £1,140,000 £1M-£10M
- Awards Value
- £1,140,000 £1M-£10M
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 17 Feb 20266 days ago
- Submission Deadline
- 2 Feb 2026Expired
- Future Notice Date
- 5 Sep 2025Expired
- Award Date
- 17 Feb 20261 weeks ago
- Contract Period
- 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Pending
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- CHELMSFORD
- Postcode
- CM1 1QH
- Post Town
- Chelmsford
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLH East (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLH3 Essex
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLH36 Heart of Essex
- Delivery Location
- TLH3 Essex
-
- Local Authority
- Chelmsford
- Electoral Ward
- Moulsham and Central
- Westminster Constituency
- Chelmsford
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014538-2026
17th February 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001232-2026
7th January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049136-2025
15th August 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.
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