Planning

NEPRO4

THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

19 Jan 2026 at 08:22

Summary of the contracting process

The Association of North East Councils Limited, a sub-central government public authority based in Gateshead, is in the planning stage of a procurement process for the NEPRO4 framework. This process aims to procure Specialist Professional Services and Consultancy through a neutral vendor framework, continuing the long-standing NEPRO framework originally introduced in 2012. The contract will cover multiple service categories such as Financial and Insurance Services, IT Services, and Health and Social Work Services, to name a few. The procurement process follows a competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, with the current framework iteration scheduled to conclude on 31 August 2027, and a tendering process expected to follow this at a later stage.

The NEPRO4 tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses, especially those experienced in working with neutral vendor frameworks, to engage with a wide range of public sector projects across the UK. This procurement is suitable for SMEs and large enterprises proficient in strategic collaboration, supplier performance monitoring, and public procurement regulation. Companies that can demonstrate strong supply chain management, value-for-money project delivery, and a commitment to social value and ESG principles will find this an advantageous opportunity to expand their public sector portfolio. The procurement documents will detail further requirements and will be essential for interested parties considering participation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

NEPRO4

Notice Description

NEPRO3, originally NEPRO, was first introduced in 2012 acting as a neutral vendor framework delivered through a dedicated delivery partner. From the first iteration of NEPRO we have continued to grow, providing a fully compliant, outcomes-based route for procuring Specialist Professional Services and Consultancy across the public sector. The current and third iteration of the framework, NEPRO3, is scheduled to run until 31 August 2027, at which point it will be re-tendered. The framework agreement will require a Delivery Partner to strategically work with NEPO for the delivery of Specialist Professional Services procurements across various categories for our members. It is envisaged that this will continue to be a neutral vendor framework and will have an end-to-end process of support for our users across their individual projects. The current framework agreement has 20 categories of services to procure from, as well as a supply chain of over 6,000 suppliers. The solution will be procured using the procedures outlined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). The purpose of this Pipeline Notice is to provide prior information to the market on the intentions of NEPO to procure such a framework. It is expected that the Delivery Partner will be able to meet the following, in line with ongoing business requirement discussions around NEPRO3: * Build a strategic relationship with NEPO, working to continuously improve the solution for our end users. * Deep understanding of public procurement regulations and specialist knowledge across categories to best support Members. * Ability to manage multiple projects of various scales across the UK public sector simultaneously and deliver value-for-money from beginning to end. * A strong qualified supply chain for Members to access. * Experience working in a Neutral Vendor framework or the evidence to provide that the supplier can. * Ability to monitor supplier performance and the end-to-end process. * Ability to work with our members to understand needs and support them with their projects, as well as building strong relationships. * Ability to collate and report on information for the benefit of our members and for transparency. * A clear focus on Social Value and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) benefits offered through the solution. * Ability to comply with rebate procedures. This may be subject to amendment following from Market Engagement which is expected to take place around late February/early March 2026. NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities. The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/current-associate-members NEPO intends to make the agreement available for use by all Contracting Authorities throughout all administrative regions of the UK (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023). A list of permissible users is available at: http://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org Further and full information regarding Contracting Authorities that may use the agreement will be found in the procurement documents when published.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060847
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004160-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

70 - Real estate services

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

66000000 - Financial and insurance services

70333000 - Housing services

71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80000000 - Education and training services

85000000 - Health and social work services

90713000 - Environmental issues consultancy services

92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Jan 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
18 Jun 20265 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Aug 2027 - 30 Aug 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED
Contact Name
Lucinda Carty
Contact Email
cdpnepoteam@nepo.org
Contact Phone
0191 638 0040

Buyer Location

Locality
GATESHEAD
Postcode
NE8 3DF
Post Town
Newcastle upon Tyne
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC43 Tyneside
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Gateshead
Electoral Ward
Bridges
Westminster Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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