Award

Commercial Advisor for the delivery of Finance Services relating to divestments in line with the Council's recovery plan

THURROCK COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

22 Apr 2026 at 10:32

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process led by Thurrock Council aims to appoint a Commercial Advisor for delivering Finance Services aligned with the Council's recovery plan, specifically concerning divestments. The procurement was conducted through a direct award method under UK legislation, allowing procurement without competition due to the unique technical expertise required. This contract falls within the financial consultancy services category and spans from 10th May 2026 to 31st March 2028, with Calderstones Consulting Ltd being awarded the contract. The procurement stage is complete, and the contract has been set with significant financial value above the threshold of GBP 480,000. This is primarily targeting financial consultancy services within the United Kingdom.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses with deep expertise in financial advisory services, particularly those well-versed in managing divestment programmes in alignment with recovery strategies. Companies similar to Calderstones Consulting Ltd, which have a nuanced understanding of Council-specific financial frameworks and the ability to deliver timely and strategic consultancy, are ideally positioned to benefit from such collaborative ventures with sub-central government bodies. Furthermore, suppliers with resources to navigate market timing and complex contractual obligations can provide added value, ensuring alignment with strategic continuities and minimising delivery risks.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Commercial Advisor for the delivery of Finance Services relating to divestments in line with the Council's recovery plan

Notice Description

Financial Advisor for the Council in relation to the divestment programme which was agreed as part of the Council's recovery plan

Procurement Information

A direct award is considered permissible under PA2023 (Section 41, Schedule 5 applies) where competition is not reasonably possible, including situations where: Only one supplier is capable of delivering the requirement due to technical or specialist reasons, or A change of supplier would cause significant inconvenience, duplication of costs, or substantial risk to delivery. These conditions align with the Council's situation, as Calderstones holds unique, embedded understanding of the divestment programme that cannot be replicated by an alternative supplier without unacceptable disruption. Explicitly: 1) Extensive reconstruction of knowledge: A new adviser would require substantial time to reacquire programme history, understand past decisions, interpret legacy modelling, and rebuild the analytical framework that Calderstones already maintain. This would occupy months of effort with no guaranteed accuracy. 2) Re-evaluation and duplication of completed work: A replacement supplier would need to re-perform valuation work, interrogate historical financial models, validate assumptions, and re-open previously settled strategic decisions. This duplication would generate unnecessary cost while adding no additional value. 3 ) Loss of strategic continuity: The programme is highly interdependent; the logic of earlier decisions informs current actions. Without Calderstones' insight into why those decisions were taken, there is a high risk of fragmentation, inconsistent advice, or misalignment with the established strategy. 4) Delay to time-critical activities: Divestment actions are sensitive to market timing, regulatory milestones, investor sentiment, and contractual obligations. Any delay in adviser capability-while a new provider becomes familiar with the programme-introduces direct financial and commercial risk to the Council.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06884d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036507-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services


CPV Codes

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£480,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Apr 20262 days ago
Contract Period
9 May 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THURROCK 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
GRAYS
Postcode
RM17 6SL
Post Town
Romford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH32 Thurrock
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Thurrock
Electoral Ward
Grays Riverside
Westminster Constituency
Thurrock

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CALDERSTONES CONSULTING

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06884d-2026-04-22T11:32:01+01:00",
    "date": "2026-04-22T11:32:01+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06884d",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PMHW-1723-WDCD",
            "name": "Thurrock Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PMHW-1723-WDCD"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "New Road",
                "locality": "Grays",
                "postalCode": "RM17 6SL",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKH32"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "Procurement@thurrock.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.thurrock.gov.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-08664684",
            "name": "Calderstones Consulting Ltd",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "08664684"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "25 Calderstones Avenue",
                "locality": "Liverpool",
                "postalCode": "L18 6HX",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKD72"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "info@calderstones.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PMHW-1723-WDCD",
        "name": "Thurrock Council"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06884d",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Commercial Advisor for the delivery of Finance Services relating to divestments in line with the Council's recovery plan",
        "description": "Financial Advisor for the Council in relation to the divestment programme which was agreed as part of the Council's recovery plan",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "A direct award is considered permissible under PA2023 (Section 41, Schedule 5 applies) where competition is not reasonably possible, including situations where: Only one supplier is capable of delivering the requirement due to technical or specialist reasons, or A change of supplier would cause significant inconvenience, duplication of costs, or substantial risk to delivery. These conditions align with the Council's situation, as Calderstones holds unique, embedded understanding of the divestment programme that cannot be replicated by an alternative supplier without unacceptable disruption. Explicitly: 1) Extensive reconstruction of knowledge: A new adviser would require substantial time to reacquire programme history, understand past decisions, interpret legacy modelling, and rebuild the analytical framework that Calderstones already maintain. This would occupy months of effort with no guaranteed accuracy. 2) Re-evaluation and duplication of completed work: A replacement supplier would need to re-perform valuation work, interrogate historical financial models, validate assumptions, and re-open previously settled strategic decisions. This duplication would generate unnecessary cost while adding no additional value. 3 ) Loss of strategic continuity: The programme is highly interdependent; the logic of earlier decisions informs current actions. Without Calderstones' insight into why those decisions were taken, there is a high risk of fragmentation, inconsistent advice, or misalignment with the established strategy. 4) Delay to time-critical activities: Divestment actions are sensitive to market timing, regulatory milestones, investor sentiment, and contractual obligations. Any delay in adviser capability-while a new provider becomes familiar with the programme-introduces direct financial and commercial risk to the Council.",
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            },
            {
                "id": "additionalRepeatExtensionPartialReplacement"
            },
            {
                "id": "urgency"
            }
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "Commercial Advisor for the delivery of Finance Services relating to divestments in line with the Council's recovery plan",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 576000,
                "amount": 480000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": true,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-08664684",
                    "name": "Calderstones Consulting Ltd"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "66171000",
                            "description": "Financial consultancy services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKH",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-05-10T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2028-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "036507-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036507-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-04-22T11:32:01+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-05-09T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}