This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

26 May 2026 at 12:26

Award

11 May 2026 at 12:19

Award

07 May 2026 at 13:16

Summary of the contracting process

The Tees Valley Combined Authority has recently concluded a procurement process for the provision of an Interim Head of Governance. This contract was directly awarded to Penna PLC due to the specific skill set required for the role. The procurement falls under the services category, specifically the supply of personnel including temporary staff. Located in Darlington within the UKC13 region, the procurement stage has advanced to the award phase, with the contract period spanning from 12 May 2026 to 10 July 2026, with the possibility of extension if a suitable permanent candidate is not appointed by then. This direct award was completed under legal basis 2023/54, and the contract is valued at £108,000 gross.

This procurement creates significant opportunities for businesses specialising in the provision of specialised personnel services, particularly those capable of responding rapidly to specific skill requirements that necessitate direct awards. For businesses operating in or near Darlington and with experience in public sector recruitment, this contract exemplifies a high-value engagement opportunity with a public authority. Large-scale personnel supply firms like Penna PLC, known for their capacity to deliver highly qualified temporary staff quickly, would be particularly well-positioned to exploit such procurement opportunities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

TVCA-PROC-0847 - Interim Head of Governance

Notice Description

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) ('the contracting authority') have direct awarded a Contract to Penna for the supply of a member of staff - Interim Head of Governance until recruitment takes place and a suitable candidate is recruited.

Procurement Information

The skill set required for this role is very specific due to this all other suppliers were unable to provide candidates after extensive research.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069378
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048755-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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


CPV Codes

79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£90,000 Under £100K
Contracts Value
£90,000 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 May 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
6 May 20262 months ago
Contract Period
11 May 2026 - 10 Jul 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DARLINGTON
Postcode
DL2 1NJ
Post Town
Darlington
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC3 Tees Valley
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC33 Darlington
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Darlington
Electoral Ward
Sadberge & Middleton St George
Westminster Constituency
Stockton West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PENNA

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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-069378-2026-05-26T13:26:43+01:00",
    "date": "2026-05-26T13:26:43+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-069378",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PDNG-8971-ZVCR",
            "name": "Tees Valley Combined Authority",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PDNG-8971-ZVCR"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Teesside Airport Business Suite, Teesside international Airport",
                "locality": "Darlington",
                "postalCode": "DL2 1NJ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKC13"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Procurement",
                "email": "procurement@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk",
                "telephone": "01325792600"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-01918150",
            "name": "Penna PLC",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "01918150"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "10 Bishops Square",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "E1 6EG",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI42"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Neil Lupin",
                "email": "neil.lupin@penna.com"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PDNG-8971-ZVCR",
        "name": "Tees Valley Combined Authority"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "TVCA-PROC-0847 - Interim Head of Governance",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "TVCA-PROC-0847 - Interim Head of Governance",
        "description": "Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) ('the contracting authority') have direct awarded a Contract to Penna for the supply of a member of staff - Interim Head of Governance until recruitment takes place and a suitable candidate is recruited.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "The skill set required for this role is very specific due to this all other suppliers were unable to provide candidates after extensive research.",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ],
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "userChoice"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "title": "TVCA-PROC-0847 - Interim Head of Governance",
            "status": "active",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 108000,
                "amount": 90000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-01918150",
                    "name": "Penna PLC"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79620000",
                            "description": "Supply services of personnel including temporary staff"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKC1",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKC1",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKC1",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2026-05-12T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2026-07-10T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2026-08-10T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "If a suitable candidate is not recruited within the time period"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "041978-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041978-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-05-07T14:16:59+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                },
                {
                    "id": "042989-2026",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK6",
                    "description": "Contract award notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042989-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-05-11T13:19:22+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2026-05-11T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ],
            "date": "2026-05-07T00:00:00+01:00"
        }
    ],
    "language": "en",
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2026-05-12T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2026-07-10T23:59:59+01:00",
                "maxExtentDate": "2026-08-10T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "hasRenewal": true,
            "renewal": {
                "description": "If a suitable candidate is not recruited within the time period"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 108000,
                "amount": 90000,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2026-05-11T00:00:00+01:00",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "048755-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048755-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-05-26T13:26:43+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}