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Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme

Sunderland City Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

07 Sep 2026 at 15:06

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

25 Jun 2026 at 07:28

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Sunderland City Council is commissioning a co-located start-up incubator programme for early-stage technology businesses in Sunderland. Based at Culture House, the service will bridge the gap between initial ideas and investment readiness through a structured, high-intensity cohort programme. The successful provider will support a pipeline of scalable technology ventures, combining public and private sector support to improve access to investment, retain talent, create high-value jobs and strengthen Sunderland’s position as a location for technology start-ups. This is a business and management consultancy service, covering the design and delivery of an incubator programme rather than construction, equipment supply or general business support. The requirement is delivered in Sunderland and is relevant to organisations with experience of supporting technology start-ups and developing ventures towards investment.

The procurement has reached tender: Sunderland City Council invited offers through an open procedure. There is one lot, with electronic tender submission through the authority’s Open e-tendering system. The deadline for enquiries is 29 September 2026 at 12:00, and tenders must be submitted by 6 October 2026 at 12:00. The council expects to complete its award decision by 12 October 2026. The contract is scheduled to run from 13 November 2026 to 12 November 2029. Its gross value is £450,000. Bids will be evaluated on pricing, weighted at 60%, quality at 35%, and social value at 5%. The opportunity is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises.

This opportunity suits an organisation that can run a high-intensity, cohort-based incubator for early-stage technology businesses. Relevant strengths include business and management consultancy, start-up support, venture development, investment-readiness advice and the ability to connect founders with public and private sector support. Providers should be able to build a strong pipeline of scalable ventures and help businesses progress from ideas towards investment, while contributing to talent retention, job creation and Sunderland’s technology start-up ecosystem. The requirement is expressly suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises, so smaller specialist providers and mission-led organisations may compete alongside larger incubator or enterprise-support operators. A collaborative delivery model and the capacity to provide sustained support to multiple businesses would be well aligned with the cohort approach.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme

Notice Description

Sunderland City Council is seeking to commission a co-located start-up incubator programme in Sunderland to support early-stage technology businesses, bridging the gap between idea and investment readiness through a structured, high-intensity cohort model based at Culture House. The programme will create a strong pipeline of scalable ventures, combining public and private support to boost investment, retain talent, generate high-value jobs, and strengthen Sunderland's reputation as a leading location for tech start-ups.

Planning Information

There is a preliminary market engagement questionnaire available on the Councils online tendering platform, the Open system. You will need to create an account on Open in order to access and bid for public sector opportunities issued by Sunderland City Council. Visit www.open-uk.org to register an account (Registration is free and easy. Simply head over to www.open-uk.org and complete the online registration form). Top tips to help you get started: Keep an eye out for the temporary password to confirm your account - this is only valid for 3 days so if you have not logged in during this period, you will need to contact open.support@nepo.org to request a new temporary password Adding your Companies House number will populate fields and make it easier to register Once registered, select Codes & Categories relevant to your area of business Add notifications@open-uk.org to your safe sender list to ensure you don't miss out on notifications of relevant opportunities The Open Hub is packed with resources and information to help you get the most out of Open. We have answered your questions in our FAQ section and developed a range of how-to guides so you can familiarise yourself with the system at your own pace. Visit www.open-hub.org to find out more Suppliers must also ahead of the publication of the tender, register on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) and ensure their information is up-to-date on the system . The CDP is available at https://www.gov.uk/find-tender. This market engagement will allow the Council to understand the appetite in the market and prepare the market and to advise them to register with the appropriate sies to ensure that have access to all documentation and can submit compliant tenders.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084508-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
6 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
13 Nov 2026 - 12 Nov 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Sunderland City 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
SUNDERLAND
Postcode
SR1 3AA
Postcode Area
Sunderland
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC44 Sunderland
Delivery Location
TLC23 Sunderland
Local Authority
Sunderland
Electoral Ward
Millfield
Westminster Constituency
Sunderland Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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