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Centre for Excellence - Strategic Branding

North East Combined Authority

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

08 Sep 2026 at 12:22

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North East Combined Authority commissioned strategic branding services for the National Centre for Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality. The work is intended to support skills development, innovation and workforce growth across the visitor economy, while positioning the North East as a leader in tourism and hospitality skills and innovation. The scope covers defining the brand, developing creative concepts, producing a distinctive logo and creating supporting identity and application guidance. The resulting identity is intended to reflect the Centre’s vision as a nationally and internationally recognised hub, and to provide consistent presentation across key audiences, partners, the Centre’s launch and future promotional activity. This is a marketing and brand identity commission delivered for a public-sector flagship initiative led by the North East Combined Authority.

The procurement is complete and was awarded directly to Gardiner Richardson Limited, an SME. It used a below-threshold procedure without competition. The award is for one lot and has a value of £5,500 including any applicable taxes. The award date is 8 September 2026, with the contract running from 8 September 2026 to 30 September 2026. The selected supplier is responsible for the strategic brand identity, creative development, logo and application guidance described in the scope. The published process records the procurement category as services and the relevant classification as advertising and marketing services. The award status is recorded as pending, while the tender itself is complete; a signature milestone was scheduled for 8 September 2026.

This opportunity indicates demand from the North East Combined Authority for compact, senior-level brand strategy and creative delivery supporting a public-facing skills and economic-development initiative. Suppliers well placed for comparable work would combine strategic positioning, visual identity and logo development with the ability to turn a brand into practical guidance for consistent use by partners and across promotional activity. Experience of communicating complex public-sector, education, tourism or workforce-growth programmes would help a competitor demonstrate relevance, as would the capacity to work with multiple stakeholder groups and audiences. Credible providers would need to produce a distinctive identity that works beyond an initial launch, supports a nationally and internationally ambitious proposition, and can be applied consistently across future communications.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Centre for Excellence - Strategic Branding

Notice Description

This project will develop a strategic brand identity for the National Centre for Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality, a flagship initiative designed to support skills development, innovation and workforce growth across the visitor economy. The commission will create a distinctive brand, logo and supporting identity that reflects the Centre's vision as a nationally and internationally recognised hub for excellence in tourism and hospitality. The work will include brand definition, creative development and application guidance to ensure a consistent and professional identity across key audiences, partners and future promotional activities. The branding will support the Centre's launch, stakeholder engagement and long-term ambition to position the North East as a leader in tourism and hospitality skills and innovation.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f46f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084843-2026
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
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79340000 - Advertising and marketing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£5,500 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
8 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 30 days
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
North East 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
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Postcode
NE4 5BZ
Postcode Area
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
Newcastle upon Tyne
Electoral Ward
Arthur's Hill
Westminster Constituency
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GARDINER RICHARDSON LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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