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Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for The Provision of FCA Regulated Debt Advice Services in County Durham

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

23 Sep 2026 at 14:14

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council is considering future arrangements for FCA-regulated debt advice services for residents of County Durham. The service is intended to provide regulated debt advice, guidance and counselling, with delivery approaches and the eventual service specification still to be shaped. The council is seeking market input to understand suppliers’ capacity, capability and ways of delivering the service, and to inform its commissioning approach and procurement strategy. This is a service contract in the financial advice and community support sector. It relates to County Durham residents; the procurement data does not identify particular delivery premises or a more precise service area.

This process is at the planning stage: the council has set out its intention to procure and is conducting preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. Interested parties are asked to complete and return a market-engagement questionnaire by 30 October 2026. The current contract is due to expire on 31 March 2027. The planned replacement service is expected to run from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029, with a possible extension to 31 March 2030. The planned procurement is one lot. The council has not set out an expected procedure or procurement value at this stage; market feedback will help shape the future specification and procurement strategy.

The engagement is relevant to providers able to deliver FCA-regulated debt advice to residents, including organisations with financial advice, debt counselling and community-support experience. The council is particularly seeking evidence of market capacity, delivery capability and possible service models, so suppliers should be ready to explain how they could resource and organise this work and contribute to shaping the future service. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable participants. This is preparation for a future procurement rather than a bid opportunity: suppliers interested in influencing the service design can respond to the market-engagement questionnaire. The eventual requirements, evaluation approach and contract value remain to be developed through this engagement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for The Provision of FCA Regulated Debt Advice Services in County Durham

Notice Description

Durham County Council (DCC) is undertaking a market engagement exercise to inform its consideration of future arrangements for the provision of regulated debt advice services for County Durham residents. The information gathered will help DCC understand market capacity, capability and delivery approaches, and will be used to support the development of the future service specification, commissioning approach and procurement strategy. The current contract is due to expire on 31 March 2027.

Planning Information

Interested parties should complete and return the market engagement questionnaire which has been published and can be accessed, free of charge, at www.open-uk.org using reference OPEN20262107

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0778ab
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090166-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

85 - Health and social work services

98 - Other community, social and personal services

CPV Codes

66171000 - Financial consultancy services

85312300 - Guidance and counselling 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
23 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Durham County 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
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Postcode Area
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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