---
title: "Durham Ambitious Business Starts (DABS)"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2020-02-03"
---

# Durham Ambitious Business Starts (DABS)

Buyer: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130

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## Summary

The Durham Ambitious Business Starts (DABS) project, led by Durham County Council, aims to foster high-quality start-ups in County Durham with a budget of £600,000. This tender process is currently in the award stage following a restricted tender method, aligned with Public Contracts Regulation 2015. The contract, which may extend for six months depending on European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding availability, began on 1 February 2020 and is set to conclude on 31 January 2023. Interested suppliers could bid on one or multiple lots within the tender, including support services for new businesses and the development of a digital portal, with the deadline for submissions having been set for 29 November 2019.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses positioned within the services sector, particularly those specialising in business support, digital services, and marketing. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will find themselves well-suited to compete for the various service lots on offer, tapping into a supportive environment aimed at nurturing new entrepreneurial ventures. Companies that can provide consultancy, recruitment, marketing, and digital solutions will be particularly advantageous in this procurement process.

## Notice

The Durham Ambitious Business Starts (DABS) project will provide a three-year programme to encourage high-quality start-ups in County Durham, and support them during the critical first 12 months of trading. This contract is for support in relation to the DABS project and is divided into the following four Lots: Lot 1 DABS Pre-start business support programme delivery Lot 2 DABS New-start business support programme delivery Lot 3 DABS Digital portal, content and website Lot 4 DABS Events and Marketing Tenderers may submit a Tender for one Lot, multiple Lots or all Lots. Each Lot will be evaluated and awarded separately. The expected start date for the proposed contract is 01 February 2020. The expected end date for the proposed contract is 31 January 2023. The proposed contract is to be let with an option to extend for a further 6 months from the actual end date subject to ERDF funding. This procurement is issued under a Restricted Tender process in line with Public Contracts Regulation 2015. Funding The Council has submitted an ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) application for the funding to enable delivery of this Project. The Council has submitted an application for PS600,000 of funding to ensure the delivery of the scope and achievement of the strategic objectives. Should the Council be unsuccessful in obtaining ERDF funding the Project will not be commissioned. Progression of this procurement exercise and any award of this contract opportunity will be conditional on the Council confirming receipt of the funds from ERDF.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dbf3feba-5ecc-4069-8cb1-55ab64d38ec9 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Restricted procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 3 Feb 2020 |
| Submission deadline | 29 Nov 2019 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Jan 2020 |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2020 - 31 Jul 2023 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £600,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £600,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | DURHAM |
| Post town | Durham |
| Postcode | DH1 5UL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC41 Durham |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| Electoral ward | Neville's Cross |
| Westminster constituency | City of Durham |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 3 |
| Supplier names | CANDLE DIGITAL; TEDCO; UMI COMMERCIAL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

## Release History

- 3 Feb 2020 at 08:18 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dbf3feba-5ecc-4069-8cb1-55ab64d38ec9
- 16 Oct 2019 at 07:47 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dce8bbb3-1c9d-4301-9888-3ba98c427f65
- 16 Oct 2019 at 07:35 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c37ccefe-760c-4ab3-867a-1bfa66c36f5b

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dbf3feba-5ecc-4069-8cb1-55ab64d38ec9
  3rd February 2020 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dce8bbb3-1c9d-4301-9888-3ba98c427f65
  16th October 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c37ccefe-760c-4ab3-867a-1bfa66c36f5b
  16th October 2019 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=53f246c4-e7ef-e911-80fa-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=True
  Documents can be accessed via the following link

## Notice URLs

- http://www.durham.gov.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-1c3c7ee5-42fc-4e39-aa37-88700da1c130.json.