---
title: "Bristol Impact Fund - Critical Friend"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Bristol City Council"
published: "2026-09-08"
---

# Bristol Impact Fund - Critical Friend

Buyer: Bristol City Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9

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## Summary

Bristol City Council commissioned a consultancy service to act as a critical friend throughout the four-year Bristol Impact Fund grant programme. The work provides impartial accountability to the council officer responsible for the programme, while taking a collaborative approach to support and train that officer. The consultant is also responsible for reviewing and editing the programme’s final evaluation report. This is a business and management consultancy service, classified under CPV 79000000, delivered in Bristol, England. The requirement is focused on independent challenge, programme oversight, officer development and evaluation-report quality rather than grant delivery itself. It is relevant to consultancies with experience in public-sector programmes, grant funding, independent assurance, evaluation and working constructively with public bodies.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through an open procedure. Bristol City Council selected Constellia Public Limited on 24 June 2026. The awarded contract value is £40,816.33. The contract runs from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2030, covering the full Bristol Impact Fund grant programme. The tender submission deadline was 22 June 2026 at 23:59. The procurement was for services and was not divided into lots. The requirement was identified as unsuitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. The award is active, with Constellia Public Limited named as the supplier for the complete requirement.

For a supplier that did not win this contract, the award demonstrates a defined market for independent consultancy supporting a local authority’s grant programme over a sustained period. A credible competitor would need to provide impartial accountability while maintaining a collaborative relationship with the council officer, combining constructive challenge with practical support and training. Relevant capability would include public-sector consultancy, grant-programme governance, evaluation design or review, report editing and the ability to communicate clearly with officers and other stakeholders. Experience of scrutinising programme performance without taking over delivery would be important, as would the capacity to remain engaged across a long-running programme and contribute to a robust final evaluation. The buyer’s stated assessment of suitability indicates that competitors should be prepared for a requirement not designed specifically for SMEs or VCSEs.

## Notice

To contract a consultant to act as a 'critical friend' throughout the 4-year Bristol Impact Fund grant programme, for the purpose of providing impartial accountability to the Bristol City Council Officer. The consultant would work in a collaborative way, providing support and training to the Officer, and reviewing and editing the final evaluation report.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/28114efc-dff8-459c-8bdc-6dcc6cc4e277 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2030 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £40,816 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £40,816 |
| 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 | Bristol City Council |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Postcode area | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS3 9FS |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK51 Bristol, City of |
| Local authority | Bristol, City of |
| Electoral ward | Bedminster |
| Westminster constituency | Bristol South |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Constellia Public Ltd |

## 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

- 8 Sep 2026 at 16:02 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/28114efc-dff8-459c-8bdc-6dcc6cc4e277

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/28114efc-dff8-459c-8bdc-6dcc6cc4e277
  8th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- https://www.bristol.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-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc74c28c-ecaf-430a-ba44-6b6ce7cfb1b9.json.