---
title: "User Research & Service & Content Design"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Essex County Council"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# User Research & Service & Content Design

Buyer: Essex County Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c

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## Summary

Essex County Council procured consultancy support for its Technology team in user research and content design. The supplier works within a multidisciplinary team, providing specialist expertise across a range of council projects and digital products, including essex.gov.uk and the council’s intranet platform. This is an information technology consultancy service, covering research into user needs and the design, organisation and presentation of digital content. Delivery is across the East of England, for the council based in Chelmsford. The opportunity is categorised as IT consulting, software development, internet and support services, and is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to Scroll Ltd on 14 August 2026. The award value is £500,000. The contract runs from 17 August 2026 to 16 August 2028. Essex County Council used a selective procedure, specifically a call-off from a framework agreement. The tender submission deadline was 24 July 2026 at 5pm. The requirement was evaluated as a services procurement for a consultancy-style delivery of user research and content design. Scroll Ltd is the selected supplier, with an active award covering the full contract period. The outcome indicates that this buyer has used a framework route to appoint a specialist digital service provider for its Technology team.

This requirement shows demand from Essex County Council for suppliers able to provide embedded user research and content design expertise, rather than isolated deliverables. A credible competitor would need researchers and content designers who can work collaboratively in multidisciplinary technology teams, understand public-sector users and services, and adapt their approach across multiple digital products. Relevant experience should include improving content and user journeys on large public websites, council intranets or comparable service platforms. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises were considered suitable, so a focused specialist practice could be well placed when this type of requirement returns to market. Framework access and experience of call-off competitions would also be commercially relevant.

## Notice

ECC require support for their Technology team to assist them with Content Design and User Research, which would be delivered in a consultancy-style service. The supplier will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide Content Design and User Research expertise on a range of projects and products including, but not limited to, essex.gov.uk, the council's Intranet platform.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2b70b1e0-5bc4-40df-aa32-3128300d9e0a |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 24 Jul 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 17 Aug 2026 - 16 Aug 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £500,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £500,000 |
| 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 | Essex County Council |
| Locality | CHELMSFORD |
| Postcode area | Chelmsford |
| Postcode | CM1 1QH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex |
| Local authority | Chelmsford |
| Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central |
| Westminster constituency | Chelmsford |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Scroll Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

### Codes

- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

## Release History

- 17 Aug 2026 at 16:10 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2b70b1e0-5bc4-40df-aa32-3128300d9e0a

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2b70b1e0-5bc4-40df-aa32-3128300d9e0a
  17th August 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- http://www.essex.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-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f470f2b0-1608-4f2b-b7c3-b7df81ba611c.json.