---
title: "Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Evaluation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-01-07"
---

# Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Evaluation

Buyer: GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7

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## Summary

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has awarded a contract to SQW LIMITED for the evaluation of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (EITB) programme. The procurement process, under the open procedure, was completed in October 2025 with the contract commencing on 30th October 2025 and running until 30th June 2026, with the option for a 12-month extension. This initiative is part of the research and development services industry, focusing on evaluating economic inactivity in Greater Manchester. Potential bidders had until 1st September 2025 to submit their proposals. The contract was awarded under competitive conditions with a maximum budget of £208,333 for the initial period and a further £208,333 available for the extension.

This contract offers significant potential for businesses specialising in research and development, particularly those focused on employment support programmes. SMEs with expertise in programme evaluation, AI insights, and data preparedness studies would find this opportunity well-suited to their capabilities. The successful completion of this project could lead to further engagement with public authorities, enhancing the reputation and track record of participating companies in the field of consultancy and program evaluation services. The opportunity to participate in such government projects not only injects financial value into businesses but also aligns them with critical public service initiatives.

## Notice

GMCA are procuring an evaluation partner to undertake an evaluation of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (EITB) programme in Greater Manchester (GM), a detailed overview of which can be found in section 6 of the specification. There are three main elements of this evaluation: 1.) A desk-based summary of insights into effective employment support programmes for economically inactive people using AI. 2.) A qualitative process evaluation to test and evaluate the successes and shortfalls of the EITB design and delivery. 3.) A data preparedness study to inform a future impact and value-for-money evaluation. The contract period will be for 8 months with the option to extend for up to an additional 12 months. It is intended for the contract to commence in October 2025. The maximum budget available for the initial period (October 2025 - June 2026) is PS208,333 (excluding VAT). The GMCA reserves the right to extend this contract for an additional 12 months. The value of this extension period is up to PS208,333 (excluding VAT). Therefore, the estimated total value of the contract, including all optional extension periods, is up to a maximum of PS416,666 (excluding VAT).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: This contract will be extended providing funding is available, performance is satisfactory and the authority has an ongoing need for the service.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000957-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 1 Sep 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 16 Oct 2025 |
| Contract period | 30 Oct 2025 - 30 Jun 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £416,666 |
| Lots value | £416,666 |
| Awards value | £392,212 |
| Contracts value | £392,212 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Locality | MANCHESTER |
| Post town | Manchester |
| Postcode | M1 6EU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD33 Manchester |
| Local authority | Manchester |
| Electoral ward | Deansgate |
| Westminster constituency | Manchester Central |
| Delivery location | TLD3 Greater Manchester |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SQW |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 7 Jan 2026 at 10:58 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000957-2026
- 17 Oct 2025 at 11:34 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066283-2025
- 4 Aug 2025 at 16:30 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045819-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000957-2026
  7th January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/066283-2025
  17th October 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045819-2025
  4th August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=dddb3e9a-4f71-f011-813a-005056b64545&p=e0cc5631-4690-e511-80fb-000c29c9ba21

## Notice URLs

- http://www.sqw.co.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.the-chest.org.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-h6vhtk-0580b7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0580b7.json.