---
title: "GMCA 1634 Support for the Social Economy Evaluation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-03-25"
---

# GMCA 1634 Support for the Social Economy Evaluation

Buyer: GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d

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## Summary

The public procurement process initiated by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority aims to advance the evaluation of the Support for the Social Economy Programme. This programme is structured to bolster social economy businesses by establishing a digital gateway and addressing service gaps within Greater Manchester. The evaluation partner will be responsible for creating an evaluation framework, crafting a report, and formulating guiding principles for future initiatives. The procurement stage for this process is complete, with Little Lion Research Limited awarded the contract on 9th March 2026, and the contract spans until 18th December 2026. The process operated under an open competition method, below threshold. The contract falls under the services category, specifically aimed at research and development services. The delivery region is the UK, with Manchester being the focal location.

This tender presents substantial growth opportunities, particularly for enterprises skilled in social economy evaluation, consultancy, and research services. It is particularly suited to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and organisations focused on delivering specialised support to social economy sectors. Engaging in this tender allows businesses to contribute to pioneering projects in the Greater Manchester area, leveraging existing strengths while expanding into new domains within public sector support services. With emphasis on quality, price, and social value, successful bidders can enhance their portfolios, solidify credibility, and align themselves with civic advancement projects under government frameworks.

## Notice

GMCA are seeking a partner to evaluate the Support for the Social Economy Programme. This programme was commissioned in 2023 with the intention of providing a new digital front door to support Social Economy businesses, and to provide specialist support where gaps in existing provision are identified. The evaluation partner will deliver three main outputs for this contract: - An evaluation framework - An Evaluation Report - Guiding principles for future commissioning Page 2 to 5 The intention for the activity will be to answer the overarching research question of 'what lessons from this programme can inform future commissioning and provision of support for Greater Manchester's social economy?'

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027511-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 26 Jan 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 9 Mar 2026 - 18 Dec 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £50,000 |
| Lots value | £50,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £46,050 |

## 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 | LITTLE LION RESEARCH |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 25 Mar 2026 at 16:26 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027511-2026
- 19 Dec 2025 at 14:49 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084987-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027511-2026
  25th March 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084987-2025
  19th December 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.littlelionresearch.co.uk/
- 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-05fa8d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05fa8d.json.