---
title: "VCSE Infrastructure Support Organisation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06837b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06837b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06837b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06837b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-06-24"
---

# VCSE Infrastructure Support Organisation

Buyer: PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06837b

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## Summary

Peterborough City Council is progressing with the procurement process for a high-quality, sustainable infrastructure support organisation (ISO) to offer training, support, and advice to the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Peterborough. The tender, tagged as "VCSE Infrastructure Support Organisation," resides within the industry category of business management consultancy and specialist training services. It is being conducted under an open procurement method, specifically designed for a below-threshold open competition. The contracting process is currently at the tender stage, with key dates including a tender submission deadline on 24th August 2026, and the contract term set to commence on 1st December 2026 for a duration of three years. This opportunity focuses on service delivery within the UKH11 region, encompassing Peterborough, with the significant prospect of adjustments due to Local Government Reorganisation post-April 2028.

This tender presents lucrative opportunities for businesses, particularly those that can deliver VCSE capacity-building, governance, safeguarding support, and volunteer development. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and organisations specialising in providing business consultancy and training services tailored to the nonprofit sector will find this tender especially appealing. The contract allows room for strategic business development by aligning with Peterborough City Council's objectives of improving regional VCSE organisational effectiveness. Successful bidders must adhere to a price-quality award criteria split of 30:70, requiring a keen focus on delivering a high-quality service. Enterprises keen on expanding their footprint in the public sector market and those equipped to adapt to potential administrative changes resulting from ongoing governmental reforms will be well-placed to benefit from this opportunity.

## Notice

Peterborough City Council intends to procure a high-quality, sustainable Infrastructure support organisation (ISO) to provide training, support and advice to the VCSE sector in Peterborough. The services will focus on the following areas: - VCSE capacity-building and organisational development - Governance, safeguarding, and quality support - Volunteer development and infrastructure - Intelligence, insight, and learning to support prevention and commissioning The contract term is 3 years, commencing 01st December 2026

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Local Government Reform (LGR) Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the process in which the structure and responsibilities of local authorities are reconfigured. The Government has set out plans to move away from the current two-tier system of district and county councils in England, which is relevant to Cambridgeshire County Council, the five district councils in the county (Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council), and Peterborough City Council as a neighbouring unitary council. Therefore, from 1 April 2028, the current seven councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be replaced and no longer exist. Rather than dealing with separate county, city and district councils, residents will access all services through a unitary council(s). At this stage, no decisions have been made on how many unitary councils will cover the county and which geographical areas they will cover. Throughout the LGR process, the Authority's focus will remain on delivering essential services across Peterborough. Potential changes may occur during the term of the contract, and although the contract is likely to transfer to any new unitary authorities by statutory instrument or by agreement on LGR, the contract may need to be amended to reflect the new geographical, financial and contract scope. Therefore, to ensure the contract may adapt upon implementation of LGR and modify to reflect the implications of LGR, we state within this procurement documentation of the intention to rely on Section 74(1)(a) and Schedule 8(1) of the Procurement Act 2023 to permit modification of the of the contract (if modification is considered necessary), to reflect new geographical, financial and contract scope accordingly. Please note we cannot precisely confirm any modification, if any, to the geographical, financial and contract scope at this stage, and any proposed modification, if agreed, shall not be implemented until 1 April 2028 at the earliest. Any contract modification shall be in accordance with clause 28 of the contract.

### Planning Information

Peterborough City Council is hosting a VCSE Market Engagement Event to support early, transparent engagement with voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations ahead of the future commissioning of VCSE infrastructure support.
This event is not a procurement launch and attendance is not a requirement for any future tender. It is intended to:
- Share the strategic context for VCSE infrastructure support in Peterborough
- Outline the types of services and outcomes the Council is seeking to enable
- Test early thinking with the VCSE market
- Provide an opportunity for VCSE organisations to ask questions, reflect, and shape thinking before any formal process begins
What attendees can expect:
Attendees will:
- Hear an overview of why VCSE infrastructure support is being reviewed and reviewed, including links to prevention, neighbourhood working and system priorities
-Gain clarity on the likely scope of services, including:
--VCSE capacity-building and organisational development
--Governance, safeguarding, and quality support
--Volunteer development and infrastructure
--Intelligence, insight, and learning to support prevention and commissioning
--Understand the anticipated commissioning principles, including openness, fairness, proportionality, and a learning-led approach
Have the opportunity to:
- Ask questions in an open forum
- Share views on what works well now and what could work better
- Highlight risks, opportunities, and practical considerations from a VCSE perspective
No organisations will be asked to submit proposals, pricing, or commitments at this event.
Event details
Date: Tuesday 13 May 2026
Time: 10:00-12:30 (with optional ProContract session to 13:00)
Format: In-person
Location: Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough, PE2 8TY - Ground Floor conference room.
Accessibility and inclusion:
The Council is committed to ensuring the event is accessible and welcoming:
- The venue will be step-free and wheelchair accessible
- Accessible toilets will be available
- If you have additional access, communication, or dietary requirements, you will be asked to note these when registering so reasonable adjustments can be made.
How to register:
Please use the following Microsoft Forms link to register your attendance: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ZLMn4x4EUUyC8skGp4-cyZnO6-LnfslNrMQgh1kHoflUMEdMWkFEREdKQU1PQ1NQVFFWTEpGTUswRi4u&route=shorturl
Registration deadline: 12th May 2026
Capacity: Places may be capped to ensure a productive session; early registration is encouraged.
Confirmation details, including final timings, room location and travel information, will be sent to registered attendees ahead of the event.
Please note, an expression of interest in this event does not equate to a registration for the event, nor is it considered an expression of interest in any future procurement activity.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059258-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Future notice date | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Dec 2026 - 30 Nov 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £240,000 |
| Lots value | £240,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | PETERBOROUGH |
| Post town | Peterborough |
| Postcode | PE2 8TY |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH4 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| ITL 3 | TLH41 Peterborough |
| Local authority | Peterborough |
| Electoral ward | Fletton and Stanground |
| Westminster constituency | North West Cambridgeshire |
| Delivery location | TLH11 Peterborough |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
- 80510000 - Specialist training services

## Release History

- 24 Jun 2026 at 09:23 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059258-2026
- 15 Apr 2026 at 15:38 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034403-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059258-2026
  24th June 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034403-2026
  15th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=d3479bc4-aa6f-f111-813c-005056b64545

## Notice URLs

- https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ZLMn4x4EUUyC8skGp4-cyZnO6-LnfslNrMQgh1kHoflUMEdMWkFEREdKQU1PQ1NQVFFWTEpGTUswRi4u&route=shorturl
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-06837b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06837b.json.