---
title: "Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-06-25"
---

# Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme

Buyer: SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4

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## Summary

Sunderland City Council is currently in the planning stage of a public procurement process titled "Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme." The initiative aims to establish a start-up incubator programme in Sunderland, designed to support early-stage technology businesses and bridge the gap between idea and investment readiness. This programme is set to be located at Culture House in Sunderland (UKC23 region) and falls under the services category, specifically business and management consultancy and related services. The procurement process includes a preliminary market engagement phase, with a deadline of 3rd July 2026. The total value of the contract is estimated to be £450,000, with a contract period commencing on 21st September 2026 and concluding on 20th September 2029.

For businesses, particularly SMEs and VCSEs, this tender presents a valuable opportunity to participate in a project focused on nurturing technology start-ups. Companies with expertise in business consultancy, project management, and start-up support services would be ideally suited to compete for this contract. Given the structured, high-intensity cohort model envisaged by Sunderland City Council, firms with a track record in delivering scalable support programmes could greatly benefit. This initiative not only promises commercial engagement but also aligns with efforts to foster high-value job creation and regional talent retention, boosting the tech ecosystem in Sunderland.

## Notice

Sunderland City Council is seeking to commission a co-located start-up incubator programme in Sunderland to support early-stage technology businesses, bridging the gap between idea and investment readiness through a structured, high-intensity cohort model based at Culture House. The programme will create a strong pipeline of scalable ventures, combining public and private support to boost investment, retain talent, generate high-value jobs, and strengthen Sunderland's reputation as a leading location for tech start-ups.

### Planning Information

There is a preliminary market engagement questionnaire available on the Councils online tendering platform, the Open system.
You will need to create an account on Open in order to access and bid for public sector opportunities issued by Sunderland City Council.
Visit www.open-uk.org to register an account
(Registration is free and easy. Simply head over to www.open-uk.org and complete the online registration form).
Top tips to help you get started:
Keep an eye out for the temporary password to confirm your account - this is only valid for 3 days so if you have not logged in during this period, you will need to contact open.support@nepo.org to request a new temporary password
Adding your Companies House number will populate fields and make it easier to register
Once registered, select Codes & Categories relevant to your area of business
Add notifications@open-uk.org to your safe sender list to ensure you don't miss out on notifications of relevant opportunities
The Open Hub is packed with resources and information to help you get the most out of Open. We have answered your questions in our FAQ section and developed a range of how-to guides so you can familiarise yourself with the system at your own pace. Visit www.open-hub.org to find out more
Suppliers must also ahead of the publication of the tender, register on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) and ensure their information is up-to-date on the system .
The CDP is available at https://www.gov.uk/find-tender.
This market engagement will allow the Council to understand the appetite in the market and prepare the market and to advise them to register with the appropriate sies to ensure that have access to all documentation and can submit compliant tenders.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059639-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 3 Jul 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 20 Sep 2026 - 20 Sep 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £450,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | SUNDERLAND |
| Post town | Sunderland |
| Postcode | SR1 3AA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC44 Sunderland |
| Local authority | Sunderland |
| Electoral ward | Millfield |
| Westminster constituency | Sunderland Central |
| Delivery location | TLC23 Sunderland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

## Release History

- 25 Jun 2026 at 06:28 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059639-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059639-2026
  25th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/find-tender
- 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-06bca4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06bca4.json.