---
title: "Community Impact Fund: Programme Mobilisation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "North East Combined Authority"
published: "2026-08-20"
---

# Community Impact Fund: Programme Mobilisation

Buyer: North East Combined Authority  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca

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## Summary

North East Combined Authority is procuring mobilisation and delivery-partner support for the North East Community Impact Fund (CIF), a programme within its Inclusive Futures service. The work is designed to move the fund into operational delivery, aligned with ambitions on child poverty, resilient communities, good work and inclusive growth. The provider will finalise the operating model and governance, prepare delivery plans, design the Outcomes Match Fund framework, scope providers for programme management, grant administration and evaluation, and support procurement and grant procedures. It will also develop pipelines of potential VCSE providers, commissioners and outcomes-based opportunities, plus communications and stakeholder engagement plans. Delivery is across the North East, with the authority based in Newcastle upon Tyne. This is a public-service consulting opportunity, classified under business services.

The procurement is complete and a supplier has been selected through a direct award below the threshold, without competition. It comprises one completed lot, suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. Social Finance Limited was selected for services valued at £90,720 gross, including the same amount net, in GBP. The contract period runs from 7 September 2026 to 5 February 2027, with one six-month extension option allowing the period to run to 5 August 2027. The award is recorded as pending, with signature scheduled for 20 August 2026. The stated requirement covers mobilisation, governance, delivery planning, market and pipeline development, procurement support, stakeholder engagement and preparation for programme launch.

This requirement shows demand for a specialist delivery partner able to turn a public-sector funding programme from business-case stage into operational delivery. A credible competitor would need experience designing operating models and governance, producing practical delivery plans, and establishing programme infrastructure, milestones, roles and dependencies. Relevant capability includes outcomes-based commissioning and funding, match-fund design, market development, grant and procurement procedures, and identifying delivery partners. Strong candidates would understand VCSE organisations, their capacity-building needs and routes into outcomes-based provision, as well as the priorities of local authorities and public-service commissioners. Evidence of stakeholder engagement, communications, pipeline development, programme assurance and onboarding delivery teams would also be important for a future requirement from this buyer.

## Notice

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA) seeks to appoint a delivery partner to mobilise the North East Community Impact Fund (CIF) and support its timely transition into operational delivery, with clear governance, delivery plans, procurement routes, partner roles, programme infrastructure and initial opportunity pipelines in place. The North East CIF programme primarily speaks to 'the home of real opportunity' mission, and forms part of our Inclusive Futures service, within the Skills, Inclusion and Public Service Reform Directorate. It aligns closely with the MSA's ambitions on child poverty, resilient communities, good work, and inclusive growth. The appointed provider will: 1. Build on the Full Business Case (FBC) and take into account the funding conditions and recommendations from the appraisal process, to finalise the design of the CIF programme, including its operating model and governance structures, ensuring the CIF is ready to begin delivery by early 2027. * Create a clear delivery plan for the programme including a timeline with key milestones, dependencies, roles and responsibilities, with particular detail given for 2026/27. * Create a delivery framework for the Pillar 3 Outcomes Match Fund, including how the budget, approach, and decision-making process to allocate funds will: o In year 1, prioritise match funding for ready-to-go outcomes-based models/projects with a proven track record of delivery, to enable an agile response to emerging funding opportunities (e.g. BFF round 1), and to provide learning to inform the MSA's approach to match funding in later stages of the CIF. o Particularly during years 2 and 3, if funds allow and organisations are at the required state of readiness, enable regional organisations, including those supported through the capacity-building elements of the CIF, to benefit from match funding for outcomes-based programmes, as per the intentions outlined in the FBC. * Scope the market to identify potential providers for the other contracted elements of the CIF, including the Programme Management Office function (PMO), grant administration and evaluation elements, taking into particular consideration the capability and capacity of regional VCSE organisations, whilst ensuring compliance with the MSA's financial and procurement rules at all times. * Work with North East MSA colleagues (including in the Procurement and Programme Assurance Teams) to agree and implement the necessary procurement and grant award procedures to mobilise the programme, enabling the appointment of key delivery partners and supporting infrastructure - particularly for the PMO and regional VCSE support. * Work with VONNE and key stakeholders to identify potential regional strategic projects that will enable the delivery of Pillar 2 (System Resilience and Capability) and support VCSE organisations to access outcomes-based commissioning approaches, providing recommendations of how such work should be delivered and by whom. * Establish initial pipelines, each in an updatable format and with a defined scope and approach, for: o VCSE organisations with potential to become outcomes-based providers, including insight into their development needs and state of readiness, to inform the activity to be delivered through Pillar 2 (System Resilience and Capability Support). o Local authorities and other public service commissioners who are motivated, or have potential, to commission on an outcomes basis, including early insight into their priorities, opportunities, readiness, and interest in outcomes-based commissioning. o Outcomes-based tender and funding opportunities aligned with the priorities of the North East MSA, particularly to inform the delivery and planning of the Outcomes Match Fund under Pillar 3. * Work with North East MSA communications colleagues, and partners such as VONNE, to develop a communications and stakeholder engagement plan, in particular to ensure clear and timely communication with the VCSE sector and share opportunities whilst managing expectations in relation to the scope, opportunities and limitations of the CIF. * Prepare the North East MSA and appointed CIF PMO for programme launch and transition into operational delivery, including onboarding of PMO staff and other key appointments and contractors during the mobilisation phase.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079533-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 7 Sep 2026 - 5 Feb 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £90,720 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | North East Combined Authority |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Postcode area | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE4 5BZ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Arthur's Hill |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SOCIAL FINANCE LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

## Release History

- 20 Aug 2026 at 14:58 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079533-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079533-2026
  20th August 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.socialfinance.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-06e8ca. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e8ca.json.