--- title: "Business Support North East Framework" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077ace" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077ace" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077ace.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077ace.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "North East Combined Authority" published: "2026-09-25" --- # Business Support North East Framework Buyer: North East Combined Authority Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077ace [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077ace) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077ace.json) ## Summary North East Combined Authority plans a Business North East framework for specialist business support, enterprise and related services across the North East. The programme is intended to create a coordinated, accessible support system for entrepreneurs and businesses, delivered through a regional hub and local authority networks. Support is expected to span the business lifecycle: encouraging entrepreneurship, helping people prepare business propositions and start businesses, improving established firms’ productivity and resilience, and helping ambitious businesses scale, access finance and enter new markets. The anticipated service areas include finance, workforce development, innovation, digital adoption, mentoring and growth support. Five areas are envisaged: start-up support; business growth and productivity; high-growth and investment; sector, cluster and supply-chain development; and business engagement, training and programme support. The process is at planning: the authority has stated its intention to establish a framework, but this is not an invitation to tender. A market engagement event is scheduled for 6 October 2026. The framework is anticipated to cover five lots and to run from 4 January 2027 to 4 January 2029. The authority expects to use it as a flexible route for commissioning services in support of Business North East and wider regional economic priorities. The source describes a framework arrangement but gives no procurement method or evaluation basis. The dates and service structure are planning expectations, rather than bid deadlines or a final specification. The planned framework is intended to accommodate both organisations able to deliver broad business support programmes and specialist providers focused on particular sectors, business needs or interventions. Relevant suppliers are those with the capability and experience to support one or more of the five areas, such as enterprise and start-up advice, productivity and business growth, scale-up and investment, sector or supply-chain development, or engagement, training and programme support. The buyer says suppliers should be suitably qualified, but does not set out specific accreditations or technical qualifications here. Small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable. The breadth of service areas may suit providers with complementary expertise, including those able to respond as business needs and regional priorities evolve. ## Notice Business North East is a new region-wide approach to business support developed by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA) in partnership with the seven constituent local authorities. It will provide a simplified, coordinated and accessible business support system for entrepreneurs and businesses across the North East, supporting business The model will include a regional hub, use local authority network to maintaining strong relationships with businesses. The wider Business North East programme is expected to operate through five integrated areas of activity across the business lifecycle: Inspire - increase entrepreneurial awareness and aspiration, particularly amongst younger people and underrepresented groups. Explore - improve enterprise readiness and strengthen the quality of business propositions entering the support system. Start - increase business creation and improve business survival prospects through tailored support and business development assistance. Succeed - improve productivity, innovation, technology adoption and business resilience amongst established businesses. Grow - support ambitious businesses to scale, create jobs, access finance and enter new markets. The North East MSA intends to establish a framework to provide a flexible route through which a range of specialist business support, enterprise and related services may be commissioned in support of Business North East and wider regional economic priorities. It is anticipated that the framework will encompass a broad range of services, across five separate Lots: 1. Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up 2. Business Growth, Productivity and Specialist Support 3. High Growth, Scale-up and Investment 4. Sector, Cluster and Supply Chain Development 5. Business Engagement, Training and Programme Support These areas reflect the anticipated breadth of Business North East, which is intended to respond to business needs including access to finance, productivity, workforce development, innovation, digital adoption, mentoring and growth support. The Framework is intended to enable the North East MSA and constituent local authorities to identify suitably qualified suppliers with the capability and experience to deliver services within one or more of these areas. The approach is intended to accommodate a diverse supplier market, including organisations capable of delivering broad business support programmes alongside specialist providers with expertise in particular sectors, business needs or forms of intervention. It will also support the development of new and emerging provision as business needs, economic conditions and regional priorities evolve. ### Planning Information Please follow the link below to the market engagement event taking place on 6th October 2026. https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.co.uk%2Fe%2Fmarket-engagement-event-business-north-east-business-support-framework-tickets-2002281399566%3Faff%3Doddtdtcreator&data=05%7C02%7Cjessica.shield%40northeast-ca.gov.uk%7Ce45e95b955844ade128508df1aef960f%7Cb29fb4c00d044a9fb462c1294b1e1b47%7C0%7C0%7C639259288506405927%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dUaN7CDXk6h0YMTyI1mVGI4SDVQDOBPr6ruK8S9EoB0%3D&reserved=0 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091097-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | 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 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Jan 2027 - 4 Jan 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | 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 | 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 | TLC14 Durham, TLC2 Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 66171000 - Financial consultancy services - 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services - 72413000 - World wide web (www) site design services - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 79342000 - Marketing services - 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services - 79950000 - Exhibition, fair and congress organisation services - 79990000 - Miscellaneous business-related services - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 25 Sep 2026 at 15:25 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091097-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091097-2026 25th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.co.uk%2Fe%2Fmarket-engagement-event-business-north-east-business-support-framework-tickets-2002281399566%3Faff%3Doddtdtcreator&data=05%7C02%7Cjessica.shield%40northeast-ca.gov.uk%7Ce45e95b955844ade128508df1aef960f%7Cb29fb4c00d044a9fb462c1294b1e1b47%7C0%7C0%7C639259288506405927%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dUaN7CDXk6h0YMTyI1mVGI4SDVQDOBPr6ruK8S9EoB0%3D&reserved=0 - 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-077ace. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077ace.json.