Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House, Russell Road
IPSWICH
IP1 2BX
Contact
Michelle Youngs
michelle.youngs@suffolk.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 1473265789
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH14 - Suffolk
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
VCFSE Infrastructure Services
Reference number
CD1441
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 98133100 - Civic betterment and community facility support services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Suffolk County Council is committed to supporting a thriving Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the county to enable it to continue providing key services for the people of Suffolk. The Council intends to procure an infrastructure support service for the VCFSE sector starting on 1st October 2025. The contract period will be for 3 years (1st October 2025 – 30th September 2028) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum total contract value (including the extension period) is £1,848,000 excluding VAT. The submission deadline is 10th March 2025 at 12noon.Please note this procurement and the subsequent contract will fall under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £1,848,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH - East of England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Suffolk County Council is committed to supporting a thriving Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the county to enable it to continue providing key services for the people of Suffolk. The Council intends to procure an infrastructure support service for the VCFSE sector starting on 1st October 2025. The contract period will be for 3 years (1st October 2025 – 30th September 2028) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum total contract value (including the extension period) is £1,848,000 excluding VAT. The service will cover:- Advice, support and training: Prioritising programmes addressing specific needs such as funding, business governance and safeguarding- Digital adoption: Supporting organisations with tools for fundraising, marketing and AI integration.- Volunteer management: Promotion and support through 'Volunteer Suffolk'.- Resource and funding: Sector-wide audits and alignment with health outcomes- Joint training and workshops: Collaborative learning opportunities between VCSFE and commissioners, with an emphasis on coproduction- Monitoring and evaluation: Support to improve the sector's impact and service delivery.- Annual State of the sector survey and reportThe submission deadline is 10th March 2025 at 12noon.Please note this procurement and the subsequent contract will fall under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 90%
Cost criterion - Name: Charges (Finance) / Weighting: 10%
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2025/S 000-003946
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
CD1441
Title
VCFSE Infrastructure Services
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
17 November 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Community Action Suffolk
Brightspace, 160 Hadleigh Road
Ipswich
IP2 0HH
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH14 - Suffolk
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £1,848,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £1,848,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
Country
United Kingdom