The North East Combined Authority has launched its Business Support North East Framework, a new procurement route for organisations delivering enterprise, entrepreneurship, business growth, skills, investment and specialist advisory services across the region.
The framework has an estimated value of £23 million including VAT and covers five lots, giving business support providers and specialist consultancies the opportunity to compete in areas aligned with their expertise. Tenders close at 5pm on 13 November 2026. For suppliers considering the competition, selecting the appropriate lot and demonstrating measurable business outcomes will be central to a strong submission.
Business Support North East Framework: key details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Contracting authority | North East Combined Authority |
| Programme | Business North East |
| Estimated framework value | £23 million including VAT |
| Lots | Five |
| Procedure | Open procedure |
| Intended initial period | 1 January 2027 to 31 March 2029 |
| Potential extensions | Up to 31 March 2032 |
| Supplier suitability | Includes SMEs and specialist providers |
| Tender submission deadline | 13 November 2026 at 5pm |
| Latest tender notice | Find a Tender: Business Support North East |
The £23 million estimate relates to the framework as a whole. It should not be interpreted as an individual contract award or a guaranteed revenue opportunity. The contracting authority has published an amended tender notice dated 20 October 2026, so suppliers should use the updated procurement information rather than relying exclusively on the earlier notice.
What is Business North East?
Business North East is a region-wide approach to supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and growing firms, developed by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority in partnership with the seven constituent local authorities.
The intention is to create a simpler, more coordinated system of business support. A regional hub will work alongside local authority networks so that businesses can access the expertise they need at different stages of development, rather than navigating disconnected programmes.
The broader model follows five stages of the business journey:
- Inspire: Encourage entrepreneurship and awareness of opportunities, including among younger people and underrepresented groups.
- Explore: Help potential founders develop propositions and improve their readiness to start a business.
- Start: Support business creation, early trading and stronger survival prospects.
- Succeed: Improve productivity, resilience, innovation and technology adoption among established businesses.
- Grow: Help ambitious firms scale, access investment, enter markets and create jobs.
The new framework will give the authority flexibility to commission organisations that can deliver these ambitions. This includes both providers able to coordinate substantial programmes and specialist businesses offering focused expertise.
What are the five framework lots?
Each lot addresses a particular aspect of enterprise and economic development. Suppliers should choose based on the work they can evidence, rather than applying across every category simply because their services have some overlap.
Lot 1: Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Business Start-up Support
Lot 1 is aimed at the earlier stages of the business journey. It covers support for people exploring self-employment, testing business ideas, establishing new ventures and managing the challenges of early trading.
Potential delivery activities may include enterprise awareness, start-up mentoring, business planning, founder development and practical support that helps new firms become viable. Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience of reaching intended audiences, engaging participants and securing meaningful progression rather than only reporting event attendance.
Lot 2: Business Growth, Productivity and Specialist Business Support
This lot focuses on established firms looking to improve their operations and resilience. The scope may be relevant to management consultants, digital adoption specialists, productivity advisers, operational improvement experts and organisations delivering targeted business development support.
Businesses should consider how their methodologies identify barriers, diagnose needs, implement improvements and measure resulting change. Examples that demonstrate enhanced productivity, adoption of new systems, stronger processes or improved performance will be more useful than generic claims about providing advice.
Lot 3: High Growth, Scale-up and Investment Support
Lot 3 addresses businesses with strong growth ambitions and more advanced needs. Relevant expertise could include investment readiness, access to finance, scale-up strategy, market expansion and support for developing high-growth business models.
Applicants should be ready to explain how they assess readiness, adapt interventions to different growth stages and support commercial decisions. Evidence of helping firms secure funding, create skilled jobs, launch new products or expand into new markets may be relevant where it can be appropriately substantiated.
Lot 4: Sector, Cluster, Supply Chain and Market Development
This lot concerns economic development at sector and supply-chain level. Organisations experienced in cluster development, sector programmes, market intelligence, supplier development and business networks may find a particularly relevant opportunity here.
A persuasive response could show how the supplier has built productive partnerships, connected businesses with new opportunities or developed sector-specific support. Delivery needs to reflect the North East's economic priorities, the needs of businesses and the ability to coordinate stakeholders effectively.
Lot 5: Business Engagement, Development and Programme Delivery Services
Lot 5 covers the practical delivery and coordination of business engagement and support programmes. It may interest organisations with experience of outreach, programme management, training coordination, communications and maintaining relationships across business communities.
Successful delivery will depend on more than a contact database. Suppliers should show how they engage the right businesses, make support accessible, manage referrals, maintain programme records and report results back to commissioners.
Who should consider bidding?
The framework is intended to accommodate a diverse supplier market. This includes larger organisations able to deliver integrated business support programmes, SMEs with a strong regional presence and niche providers with specialist expertise in one or more intervention areas.
Potential applicants include enterprise agencies, business growth consultancies, universities or knowledge-transfer partners, sector bodies, training providers, investment support specialists and professional service businesses with a demonstrable track record in relevant programmes.
Being a smaller organisation does not automatically make the framework unsuitable. The stronger question is whether your team has the capability, resources and evidence to deliver the selected lot reliably. Suppliers should review the full tender documents for participation requirements, any lot-specific conditions and rules around bidding for more than one lot.
How will the tender be evaluated?
The published tender information identifies a quality-led evaluation, with the notice listing quality at 100%. Applicants should inspect the full procurement documents to understand how that score is broken down, whether criteria differ between lots and how commercial information is handled.
The emphasis on quality means bidders should demonstrate how their service will contribute to outcomes that matter to the authority and regional businesses. A compelling submission will normally need a clear delivery model, relevant experience and practical arrangements for measuring success.
Demonstrate credible regional delivery
Explain how your organisation will reach businesses across the North East and work alongside the regional hub and local authority networks. Consider accessibility, coverage, referral routes, partnerships and how delivery will be adapted to different local circumstances.
Use evidence that matches your selected lot
A start-up mentoring case study may be excellent evidence for Lot 1 but less persuasive for an investment and scale-up response under Lot 3. Select examples that show comparable participants, programme size, delivery challenges and outcomes. Where possible, quantify the results and identify your own contribution.
Show how performance will be measured
Business support programmes can generate large numbers of sessions and activities without necessarily delivering useful change. Explain how you track progression and outcomes, such as business creation, adoption of improved processes, investment readiness, new market access or productivity improvements, where relevant to your lot.
Provide a realistic mobilisation and governance plan
Consider staffing, subcontractor arrangements, quality assurance, stakeholder management, information handling, reporting and escalation. Commissioners need confidence that the support can be mobilised efficiently and delivered consistently over time.
Make inclusion part of the operating model
The Business North East programme aims to create accessible support across different communities and stages of the business lifecycle. Applicants should be able to show how they avoid barriers to participation, communicate clearly and respond to differing business needs.
Thornton & Lowe's bid writing services can help suppliers organise evidence, align their response to the evaluation criteria and prepare clear, convincing method statements within the tender timetable.
How will work be awarded through the framework?
Appointment to the framework creates an approved route through which the North East Combined Authority can commission services. The published arrangements provide for awards with or without further competition, subject to the framework's rules and the requirements of each individual contract.
Suppliers therefore need to assess the opportunity beyond the immediate bid. Consider whether the selected lot aligns with your service proposition, what ongoing capacity you can make available, and how you will respond competitively when individual requirements arise. Framework places do not guarantee call-off work.
How to apply before 13 November
The procurement is at tender stage under an open procedure, meaning suppliers must complete the required bid by 5pm on Friday 13 November 2026. The authority is using the Open eProcurement portal for the competition; applicants should access the opportunity using the instructions linked from the latest Find a Tender notice.
With limited time remaining, suppliers should download the tender pack, confirm lot selection, review the published scoring model and set a practical internal timetable for drafting, evidence gathering and final checks. Any outstanding clarification issues should be checked against the portal's published Q&A before completing the submission.
Get bid support for the Business Support North East Framework
For organisations that can demonstrate meaningful improvements in entrepreneurship, productivity, innovation or business growth, this framework could create a valuable route into regional programme delivery. The strongest responses will connect specialist expertise to credible delivery plans and measurable business outcomes.
Thornton & Lowe supports professional services, consultancy and training providers with bid strategy, tender writing, evidence development and independent review. If you're considering an application, contact our team to discuss the most appropriate lot and the help you need to submit a competitive tender.
