AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Cheshire West and Chester Council published contract details for an interim strategic housing and development leadership service for Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority. The active contract was signed with IRG ADVISORS LLP following a below-threshold direct procurement without competition.
Published outcomeIRG ADVISORS LLP was awarded contract 1 for the single published lot.
Market significanceThis is a short-term, specialist public-sector management consultancy engagement supporting housing, place-based growth and mobilisation of a Spatial Development Strategy.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
IRG ADVISORS LLP
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £148,000 net (£177,600 gross) GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Award 1 names IRG ADVISORS LLP as supplier. The supplier is verified against Companies House number OC354226. Contract 1, linked to award 1, records £148,000 excluding VAT and £177,600 including VAT.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document 097596-2026 is described as a 'Contract details notice on Find a Tender'.
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is 'complete'.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 status is 'active'.
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 status is 'active'.
Contract signed
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contract 1 records dateSigned as 2026-10-07.
Contract start
99% confidence8 October 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-10-08.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£148,000
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Contract 1 value.amount is 148000 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£177,600
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 177600 GBP.
Value allocation
94% confidenceContract-level value for the single published award and supplier
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Contract 1 links to award 1; award 1 names one supplier and relates to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence7 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-07.
Contract start
99% confidence8 October 2026
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Contract 1 startDate is 2026-10-08.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 endDate is 2027-03-31.
Notice published
99% confidence15 October 2026
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Notice 097596-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-15.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceInterim Strategic Lead for Housing and Development
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Published procurement title.
Service scope
98% confidenceOperational leadership and delivery oversight for the housing and place agenda, focused on mobilising the Spatial Development Strategy and strengthening housing delivery and place-based growth.
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Published procurement description.
Category
99% confidenceServices — general management consultancy services (CPV 79411000)
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Award 1 main procurement category is services; its item carries CPV 79411000.
Delivery region
96% confidenceNorth West England (UKD)
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Award item delivery address specifies region UKD.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect
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Tender procurementMethod is 'direct'.
Competition basis
99% confidenceBelow threshold — without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states 'Below threshold - without competition'.
Lots
98% confidenceOne published lot (lot 1)
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Tender data contains lot 1 only; award 1 and contract 1 link to it.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence8 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate and endDate.
Term length
94% confidenceApproximately 5 months and 24 days
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Calculated from the explicit contract dates.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Engagement profile
88% confidenceThe contract combines interim leadership with strategic delivery support rather than a clearly defined standalone project deliverable.
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The description calls for operational leadership and delivery oversight, including SDS mobilisation and housing delivery strengthening.
Route-to-market signal
99% confidenceThe buyer used a below-threshold direct route without competition for this requirement.
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Published procurement method details state 'Below threshold - without competition'.
Published pricing
98% confidenceThe notice provides total net and gross contract values but no rate card, milestone, payment, or pricing-breakdown information.
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Contract value fields are published; no further pricing terms are supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and contract linkage
97% confidenceClear
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Contract 1 links to award 1, which names one supplier and relates to lot 1.
Supplier identity
99% confidenceVerified
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IRG ADVISORS LLP is verified by Companies House number OC354226.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 is present with status only; title, description and value fields are null.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, bidder list, award rationale or evaluation scores are provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published lot has no title, description or individual lot value.
- Information on bids received, competing suppliers, evaluation, award rationale and scoring was not supplied in the published notice.
- No extension, option or renewal terms were published.
- No rate card, milestone schedule, payment terms or pricing breakdown was supplied.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
IRG ADVISORS LLPCheshire West and Chester CouncilCheshire and Warrington Combined Authorityhousing and developmentSpatial Development Strategymanagement consultancypublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Cheshire and Warrington interim housing leadership contract?
IRG ADVISORS LLP, verified against Companies House number OC354226.
What is the value of the contract?
The published contract value is £148,000 excluding VAT and £177,600 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published term runs from 8 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Was the contract competitively tendered?
The notice states that it was a below-threshold direct procurement without competition.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.