AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Sunderland City Council has published a contract award notice naming ESESSEE LIMITED for the Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme. The award remains pending and the notice schedules a future signature date, so this is not evidence of a signed or active contract.
Published outcomeOne pending award for lot 1 names verified supplier ESESSEE LIMITED, with an award value of £450,000 excluding VAT (£540,000 gross).
Market significanceThe proposed three-year programme would deliver a co-located, cohort-based technology start-up incubator at Culture House in Sunderland, focused on investment readiness, venture growth, talent retention and high-value jobs.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
ESESSEE LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £450,000 excluding VAT; £540,000 gross GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 names ESESSEE LIMITED as supplier and gives amount £450,000 and amountGross £540,000. Supplier identity is verified against Companies House number 15546701.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract award notice published 12 October 2026
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Award document 096143-2026 is described as a Contract award notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-12.
Award status
99% confidencePending
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Award 1 has status "pending".
Contract conclusion
98% confidenceNot evidenced as signed or active
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The award is pending and lists a future signature milestone rather than a concluded-contract status.
Lot status
95% confidenceLot 1 complete
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Tender lot 1 has status "complete".
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
99% confidence£450,000
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Award 1 value.amount is 450000 GBP.
Award value including VAT
99% confidence£540,000
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 540000 GBP.
Value allocation
95% confidenceSingle-award value associated with award 1 / lot 1
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Award 1 names one supplier and relates to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Preliminary market engagement notice
98% confidence25 June 2026
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Release history records notice 059639-2026, tagged planning, dated 2026-06-25.
Tender notice published
99% confidence7 September 2026
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Release history records tender notice 084508-2026 dated 2026-09-07.
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence6 October 2026, 12:00 BST
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-10-06T12:00:00+01:00.
Award decision date
98% confidence9 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-09T00:00:00+01:00.
Assessment summaries sent
98% confidence12 October 2026
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Award 1 assessmentSummariesDateSent is 2026-10-12.
Standstill end
99% confidence22 October 2026, 23:59:59 BST
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
Scheduled future signature date
99% confidence16 November 2026
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Award milestone type futureSignatureDate has dueDate 2026-11-16T23:59:59Z and status scheduled.
Planned contract period
98% confidence16 November 2026 to 16 November 2029
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives startDate 2026-11-16 and endDate 2029-11-16.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceCo-located start-up incubator programme for early-stage technology businesses
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Published description states the Council seeks to commission a co-located start-up incubator programme in Sunderland.
Delivery model
99% confidenceStructured, high-intensity cohort model based at Culture House
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Published description specifies a structured, high-intensity cohort model based at Culture House.
Intended outcomes
97% confidenceInvestment readiness, scalable venture pipeline, talent retention, high-value jobs and Sunderland tech-start-up positioning
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Published description lists these intended programme outcomes.
Service classification
99% confidenceBusiness and management consultancy and related services (CPV 79400000)
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Award item additional classification is CPV 79400000.
Delivery area
98% confidenceUKC23, United Kingdom
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Award item delivery address is region UKC23, United Kingdom.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceOpen procedure
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Tender procurementMethod is "open" and procurementMethodDetails is "Open procedure".
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Process main_category and award mainProcurementCategory are services.
Threshold status
99% confidenceAbove threshold
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition information
99% confidenceNumber of tenders and evaluation results not supplied in the published data
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No bid count, bidder list, scores or evaluation narrative is provided.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Planned term
98% confidenceThree years, from 16 November 2026 to 16 November 2029
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Award contractPeriod specifies those dates; the award remains pending.
Signature milestone
99% confidenceScheduled for 16 November 2026
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Award milestone is a scheduled futureSignatureDate on 2026-11-16.
Standstill period
99% confidenceEnds 22 October 2026
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-22T23:59:59+01:00.
Renewal or extension terms
99% confidenceNot supplied in the published notice data
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No extension or renewal terms are provided.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial position
95% confidenceA single pending award covers the published incubator programme requirement
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One award, one supplier and one related lot are present in the published data.
Value basis
99% confidencePublished values distinguish £450,000 excluding VAT from £540,000 gross
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Award 1 provides both amount and amountGross in GBP.
Supplier opportunity signal
93% confidenceThe service combines start-up incubation, investment-readiness support and business-management consultancy activities
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Programme description and CPV 79400000 identify these elements.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and contract status
99% confidenceAward is pending; a signed contract or active service commencement is not evidenced
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Award 1 status is pending and signature is recorded only as a future scheduled milestone.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate lot value
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Lot record 1 contains null title, description and value fields.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice data
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No tender count, tenderer results, scoring, pricing breakdown or award rationale is included.
Contract terms detail
98% confidenceExtension, renewal, performance and pricing terms are not supplied
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The supplied record contains only the planned period, values and standstill/signature milestones.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award is pending, with a scheduled future signature date; the supplied data does not evidence a signed, concluded or active contract.
- Information not supplied in the published notice data: tender count, unsuccessful bidders, evaluation scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown and performance measures.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- No renewal or extension terms are supplied; the November 2029 reprocurement timing is only an estimate based on the stated planned end date.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Sunderland Technology Incubator ProgrammeSunderland City CouncilESESSEE LIMITEDtechnology incubatorstart-up supportpublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who was named in the Sunderland Technology Incubator Programme award?
ESESSEE LIMITED was named as the supplier for pending award 1.
What is the published value of the award?
The published value is £450,000 excluding VAT and £540,000 gross.
Has the contract been signed?
Not according to the supplied record. The award is pending and shows a future signature date of 16 November 2026.
How long is the planned contract period?
The published planned period is 16 November 2026 to 16 November 2029.
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.