AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Central Bedfordshire Council has published contract details for ResilienTogether communications and engagement delivery. The published contract names 3KQ as supplier for specialist communications, engagement and interpretation services supporting a DEFRA-funded flood-resilience programme.
Published outcomeAward 1 is active and linked to an active contract. The source explicitly records the contract as signed on 3 July 2026, with a stated start date of 29 July 2026.
Market significanceThis is a below-threshold direct award for communications, public engagement, educational content and interpretation services connected with flood-risk and catchment-management communication.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
3KQ
98% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £31,200 excluding VAT; £37,440 including VAT GBP · Active award and active contract
View supporting evidence
Award 1 identifies supplier 3KQ. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states GBP amount 31,200 and amountGross 37,440.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Published notice
99% confidenceContract details notice published 19 October 2026
View supporting evidence
Document 098328-2026 is described as a Contract details notice on Find a Tender and dated 2026-10-19.
Award status
98% confidenceActive
View supporting evidence
Award 1 has status 'active'.
Contract status
99% confidenceActive; explicitly signed
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 has status 'active' and dateSigned of 2026-07-03.
Procurement route
99% confidenceDirect award, below threshold without competition
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethod is 'direct' and procurementMethodDetails states 'Below threshold - without competition'.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£31,200
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amount is 31200 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£37,440
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 value.amountGross is 37440 GBP.
Value allocation
92% confidencePublished at contract level for the sole named supplier and linked award; no separate lot value is stated
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 is linked to award 1, which names one supplier and relates to lot 1; lot 1 has no published value.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence3 July 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-07-03.
Contract start
99% confidence29 July 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-07-29.
Initial contract end
99% confidence18 December 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.endDate is 2026-12-18.
Maximum stated extent
99% confidence31 March 2027
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.maxExtentDate is 2027-03-31.
Notice publication
99% confidence19 October 2026
View supporting evidence
The contract details notice datePublished is 2026-10-19.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Service scope
98% confidenceSpecialist communications, engagement and interpretation services for the ResilienTogether programme
View supporting evidence
The published description states this is for the continued provision of these services.
Deliverables
98% confidenceSTEM learning and educational content, public-facing engagement materials, signage and interpretation resources, stakeholder engagement and programme coordination
View supporting evidence
These deliverables are listed in the published contract description.
Programme purpose
97% confidenceCommunicating flood-risk and catchment-management information accessibly to improve community understanding, awareness and long-term flood resilience
View supporting evidence
The description states this intended support and outcome.
Classification
99% confidenceCPV 79416000 — Public relations services
View supporting evidence
Award item 1 lists CPV 79416000 with description 'Public relations services'.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceDirect procurement
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethod is 'direct'.
Competition position
99% confidenceBelow threshold — without competition
View supporting evidence
Tender procurementMethodDetails states 'Below threshold - without competition'.
Bid and evaluation information
98% confidenceNot supplied in the published notice
View supporting evidence
No bidder count, tender responses, evaluation criteria, scores or award rationale is provided in the supplied data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Initial term
99% confidence29 July 2026 to 18 December 2026
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 period.startDate and period.endDate state these dates.
Extension option
99% confidenceOptional extension to 31 March 2027
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 hasRenewal is true and renewal.description states 'optional extension to 31st March 2027'.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceNo
View supporting evidence
Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
94% confidenceThe award combines communications, engagement, education-content and interpretation work within one directly awarded below-threshold services contract.
View supporting evidence
The service description lists these activities, while the tender record states direct, below-threshold procurement without competition.
Incumbency signal
87% confidenceThe notice describes a continued provision of services, but does not identify a previous contract or incumbent supplier.
View supporting evidence
The description uses 'continued provision'; no prior contract or incumbent information is supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier legal-identity verification
98% confidenceThe published supplier name is 3KQ. No verified legal company name or company number is supplied, and supplier verification is marked not applicable; the published name should not be treated as independently company-verified.
View supporting evidence
Supplier record has verified_company_name and verified_company_number as null; supplier_identity_status is 'not_applicable'.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 is identified but has no published title, description or individual value.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 has null title, description and value fields.
Competition and evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
View supporting evidence
No bid count, evaluation detail, scoring or award rationale is present in the supplied data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- No verified legal company name or company number is supplied for 3KQ; its published name is not independently company-verified in the supplied data.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information on bidders, evaluation, scores, pricing breakdowns and award rationale is not supplied in the published notice.
- The source describes continued provision but does not identify any prior contract or incumbent supplier.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Central Bedfordshire Council3KQResilienTogethercommunications and engagementflood resiliencepublic relations servicesdirect award
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the ResilienTogether communications contract?
The published award names 3KQ as the supplier for award 1.
What is the contract value?
The contract value is £31,200 excluding VAT and £37,440 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The stated initial period runs from 29 July 2026 to 18 December 2026, with an optional extension to 31 March 2027.
Was the contract competitively tendered?
The notice records a direct, below-threshold 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.