Expired contract

Critical Friend - Devolution Programme

Details

Buyer: Essex County Council
Supplier(s): Solace
Value: £70,400
Duration: 3 months
Topic: Business and management consultancy services
Published: 2 January 2026
Source: uk:find_a_tender

Tender description

The devolution programme team is bringing on external 'critical friends', experts who have been recruited through the company Solace. The purpose of this external critical friend is to independently assess the Devolution programme deliverables and outcomes to ensure that the new MCCA is fit for purpose and to review operational efficiency, compliance and performance outcomes to meet the objectives in the White paper. The assessment should provide recommendations for improvements or corrective actions. Actions will include: Review of Programme with CEOs/Leaders and WSLs. Review approach, strategy, operational, governance and deliverables. Review relationships and ambition with and between Greater Essex and the CA Review of programme governance and Governance approach for CCA , Constitution Strategic insights. Call on for advice/strategic insight as required by Sponsors. Targeted as needed Advise programme team on investment opportunities. Work with team to design investment opportunity options for Mayor Induction pack ## Contract award

Timeline

Completed: Award published2 January 2026
Current notice
Completed: Award date2 January 2026
Completed: Contract expiry date28 March 2026

About the buyer

Essex County Council is a local authority that procures through three in-house teams, Corporate, Place and People. Larger opportunities are advertised through Open, the council's own tendering and contract management platform. Smaller and lower-value contract notices instead appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. The Place team commissions highways, waste, energy and transport work, including a dedicated Dynamic Purchasing System for bidders. Construction projects separately run through the Essex Construction Framework, a route for regional contractors. The People team commissions education, social care, adult support and public health services across the county.

UK local government drives £140bn in annual procurement, led by social protection (£66.6bn) and education (£57.1bn).

Over the past 5 years, most of Essex County Council's contract awards have been in IT services, construction work and business services.

Relevant CPV codes

79410000 · Business and management consultancy services

Decision makers

Connect with the people behind this procurement.

Job title	Phone number	Work email
Head of Procurement	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov
Commercial Director	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov
Procurement Manager	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov
Category Lead	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov
Senior Buyer	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov
Contracts Manager	+44 •••• ••••••	••••••••@essex-county-council.gov