The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has awarded s contract for North West community flood resilience engagement support services with an estimated value of £2.52 million including VAT.

The GMCA went out to tender for a neutral intermediary organisation operating in the space between communities who have flooded, or who are at risk of flooding, and flood risk management authorities (RMAs), across the North West of England.

The desired outcome of the service is to increase the resilience of communities to flooding and coastal change through engagement to inform, educate, and drive behaviour change.

The initiative is funded primarily by the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) and the RFCC are therefore a key customer.

The supplier will be required to work with and support North West flood risk management authorities as required: local authorities (of which there are 24 Lead Local Flood Authorities and 12 district councils); the Environment Agency; and United Utilities, as the primary water company.

The communities to be supported include:

• Residents including homeowners and tenants
• Businesses, including agricultural businesses and farmers.

The scope of the engagement needed is primarily in relation to flooding, flood risk and resilience and any related measures or matters. Many communities are in areas of deprivation which are generally harder to reach and require different approaches to engagement to meet their needs.

A smaller but important element of the scope includes broader coastal change and erosion which may require communities to adapt over time. Some support to coastal authorities is likely to be required under the contract, to support planning and implementation of community engagement, as well as developing online content relating to the coast.

The GMCA highlighted in the tender that the service provider should maintains a neutral, constructive, and professional working relationship with all flood risk management authorities (RMAs), commenting:

“Following flooding incidents, residents and businesses may be highly emotional and urgently seeking explanations, often directing blame towards local councils, water companies, or the Environment Agency. Communities commonly expect authorities to "fix" the issue so that flooding does not recur. These circumstances can make engagement challenging, and careful handling is required.”

The GMCA highlighted that an independent and impartial third-party presence can play a critical role in reducing tensions and supporting the establishment of trust between communities and RMAs, saying:

“It is therefore vital that the provider does not adopt an adversarial approach or position themselves as acting on behalf of communities against the authorities. Approaches that encourage confrontation, demand action, or assign blame risk inflaming emotions, damaging essential long-term relationships, and creating barriers to effective partnership working. Repairing such damage can require significant effort and time.”

The provision of a public access website is also an essential element of the service which provides a continuous source of up-to-date and consistent information for communities to refer to.

Social enterprise provider Newground    has been awarded the contract, one of two organisations who bid for the work.

Earliest date the contract will be signed is 30 July 2026. Current estimated start and end contract dates are 3 August 2026 to 2 August 2029, with a further possible extension option up to 2 August 2032.