Hartlepool Borough Council serves a community of around 90,000 people in the North East of England, delivering the essential services that underpin everyday life, from social care and housing to infrastructure and community wellbeing.
But its role goes far beyond service delivery.
Through its Council Plan 2030, Hartlepool is driving a clear and ambitious transformation. The Council is focused on creating a place where people can live healthier, safer lives and stay independent for longer, supported by a sustainable environment and a resilient,
inclusive economy.
Central to this ambition is a commitment to regeneration and long-term investment, unlocking new opportunities for residents, strengthening local businesses, and accelerating economic growth across the region.
Delivering a new Screen Industries Production Village, aiming to establish Hartlepool as a key hub within the UK's growing film and television industry.
The project included:
To achieve this, the Council required a procurement solution that could:
To accelerate delivery, the Council appointed Bloom Procurement Services via the NEPRO Three framework, leveraging a compliant route to market that enables projects to move at pace. Working in close partnership with the Council, Bloom established three direct awards to mobilise rapidly and begin delivering against key programme priorities.
As the project evolved, so too did its requirements. Funding considerations linked to the expansion of Northern Studios introduced additional complexity, requiring a shift in delivery structure.
Throughout, close collaboration and clear communication enabled seamless supplier onboarding and consistent, high-quality delivery across all projects.
With Bloom’s compliant and accelerated procurement approach in place, the Council moved from ambition to action at pace.
Critical activity was mobilised quicky, enabling multiple complex workstreams to progress in parallel, without compromising compliance or control. Supplier relationships remained strong, and continuity was maintained across both the Production Village and the Northern Studios expansion.
By creating new production facilities and creative spaces, the development is positioning the town as a growing hub for the UK’s screen industries. It will unlock opportunities for SMEs, attract inward investment, and support job creation across the Tees Valley.
Ultimately, this is a story of what happens when ambition is matched with the right delivery model, where procurement doesn’t slow progress, but it enables it.
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