New data shows Liverpool city region’s six local authorities have awarded 670 contracts to private businesses in the last two years – with Liverpool awarding the most and Wirral the fewest. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool City Council has awarded 221 contracts to private firms in the past two years, the most in the city region, new data shows.
A study carried out by money.co.uk business bank accounts analysed tender data from 358 UK councils over the past two years. This research comes ahead of a Government overhaul of how council funding is allocated across England in 2026.
Second place in Liverpool city region was St Helens, with 110 contracts awarded, followed by Sefton (106), Knowsley (105), Halton (81) with Wirral bringing up the rear with 47 contracts.
This study also looked at how many contracts had been awarded per 1,000 businesses in each local authority area. Top was Knowsley (31), followed by St Helens (24). Halton (23), Liverpool (15) and six each for Sefton and Wirral.
Published on June 20, the Government’s latest overhaul of English local government spending is called the Fair Funding Review 2.0. It proposes a reform of the central grant system to better reflect local needs.
These proposals are currently out for consultation and the feedback will be assessed before any final decisions are made.
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Joe Phelan, money.co.uk business bank account expert, said: “For businesses in sectors such as construction, professional services, healthcare, or specialist supply, council contracts offer major opportunities. But they also come with strict financial scrutiny.
“Before awarding contracts, councils will almost always assess a business’s financial stability. That means clear, up-to-date accounts, strong cash flow, and evidence that your operations can handle the scale and demands of public sector work.
“To stand out, your financial systems need to be well organised. The businesses that can quickly demonstrate both financial health and operational readiness are more often than not the ones councils will trust to deliver.”