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Cambridge: spending over £500

Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.

Cambridge published 7,852 payments of £500 or more between October 2025 and September 2026, worth £133.8m in all, to 1,361 suppliers. The largest total went to Cambridge Investment Partnership LLP: £22.8m across 43 payments. These are the council's own published records; the gaps in them are listed below.

Key figures

  • £133.8mPaid in payments of £500 or more, latest year
  • 7,852Payments
  • 1,361Suppliers
  • 12 of 12Months with payments published

What the council published

  1. Octpublished
  2. Novpublished
  3. Decpublished
  4. Janpublished
  5. Febpublished
  6. Marpublished
  7. Aprpublished
  8. Maypublished
  9. Junpublished
  10. Julpublished
  11. Augpublished
  12. Septpublished

Gaps and problems in the data, as published:

  • 4 payments are dated after the day this was read, which cannot be right; they are left out.

Top 50 suppliers by value

Cambridge: the 50 suppliers paid most, October 2025 to September 2026
SupplierPaidPayments
Cambridge Investment Partnership LLP
Details
£22,770,35343
Payments
43
Hill Partnerships Limited
Details
£12,984,16037
Payments
37
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Details
£9,340,66674
Payments
74
TSG Building Services PLC
Details
£8,374,782152
Payments
152
Foster Property Maintenance Ltd
Details
£7,752,742203
Payments
203
Aran Insulation Limited
Details
£4,854,99753
Payments
53
Huntingdonshire District Council
Details
£4,297,01865
Payments
65
Comensura Ltd
Details
£4,179,61347
Payments
47
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL)
Details
£3,591,87234
Payments
34
Cartwright Pickard Architects Ltd
Details
£2,741,41715
Payments
15
CWRP Relocation Ltd
Details
£2,616,4272
Payments
2
Macbrook Gas Ltd
Details
£2,121,577108
Payments
108
Total Gas & Power Ltd
Details
£1,834,58242
Payments
42
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
Details
£1,789,6213
Payments
3
Freeths LLP
Details
£1,449,97029
Payments
29
Thomson Webb & Corfield
Details
£1,449,57219
Payments
19
Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd
Details
£1,433,11518
Payments
18
Lawtech Group Ltd
Details
£1,349,44310
Payments
10
Oak Construction & Maintenance Ltd
Details
£1,281,61658
Payments
58
Cambridge Social Investments Limited
Details
£1,065,7544
Payments
4
Chas Berger Ltd
Details
£784,55410
Payments
10
Cambridgeshire County Council
Details
£775,68633
Payments
33
Total Clean Cambridge
Details
£690,71173
Payments
73
City Group Security Ltd
Details
£641,37181
Payments
81
ESPO
Details
£623,78911
Payments
11
Workman LLP
Details
£597,82110
Payments
10
Axis Europe plc
Details
£549,4078
Payments
8
University of Cambridge
Details
£529,21912
Payments
12
JGPS Consulting LLP
Details
£512,73414
Payments
14
David Powell t/a D J Kitchens
Details
£459,546157
Payments
157
Bowsers Solicitors
Details
£415,4588
Payments
8
Goodwin Cowley Limited
Details
£403,7684
Payments
4
Goshen Multi-Services Ltd
Details
£389,49415
Payments
15
Potter Raper Partnership
Details
£385,97861
Payments
61
King & Co Solicitors
Details
£375,0001
Payments
1
Eastfield Guest House Ltd
Details
£372,91655
Payments
55
Woodgrange Solicitors LLP
Details
£370,1095
Payments
5
Birketts LLP
Details
£369,6615
Payments
5
VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd
Details
£344,3743
Payments
3
R J Warren Ltd
Details
£341,99956
Payments
56
Warwick Estates Property Management Ltd
Details
£340,43519
Payments
19
Fraser Dawbarns LLP
Details
£332,1016
Payments
6
Industrial Site Maintenance Ltd
Details
£319,21034
Payments
34
Modern Democracy Ltd
Details
£311,2392
Payments
2
Tanner & Hall Roofing & Solar Systems Ltd
Details
£307,50014
Payments
14
Alliance Asbestos Services Ltd
Details
£303,431120
Payments
120
Absolute Electrical & Renewables Ltd
Details
£297,43475
Payments
75
Ashtons Legal LLP - Client Account
Details
£296,3484
Payments
4
Gray & Sons Builders Ltd
Details
£294,3747
Payments
7
Prompt Glazing Ltd
Details
£290,567233
Payments
233

Spending by category (our classification)

Payments this site classifies into each category from the supplier and the council's description; most payments fall into none. The rules are on the methodology page.

Cambridge: payments by category (our classification)
Show as a table
Cambridge: payments by category (our classification)
NamePaid
1. Payments to other councils and public bodies£14,997,392
2. Consultancy and agency staff£11,793,263
3. Legal fees£3,582,220
4. IT and software£1,170,558
5. Catering and hospitality£237,548
6. Large outsourcing and contracting firms£142,665
7. Communications and PR£129,346
8. Conferences and events£57,925
9. Travel and accommodation£10,380
Payments to other councils and public bodies: largest suppliers

The supplier is another council, a police, fire or NHS body, a government department or agency, or a pension fund.

  1. South Cambridgeshire District Council: £9,340,666 (74 payments)
  2. Huntingdonshire District Council: £4,297,018 (65 payments)
  3. Cambridgeshire County Council: £775,686 (33 payments)
  4. HM Revenue & Customs (SDLT): £138,930 (8 payments)
  5. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust: £136,500 (3 payments)
  6. Cambs & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust: £116,508 (4 payments)
  7. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero - DESNZ: £89,454 (1 payment)
  8. East Cambridgeshire District Council: £30,347 (3 payments)
  9. Fenland District Council: £29,229 (4 payments)
  10. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Fire Authority: £26,000 (1 payment)
Large outsourcing and contracting firms: largest suppliers

The supplier is one of a named list of large firms that run council services under contract. A payment to one is often a routine instalment on a long contract.

  1. VWS (UK) Limited t/a Veolia Water Technologies: £104,278 (53 payments)
  2. Veolia ES (UK) Limited: £37,337 (9 payments)
  3. Serco Limited: £1,050 (1 payment)
Legal fees: largest suppliers

The supplier is a law firm or chambers, or the council describes the payment as legal fees, counsel or court fees.

  1. Freeths LLP: £1,449,970 (29 payments)
  2. Bowsers Solicitors: £415,458 (8 payments)
  3. King & Co Solicitors: £375,000 (1 payment)
  4. Woodgrange Solicitors LLP: £370,109 (5 payments)
  5. Edmondson Hall Solicitors: £259,669 (3 payments)
  6. Sharpe Pritchard LLP: £152,537 (36 payments)
  7. JGPS Consulting LLP: £78,024 (5 payments)
  8. Trowers & Hamlins LLP: £74,783 (9 payments)
  9. Francis Taylor Building: £65,798 (8 payments)
  10. Morgan Has Solicitors Ltd Client Account: £55,000 (1 payment)
Consultancy and agency staff: largest suppliers

The supplier is a recruitment agency or consultancy on a named list, or the council describes the payment as consultancy, agency or interim staff, or professional fees.

  1. Comensura Ltd: £4,179,613 (47 payments)
  2. Cartwright Pickard Architects Ltd: £2,741,417 (15 payments)
  3. Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd: £1,248,818 (14 payments)
  4. Potter Raper Partnership: £382,728 (60 payments)
  5. Goodwin Cowley Limited: £350,000 (1 payment)
  6. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited: £237,522 (87 payments)
  7. Ernst & Young LLP: £219,473 (4 payments)
  8. Calfordseaden LLP: £207,748 (20 payments)
  9. The Sustainability Company Ltd: £196,408 (11 payments)
  10. Buro Happold Ltd: £172,338 (9 payments)
IT and software: largest suppliers

The supplier is on a named list of IT and telecoms firms, or the council describes the payment as software, licences, IT, hardware, hosting or telephony.

  1. Modern Democracy Ltd: £311,239 (2 payments)
  2. Idox Software Limited: £263,789 (5 payments)
  3. IEG4 Ltd: £104,000 (1 payment)
  4. Civica UK Ltd: £88,897 (8 payments)
  5. Technology One (UK) Limited: £60,385 (11 payments)
  6. REEN Technologies Ltd: £41,940 (1 payment)
  7. Locata (Housing Services) Ltd: £30,000 (2 payments)
  8. Proactis Limited: £22,550 (1 payment)
  9. Built Intelligence Ltd: £18,686 (13 payments)
  10. Fluent Technology Ltd: £18,360 (1 payment)
Communications and PR: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as advertising, marketing, publicity or public relations. Recruitment and statutory notices are left out.

  1. D2D Distribution Ltd: £17,496 (4 payments)
  2. County Life Ltd: £15,975 (3 payments)
  3. Bauer Radio Ltd: £9,508 (5 payments)
  4. Earthsense Systems Ltd: £7,950 (1 payment)
  5. Linkedin Ireland ULC: £7,325 (1 payment)
  6. Rightmove Group Ltd: £6,910 (10 payments)
  7. Ten4 Design Ltd: £6,300 (1 payment)
  8. The Audience Agency: £5,000 (1 payment)
  9. Wyse Media (UK) Ltd: £4,950 (3 payments)
  10. Iliffe Media Publishing Ltd: £4,707 (7 payments)
Conferences and events: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as a conference, seminar, exhibition, event or venue hire.

  1. The Performance Improvement People Ltd t/a LEEWAY: £16,406 (3 payments)
  2. Safety Stars Ltd: £7,200 (2 payments)
  3. Gower Consultants Ltd: £6,112 (1 payment)
  4. Professional Development Group t/a MyPD: £4,338 (1 payment)
  5. Ocean Media Group Ltd: £3,380 (4 payments)
  6. CIPP: £2,997 (3 payments)
  7. PPMA: £2,580 (1 payment)
  8. IDEA - Improvement & Development Agency For Local Government: £2,250 (1 payment)
  9. LABC: £2,250 (1 payment)
  10. Anglia Ruskin University: £1,500 (1 payment)
Travel and accommodation: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as travel, fares, flights, subsistence or hotels. Homeless and temporary accommodation, and home to school and client transport, are left out.

  1. The Universal Gift Card Company Ltd: £9,038 (4 payments)
  2. Arundel House Hotel (Cambridge) Ltd: £1,342 (1 payment)
Catering and hospitality: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as catering, hospitality or refreshments. School meals are left out.

  1. ABM Catering Ltd: £220,312 (10 payments)
  2. Tower Leasing Ltd: £9,698 (9 payments)
  3. Puddini Ltd: £2,379 (2 payments)
  4. The Vending People Ltd: £2,129 (2 payments)
  5. Proton (Southern) Ltd: £862 (1 payment)
  6. PHS Group Ltd: £843 (1 payment)
  7. King Street Cellar: £700 (1 payment)
  8. Lemonthyme Ltd: £626 (1 payment)

Spending by the council's own service areas

Cambridge: payments by service area, as the council labels them
Show as a table
Cambridge: payments by service area, as the council labels them
NamePaid
1. E_invoicing Suspense Accounts£17,695,356
2. Development loan to CIP for Newbury Farm, ATS and Fanshawe£11,350,000
3. New Build - East Barnwell£8,861,327
4. Greater Cambridge Shared Waste£6,506,438
5. Insulation / Energy Efficiency£4,039,185
6. Fanshawe Road£3,920,531
7. Development of the Civic Quarter£3,862,792
8. Warm Homes: Local Grant - DESNZ funding£2,644,850
9. General Fund Balance Sheet£2,345,675
10. Leisure Contract£2,242,437
11. New Build - Newbury Farm£2,105,040
12. 3C ICT Shared Services£2,066,285
13. Greater Cambridge Shared Planning£1,832,906
14. Business Rates above SFA£1,716,026
15. Repairs Day to Day£1,678,776
16. New Build - Davy Road£1,604,218
17. Leisure Contract Client Costs£1,462,954
18. New Build - ATS, Histon Road£1,438,887
19. New Build - The Hawthorns, Haviland Way£1,397,088
20. Wall Structure£1,303,143
21. Clay Farm centre remedial works£1,296,334
22. Voids£1,267,494
23. Princess and Hanover£1,149,502
24. New Build - Ekin Road£1,046,702
25. East Barnwell new centre£1,037,556

Who is paid for grounds, street cleaning, roads and bins?

The suppliers paid most for each kind of work, where the council's own labels say what the payment was for (our matching). A council that does the work with its own staff pays mostly wages, which are not in this data, so a short list here can mean the work is done in-house.

Parks and open spaces (including play areas): largest suppliers
Show as a table
Parks and open spaces (including play areas): largest suppliers
NamePaid
1. Mercer Tree Services Ltd£137,699
2. R J Warren Ltd£125,097
3. Gaskin Brothers Ltd£80,619
4. S P Landscapes & Tree Contractors Ltd£76,500
5. Ace Connections (EAST) Limited£28,173
6. Eden Tree Specialists Ltd£27,550
7. Frontline Fabrication & Ironwork Co Ltd£26,750
8. Freeths LLP£19,967
9. Splash Pads Enterprises Ltd£19,874
10. BH Doors & Engineering Ltd£19,744
Street cleaning: largest suppliers
Show as a table
Street cleaning: largest suppliers
NamePaid
1. Bucher Municipal Ltd£180,193
2. B & G Cleaning Systems Ltd£29,999
3. R J Warren Ltd£25,203
4. Hako Machines Ltd£22,467
5. Thurlow Nunn Standen Ltd£18,773
6. Kersten (UK) Ltd£15,890
7. Priority Hire Ltd£12,210
8. Post office Ltd£12,184
9. Huntingdon Plant Hire Limited£11,660
10. Reactec Ltd£8,884
Waste collection: largest suppliers
Show as a table
Waste collection: largest suppliers
NamePaid
1. South Cambridgeshire District Council£128,437
2. D Carman BSSR Ltd£9,942
3. Eezee Movers Cambridge Ltd£1,440
4. Cortina Promotions Ltd£980

Consultancy and agency against the pay bill

Payments we classify as consultancy and agency staff came to 30.7% of Cambridge's own staff costs in its 2025-26 revenue return, against a median of 9.8% for the other district councils in England read so far. The payments and the staff costs come from different sources and periods, so this is a guide to scale.

What this data does and doesn't show

  • It is the council's own record of payments of £500 or more. It leaves out salaries, most staff costs and many internal costs, so it is not the council's whole spending.
  • Descriptions are the council's own and vary in quality; some are codes, some are blank, and some supplier names are withheld to protect individuals.
  • A large payment to one supplier is often a routine instalment on a long contract that was tendered openly.
  • The categories and the matching to services are this site's classification from keywords, not the council's. The rules are on the methodology page.

Sources

Cambridge, spending over £500, published here. Licence as the council states it: not stated. Checked 2026-09-24; files read 2026-09-29.

Every file read (3)

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