Published date: 10 October 2023

This notice was replaced on 8 December 2023

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Opportunity (published 8 December 2023)

Closed early engagement


Contract summary

Industry

  • Community action programme - 85322000

Location of contract

Any region

Procurement reference

tender_388744/1267731

Published date

10 October 2023

Closing date

30 November 2023

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The purpose of this PIN is to initiate market consultation and is not being used as a call for competition. The PIN is intended to:
1. Raise awareness with the market of a potential future procurement process and to enable time for organisations to begin early discussions with the Department and each other as to how they may be able to deliver any future contract.

2. Inform the market that the Department will be undertaking market consultation activity during the coming weeks, to gather information about the supply market; to explore potential delivery models and associated benefits of those models; and to inform its understanding of the risks and issues relevant to managing transition to, and mobilisation of, any new service arrangements.

This will consist of an event between interested suppliers and the Department. We aim for this event to take place at 11am on 26th October and intend it to be online. If you are interested, please contact emilie.wilkinson@education.gov.uk to arrange an invitation to the event.

The service aligns with the recommendations in the Independent Review of Children's Social Care Case for Change report, which was published in June 2021, calling for kinship care to be "prioritised and supported". Establishing a better infrastructure for peer support groups is one way of responding to this.

a. Peer groups are a low cost but high impact way of supporting thousands of kinship carers, and research shows that emotional support from kinship carers in similar positions is the most important form of support need after financial support.

b. We are nearing the end of a 2 year contract aimed at creating and maintaining peer groups and peer support services.

c. We want to maintain this high-quality peer support across the country, to ensure provision is sustained and continues to be available to those who need it. Therefore, we are seeking a supplier to maintain and deliver the peer support groups

d. We anticipate the new contract to be 2 years in duration, with the possibility to extend 1+1 years.

e. We propose for the new contract to go live in March 24, starting with a 3 month handover period with the current supplier.

If you have any questions on the above please contact Emilie.wilkinson@education.gov.uk or Alicia.pryce@education.gov.uk

About the buyer

Contact name

Emilie Wilkinson

Address

Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
England

Email

emilie.wilkinson@education.gov.uk

Website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education