Published date: 5 March 2016

This notice was replaced on 5 March 2016

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

Awarded contract (published 30 May 2018, last edited 30 May 2018)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Social work and related services - 85300000

Location of contract

Any region

Value of contract

£300,000 to £600,000

Procurement reference

1317

Published date

5 March 2016

Closing date

29 March 2016

Contract start date

2 May 2016

Contract end date

30 April 2018

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

Please note: Because the DfE has issued a revised evaluation template, (Annex F of the ITT) the deadline for bidders to respond has been extended by two additional working days to 31st March 2016.

Deliver Fosterline, a national helpline to support fostering in England.

To support the recruitment of foster carers it is intended that Fosterline should:
• Provide advice and information about how to apply to be a foster carer, and should be marketed in such a way that a wide range of people with the potential to foster (including currently under-represented groups) are aware about how to contact Fosterline for advice about making an application; and
• Support the retention of foster carers, and aid foster carers to provide care that meets their foster children's needs, by providing accurate, appropriate and sensitive advice and information to foster carers.

Fosterline is an impartial source of up to date and accurate information and advice for prospective and existing foster carers on issues such as how to become a foster carer, allegations of abuse, benefits, training, breakdown of placements, matters relating to the legal position of carers and any other issues about fostering that users raise.

More information

Attachments

Additional text

Procurement of this service will be by competition and service delivery contracts will be awarded for up to two years 01 May 2016- 30 April 2018. The Department reserves the right, subject to the satisfactory performance of the successful contractor, budget availability and policy intent, to extend the contract for further periods of one (1) month or multiples thereof up to a maximum of twenty four (24) months.

Questions relating to this tender, the specifications and the guidance should be sent to Fosterlinetender.enquiries@education.gsi.gov.uk. The deadline for final questions is 17:00 on 21 March 2016. Any questions received after that time and date will not be answered. Replies to questions will be posted on Contracts Finder.

A supplier event will be held by telephone on 21 March 2016 at 12.00 noon until 13.00pm to answer outstanding questions about the tender process. At any time during that time telephone UK Freefone number 0800 917 1956 and, when instructed, input the participant passcode 53696655 then #.

About the buyer

Contact name

Vivienne Walker

Address

Level 5, St Pauls Place
Sheffield
S1 2FJ
England

Email

Vivienne.walker@education.gsi.gov.uk