Award

Safeguarding Support for Covid-19 Inquiry

CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

03 Mar 2026 at 17:32

Award Notice
Award

25 Mar 2024 at 15:25

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Cabinet Office is overseeing a contract, in collaboration with the Crown Commercial Service, for the provision of emotional safeguarding support related to the Covid-19 Inquiry. This contract is focused on facilitating trauma-informed interactions, offering timely and sensitive emotional support, though not formal counselling or therapy. The procurement process has reached the award stage, with the contract period commencing on 9th February 2024, concluding on 8th February 2026. The project is categorised under "Staff development services" and includes additional classifications such as "Guidance and counselling services." The procurement method used was an open procedure over the threshold, and the contract is valued at £3,267,134.42 GBP. This opportunity is being conducted in the United Kingdom.

Businesses involved in staff development, training, and counselling services stand to benefit notably from this tender, with a focus on providing emotional support in a structured, trauma-informed manner. The potential removal of telephone-based emotional support post-April 2026 presents a unique opportunity for innovative service provision companies specialising in face-to-face or digital engagements. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), alongside voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), are identified as suitable participants for this tender, allowing diverse organisations to expand their market presence and build partnerships around psychological support and engagement during government-led inquiries.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Safeguarding Support for Covid-19 Inquiry

Notice Description

The Cabinet Office has put in place contracts for the provision of Emotional Support service for use by the Covid 19 Inquiry. The Inquiry has pledged to be trauma-informed across all of its work. A trauma informed approach means seeking to reduce the risk of retraumatisation to people who are engaging with the Inquiry. Emotional support is one of the key ways of reducing retraumatisation by offering timely, sensitive, psychologically informed emotional support to people engaging with the Inquiry's work. Emotional support is not counselling or therapy. The focus is on facilitating the person's engagement with the Inquiry, creating support plans, facilitating stabilisation, providing psychological containment and facilitating the person's journey through their engagement process. These contracts provide the offer of emotional support for everyone engaging with the Inquiry. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has chosen to exercise its option to terminate Lot 1 and Lot 3 of these contracts and on Monday 25 March 2024 gave the requisite 90 days notice. Additional information: In relation to Lot 2 - The value change to $1,144877.74 and Utilisation of the first permitted 1 year extension (effective from 22/02/2026) and removal of telephone-based emotional support from the deliverables required under the contract (effective 1st April 2026). As a result of this, and from01/04/2026, the Inquiry will no longer be charged for baseline monthly cost of telephone/video support sessions.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21f4f848-62f8-430f-9859-a58228f945da
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

79633000 - Staff development services

80511000 - Staff training services

80570000 - Personal development training services

85312300 - Guidance and counselling services

85312310 - Guidance services

85312320 - Counselling services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,144,877 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,144,877 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
3 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
11 Oct 2023Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Feb 20242 years ago
Contract Period
9 Feb 2024 - 20 Feb 2027 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L3 9PP
Post Town
Liverpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD7 Merseyside
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD72 Liverpool
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
City Centre North
Westminster Constituency
Liverpool Riverside

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SUCCESSFUL SUPPLIER LIST CAN BE FOUND IN THE ATTACHMENTS AREA

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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