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Commissioning Debt Advice in England

MONEY AND PENSIONS SERVICE

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

22 Jul 2026 at 16:18

Award Notice
Award

04 Jan 2023 at 16:40

Award Notice
Tender

16 Jul 2021 at 13:40

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Money and Pensions Service commissioned free-to-customer regulated debt advice services across England. The requirement covers national personal debt advice for anyone in England, business debt advice for people deriving income from self-employment and personally liable for their debts, and a Debt Relief Order administration hub, where customers pay only the application fee. The work is a public-facing community and personal service, delivered nationally across England. A regional debt advice lot was also included in the original requirement but was not awarded and is subject to re-procurement. The buyer is Money and Pensions Service, the financial guidance body responsible for commissioning these services.

The procurement is complete and awarded following an open procedure evaluated on price. The original tender closed on 8 September 2021, with evaluation and bid opening on 15 September 2021. National services were awarded to The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (£69,532,466), Gregory Pennington t/a Money Wellness (£71,930,725) and Money Advice Trust (£68,772,273); contracts were signed on 3 or 4 November 2022. Business debt advice went to Money Advice Trust for £21,815,379, signed 4 November 2022. The Debt Relief Order hub went to Money Wellness (£16,958,839, signed 3 November 2022) and Citizens Advice (£11,344,459, signed 15 November 2022). Each contract initially runs for 1,080 days, with extensions; a further option runs from 1 February 2028 to 31 March 2029 and could add £60m–£66m.

This procurement shows sustained national demand for regulated debt advice delivered through multiple providers, including both specialist commercial organisations and established advice charities. A credible future supplier would need the operational capacity to deliver high-volume, free-to-customer services across England, with suitable systems for consistent customer support, case management and referral or administration activity. Relevant experience should cover regulated personal debt advice, business debt advice for self-employed people and Debt Relief Order administration, depending on the service sought. The selection requirement was significant: every organisation directly delivering debt advice had to hold the relevant Financial Conduct Authority authorisation, or have reached ‘minded to approve’ status before tendering, with authorisation in place before contract commencement. The buyer also used separate national, business and administration service arrangements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Commissioning Debt Advice in England

Notice Description

The contract [Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-000206] has been modified by way of the inclusion of an option (if needed) to extend the contract term by 14-months from 1st February 2028 to 31st March 2029. https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000206-2023?origin=SearchResults&p=1 The reason for the option to extend the contract (if exercised) is to allow the new National Debt Advice Services procurement (see UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice; Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-037729 - Preliminary Market Engagement for the Provision of National Debt Advice Services) programme to continue developing strategic and operational approaches to meet the evolving needs of the supplier market. If the option is not exercised, then there are no financial implications, and the current contract award value remains unchanged. Should the option be exercised, the additional total value of the contract will be between PS60m and PS66m. The Authority is satisfied that this modification is not "substantial" for the purposes of regulation 72(1)(e) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR). Taking each element of the test set out at Regulation 72(8) in turn, the optional extension (if exercised): * is on the same terms as the original contract - there is no "material difference" compared to the original contract and no renegotiation of any key term of the contract; * is on the same terms as the original contract and does not introduce any conditions which would have the consequences described at Regulation 72(8)(b); * will not change the economic balance of the contract in favour of the supplier; and * does not include the provision of any new services and so does not extend the scope of the contract considerably.

Lot Information

National Service

Delivery of free to customer national regulated debt advice services that are available to anyone in England. The contract duration is three years with two optional extensions of 1 year each.

Options: In addition to the existing two optional extensions of 1 year each (which are set out in the original contract), this modification introduces the further option to extend for a 1 year plus 2-month period.

Renewal: 3 + 1 + 1

NOT AWARDED - Regional Services

Regional delivery of debt advice services - Lot not awarded and is subject to re-procurement

Options: Up to 2 years (at annual intervals)

Renewal: 3 + 1+ 1

Business Debt Advice Services

The delivery of a free to customer regulated business debt advice service that will support problems with debts for which the individual is personally liable (regardless of the nature / purpose of those debts), to those who derive income form self employment. The contract duration is three years with two optional extensions of 1 year each.

Options: Two optional extensions of 1 year each. In addition to the existing two optional extensions of 1 year each (which are set out in the original contract), this modification introduces the further option to extend for a 1 year plus 2-month period

Renewal: 3 + 1+ 1

Debt Relief Order Administration Hub Contract

Delivery of a free to customer Debt Relief Order (DRO) administration service. This service is free to customers, save for the DRO application fee. The contract duration is three years with two optional extensions of 1 year each.

Options: Two optional extensions of 1 year each. In addition to the existing two optional extensions of 1 year each (which are set out in the original contract), this modification introduces the further option to extend for a 1 year plus 2-month period

Renewal: 3 + 1+ 1

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-02c8fc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069335-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

98 - Other community, social and personal services

CPV Codes

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
£320,833,333 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£351,454,141 £100M-£1B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
8 Sep 2021Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
3 Nov 20223 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
MONEY AND PENSIONS SERVICE
Additional Buyers

Money and Pensions 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
BEDFORD
Postcode
MK42 9AB
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH24 Bedford
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Bedford
Electoral Ward
Cauldwell
Westminster Constituency
Bedford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
5
Supplier Names

Gregory Pennington Limited t/a Money Wellness

Gregory Pennington t/a Money Wellness

Money Advice Trust

The National Association Of Citizens Advice Bureaux

The National Association of Citizens Advices Bureaux

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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