Award

The Executive Office (TEO) Communities in Transition (CIT): Raising Aspirations for Young People Programme (aged 4 - 16 years) in the East Belfast CIT Area

THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE (TEO)

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

16 May 2025 at 09:24

Tender

01 Apr 2025 at 08:22

Summary of the contracting process

The Executive Office (TEO) has successfully awarded a contract for the "Communities in Transition (CIT): Raising Aspirations for Young People Programme" in East Belfast. This initiative focuses on enhancing educational, employment, and life aspirations for young people between 4 and 16 years old, as well as offering support to families and communities in the designated CIT area. The programme aims to address the issues of low aspiration and is a part of Phase 3 of the CIT Project, scheduled from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027. The contract was awarded to N.I. ALTERNATIVES LTD on 14 May 2025, following an open, below-threshold procurement process, and it will commence on 20 May 2025. The programme is linked to the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC) and focuses on addressing the impacts of paramilitarism and organised crime within communities.

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs and VCSEs, as demonstrated by N.I. ALTERNATIVES LTD's successful bid. Organisations capable of delivering socially impactful services and those experienced in working with youth and communities affected by paramilitary and criminal influences will find this contract highly relevant. The programme requires tailored activities to specifically address community challenges, offering the potential for innovative solutions that improve both individual and community outcomes. The contract's potential extension to 2027 also provides a stable long-term engagement for businesses looking to establish or expand their footprint in Northern Ireland's public sector market.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

The Executive Office (TEO) Communities in Transition (CIT): Raising Aspirations for Young People Programme (aged 4 - 16 years) in the East Belfast CIT Area

Notice Description

The Executive Office (TEO) is seeking to establish a Contract for the provision of a programme that has the potential to improve educational, employment and life aspirations for young people (aged 4 - 16 years), as well as providing additional supports for families and communities who are raising young people within the East Belfast CIT Area (maps of the designated areas are attached at Annex A of the Specification). This programme will focus on lack of aspiration for children and young people at both primary (age 4 - 11 years old) and post primary school level (age 12 - 16 years old), parents/carers/key influencers. In doing so, the programme will help to: * Raise educational attainment of school age youth; * Improve employment opportunities and life aspirations: * Improve learning outcomes for young people; * Build the capacity of parents, families and the wider community to support the young people to make better life choices and achieve a better quality of life This tender is linked to the Communities in Transition (CIT) Project which had been due to end in March 2024 however the Executive made a commitment to extend the overall Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC) to March 2027. As CIT is a key element of EPPOC, it has also been extended to 31 March 2027. This phase of delivery is classed as Phase 3 of CIT and will operate from 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2027. Phase 1 of the Project provided a firm foundation for continuing to address the issues that allow Paramilitarism, criminality and coercive control to persist within communities. Phase 2 presented an opportunity to further refine the work under a thematic approach as we move forward. Phase 3 will see delivery move from a thematic approach to an issues-based approach focusing on the key issues caused by paramilitarism in communities. This Contract falls under Phase 3 and will support the Department in its overall delivery of the CIT Project. The Contractor's programme will incorporate and deliver a number of programme activities, described at paragraph 6.5 of the Specification. The Contractor must not be delivering general youth activities as part of this programme, activities must be clearly linked to addressing issues which have arisen as a result of living in a community with high levels of paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime and, to the Benefits Framework (as listed at paragraph 6.6 of the Specification). Full details of all the requirements for this Contract are provided for within the Specification of Requirements Schedule.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There will be an option to extend the Contract for one further period of 12 months, up to 31 March 2027, subject to need and satisfactory performance.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fafe
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022076-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
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
£150,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£150,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£150,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 May 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
29 Apr 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
13 May 20256 months ago
Contract Period
19 May 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE (TEO)
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
david.cook@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT4 3SR
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN Northern Ireland

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Stormont
Westminster Constituency
Belfast East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

N.I. ALTERNATIVES

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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