Tender

Advice Services

HAVANT BOROUGH COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

08 Dec 2025 at 18:29

Summary of the contracting process

Havant Borough Council is inviting tenders for the provision of advice services under the industry category of guidance services, specifically intended to offer social welfare support to residents of Havant Borough. The procurement process is currently in the tender stage, with a closing submission deadline set for 19 January 2026. The contract is valued at £705,000, excluding VAT, and has an anticipated start date of 01 April 2026, with an initial term extending until 31 March 2029, and potential extensions permitting the contract to last up to five years. The open procedure allows for a transparent procurement method, inviting interested parties to submit their tenders via Havant Council's eProcurement Portal.

This tender presents significant opportunities for growth, particularly for SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) capable of providing comprehensive advice services. Businesses that specialise in welfare benefits, debt management, housing, and related consumer issues will find themselves best suited to compete. With the contract including a focus on delivering tailored, high-quality advice and working closely with the council's housing team, there is an opportunity for providers to engage deeply with the local community, enhance service delivery, and contribute to improved social outcomes. Additionally, the priority designation of Havant as part of the "Hampshire and Solent" area for English Devolution could result in further collaboration opportunities and contract adaptations as local government structures evolve.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Advice Services

Notice Description

Havant Borough Council (the council), is inviting tenders from suitably qualified suppliers for the provision of open access social welfare services for people across Havant Borough (the Service). The purpose of the Service is to: - Provide free, confidential, impartial advice to people in need, over the age of 16 who live or work in Havant Borough. - Improve outcomes for individuals and help prevent future crisis, whilst helping reduce demand for health care, social care, housing, and other statutory services. - Seek to understand the underlying causes of people's problems with the aim of helping the individual better deal with the symptoms of their challengers by offering a holistic advice and support service. The Service must be available through a range of options, with and without appointment, on a walk-in basis at accessible locations in the Borough, by telephone, email or other technologies that provide confidential communication. The Service must provide advice that is accurate, up-to-date, lawful, and fit for purpose. It shall be tailored to meet the needs of the customer. Therefore the Service must provide advisors training is areas of high volume / high value demand, and who are also able to help customers find answers that fall outside of these areas. The highest areas of demand are welfare benefits, debt, housing, consumer issues and other issues including family rights, employer rights etc. In addition, the Service must provide specific debt and other advice to council housing customers. This will include attendance at the council's premises for 1.5 days per week to work directly with the councils housing team. The council's budget for this service is PS141,000 per year, excluding VAT. This will be paid in 2 instalments in March and October each year. The contract is due to commence on 01 April 2026 for an initial period of 3 years, ending on 31 March 2029. The contract includes the option to extend for additional periods to be agreed, to a maximum contract term of 5 years. This takes the total approximate value of the contract is PS705,000 (excluding VAT). The council aims to work with the supplier to identify and bid for new pots of funding. Where this is successful, this may lead to an increase in the total value of the contract. Payment for the contract will be made in 2 instalments at 6 month intervals starting on contract commencement. Tenderers are advised to note that TUPE does apply to this service. TUPE information is available to bidders on request and on completion of a non-disclosure agreement. The key dates for this tender process are: - Tender submission deadline: 12:00 on 19 January 2026 - Standstill period: 30 January 2026 - 11 February 2026 - Contract start date: 01 April 2026 Tenderers should note that the council is part of the "Hampshire and Solent" area that has been accepted as a priority area for English Devolution. This process includes Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the creation of new unitary authority structures to replace existing "two-tier" county and district council system. Further details about this process are available at https://www.havant.gov.uk/devolution-and-local-government-reorganisation-lgr Definite timescales for this process are still to be confirmed, however, for Tenderers, the prospect of LGR means: - the minimum contract term has been set to allow for flexibility during this period of reorganisation - the take up of extension options may depend on how advice services across the new structure will be commissioned - this contract may be novated to the new authority structure and name during the contract term - the contract may be varied to allow for service adaptations within the new structure, or to prepare for the new structure

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract includes the option to extend, for additional periods to be agreed, to a maximum total contract term of 5 years, subject to the agreement and performance and both parties. Please note, fixed extension periods have not been set to allow for non-standard extension periods to be used as required, within the context of LRG.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f141
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080832-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85312310 - Guidance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£705,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£705,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Dec 2025Yesterday
Submission Deadline
19 Jan 20262 months to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2030-09-30

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
HAVANT BOROUGH COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
hbc_procurement@havant.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
HAVANT
Postcode
PO9 2AX
Post Town
Portsmouth
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ35 South Hampshire
Delivery Location
TLJ35 South Hampshire

Local Authority
Havant
Electoral Ward
Havant St Faith's
Westminster Constituency
Havant

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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