Planning

Contract for the provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

WALSALL COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

13 Jan 2026 at 13:57

Summary of the contracting process

Walsall Council is currently in the planning stage for a contract pertaining to the provision of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). This service falls under the services category in the health and social work services industry and aims to provide impartial information and advice to children, young people with special educational needs, and their families. Located in Walsall, UK, this preliminary market engagement is seeking insights from potential bidders on the procurement process and future strategy. The document related to this engagement was published on 13th January 2026, with a completion deadline for a related questionnaire set for 30th January 2026.

This procurement opportunity presents numerous growth possibilities for businesses specialising in educational support services, particularly those adept in supporting special educational needs and disabilities. The contract is suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises, and involves a gross value of £780,000 for a service contract expected to commence on 7th September 2026, with completion by 6th September 2029. There is an opportunity to contribute impactful services to society whilst positioning your business as a leader in inclusive education support.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Contract for the provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

Notice Description

"This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice for the Provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). As part of the Children and Families Act 2014, it is a legal requirement that all local authorities ensure disabled children and young people and children and young people with special educational needs and their parents have access to an impartial Information, Advice and Support (IAS) service. The service supports independence and self-advocacy for children, young people and parents, enabling them to take part effectively in discussions and decisions relating to their education, health and care provision. The soft market testing exercise is intended to allow interested organisations with appropriate experience to outline their views and ideas about the future provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). Providers are invited to provide a response to the questionnaire that can be accessed via the below Intend link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/walsallcouncil/aspx/Home "

Planning Information

" This market sounding questionnaire is being undertaken by Walsall Council to obtain the views from potential bidders on the procurement process and possible future strategy for the following services: ● Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). Please find questionnaire to be completed at the link above."

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0604b1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002688-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Jan 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
30 Jan 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
6 Sep 2026 - 6 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WALSALL COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@walsall.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
WALSALL
Postcode
WS1 1TP
Post Town
Walsall
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG38 Walsall
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Walsall
Electoral Ward
St Matthew's
Westminster Constituency
Walsall and Bloxwich

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0604b1-2026-01-13T13:57:42Z",
    "date": "2026-01-13T13:57:42Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0604b1",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PHGR-7481-DHXR",
            "name": "Walsall Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PHGR-7481-DHXR"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Civic Centre, Darwall Street",
                "locality": "Walsall",
                "postalCode": "WS1 1TP",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKG38"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "procurement@walsall.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PHGR-7481-DHXR",
        "name": "Walsall Council"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "\" This market sounding questionnaire is being undertaken by Walsall Council to obtain the views from potential bidders on the procurement process and possible future strategy for the following services: * Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). Please find questionnaire to be completed at the link above.\"",
                "dueDate": "2026-01-30T23:59:59Z",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "002688-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002688-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-01-13T13:57:42Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "WP4185",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Contract for the provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)",
        "description": "\"This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice for the Provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). As part of the Children and Families Act 2014, it is a legal requirement that all local authorities ensure disabled children and young people and children and young people with special educational needs and their parents have access to an impartial Information, Advice and Support (IAS) service. The service supports independence and self-advocacy for children, young people and parents, enabling them to take part effectively in discussions and decisions relating to their education, health and care provision. The soft market testing exercise is intended to allow interested organisations with appropriate experience to outline their views and ideas about the future provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). Providers are invited to provide a response to the questionnaire that can be accessed via the below Intend link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/walsallcouncil/aspx/Home \"",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85000000",
                        "description": "Health and social work services"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 780000,
            "amount": 650000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "specialRegime": [
            "lightTouch"
        ],
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-09-07T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2029-09-06T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2031-09-06T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}