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W4185 Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS) Service

Walsall Council

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

Award

14 Aug 2026 at 15:17

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

24 Jul 2026 at 15:00

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

13 Apr 2026 at 11:20

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

09 Apr 2026 at 15:34

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

20 Feb 2026 at 11:45

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

13 Jan 2026 at 13:57

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Walsall Council procured a Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS), classified as a special education service (CPV 80340000). The service provides free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support to children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities, together with their parents and carers. SENDIASS is legally required in every English local authority. Delivery is in Walsall, within the West Midlands. This is a public service provision opportunity for organisations experienced in supporting children and young people with SEND, advising families, and operating an independent information, advice and support service. The requirement is categorised as a service and is subject to the light-touch regime.

The procurement is complete and was run by open procedure. One lot was awarded to Family Action on 15 July 2026 for £650,000 excluding VAT (£780,000 including VAT). The contract was signed on 11 August 2026 and runs from 7 September 2026 to 6 September 2029, with an option to extend by two further 12-month periods, up to 6 September 2031. The tender submission deadline was 13 May 2026 at 12:00, and the award period ended on 24 June 2026. Evaluation weighted quality at 75%, price at 20% and social value at 5%. Six bids were received, with four reaching the final stage; all four final-stage bids were from SMEs, including two from VCSEs.

This award demonstrates established local-authority demand for a specialist SEND information, advice and support service serving children, young people and families. A credible future competitor would need practical experience of SEND provision and the ability to give accurate, confidential and impartial advice across the full 0-to-25 age range, while supporting parents and carers. The service model requires strong communication, safeguarding awareness, casework and referral capabilities, alongside the independence needed for trusted advice. Organisations should also be able to evidence measurable service quality and meaningful social value, since these together accounted for 80% of the evaluation. The requirement was assessed as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, and competition included both, indicating that focused specialist providers can be credible.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

W4185 Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS) Service

Notice Description

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service. Legally required in every local English authority, it provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to children and young people (ages 0-25) with SEND, as well as to their parents and carers.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: 2 x 12 months

Renewal: Option to extend by 2 x 12 months

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/077775-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80340000 - Special education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
13 May 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
30 Jan 2026Expired
Award Date
15 Jul 20261 months ago
Contract Period
7 Sep 2026 - 6 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2026-06-12

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Walsall Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WALSALL
Postcode
WS1 1TP
Postcode Area
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
TLG38 Walsall
Local Authority
Walsall
Electoral Ward
St Matthew's
Westminster Constituency
Walsall and Bloxwich

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FAMILY ACTION

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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