Tender

BwD Information and Advice Service

BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

27 May 2026 at 11:02

Planning

19 Feb 2026 at 14:11

Summary of the contracting process

The Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is conducting an open procurement process for the "BwD Information and Advice Service" as part of its Staying Happy Healthy and Well (prevention) initiative. This procurement falls under the category of Social work and related services and aims to support the local community by offering services that promote independence and reduce reliance on statutory services. The process is currently at the "tender" stage, with key deadlines being the submission of tenders by 26th June 2026 and the award decision by 31st August 2026. The procurement is specifically highlighted for the region of UKD41 in the United Kingdom and has a gross value of £1,491,360, with the contract slated to commence on 1st January 2027. The open procedure will involve electronic tender submission through The Chest e-Tendering Portal.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses keen on contributing to societal wellbeing while achieving business growth. Firms specialising in community services, especially those experienced with delivering accessible information and advice services, would be well-placed to compete. Moreover, the suitability criteria highlight opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, making it an attractive proposition for such entities looking to establish or expand their presence in the public services sector. The focus on a comprehensive and multi-channel information delivery system further encourages innovation, aligning well with businesses that offer digital solutions. Additionally, the inclusion of criteria prioritising social value means there is room for businesses that can effectively articulate the community impact of their service delivery.

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Notice Title

BwD Information and Advice Service

Notice Description

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is looking to procure an Information and Advice Service, as part of its Staying Happy Healthy and Well (prevention) offer. The Information and Advice (I&A) Service will support residents to identify services, groups, and support offers that enable them to maintain their independence. It will support the Council's strengths-based approach and form a core element of the local prevention offer, supporting individuals to build on their own capabilities and reducing on reliance on statutory services. The aims of the Service are to: * Provide a universal, accessible I&A offer that supports prevention, wellbeing and independence and compliments the Information available on the Council website * Maximise safe diversion of I&A-only demand away from ASC by resolving enquiries at the earliest point and strengthening pathways into community and preventative support. * Deliver a clear, trusted, multi-channel front end for Adults and Health information and advice (hub, telephone and digital). * Sustain a reliable partnership with the provider of the Directory of Services (DoS) platform which will be used by residents and professionals. * Maintain and develop a trusted Safe Trader scheme with transparent standards and feedback loops. * Enable LD&A Partnership Boards to drive learning and improve pathways and information quality. * Progress "tell your story once" and seamless handovers through shared systems ambition and agreed data-sharing approaches. This list is not exhaustive and further information can be found within the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Contract Period = 1st January 2027 - 31st December 2029 With an option to extend for a period of +1 year (to 31 December 2030), and a further +1 year (to 31 December 2031), subject to service requirements and availability of funding.

Planning Information

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is looking to procure for an All-Age Carers Service and an Information and Advice Service, as part of its Happy Healthy and Well (prevention) offer, and is holding an in-person pre-market engagement event on Thursday 19 March 2026. The event aims to develop a clearer understanding of the market and gather insight into supplier capabilities, innovations, and delivery models for the provision of support services in Blackburn with Darwen. The sessions will also support providers in understanding procurement requirements, social value commitments, and will help inform the development of value-driven service specifications. The engagement event will cover the following separate service areas: All Age Carers Service - Commission 1 Information and Advice Service - Commission 2 Both commissions are distinct and will operate independently. MEETING INFORMATION The pre-market engagement event (covering both commissions) will be held in person on: Thursday 19 March 2026, at: Livesey Family Hub Andrew Close Blackburn BB2 4NU The event will run from 10:00 - 12:00. REGISTRATION If you would like to attend the pre-market engagement meetings, please complete the below Microsoft Form to register yourself for the event. https://forms.office.com/e/nimp6mNVhW Each attendee who wishes to attend should register individually. Due to capacity, a maximum of 2 people per organisation may attend. Registration closes at 12:00 noon on Wednesday 18th March 2026

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065843
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049595-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, 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

85300000 - Social work and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,242,800 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,242,800 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
26 Jun 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
1 Jun 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BLACKBURN
Postcode
BB2 1DH
Post Town
Blackburn
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD41 Blackburn with Darwen
Delivery Location
TLD41 Blackburn with Darwen

Local Authority
Blackburn with Darwen
Electoral Ward
Blackburn Central
Westminster Constituency
Blackburn

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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