Planning

National Advocacy Information Advice and Safety Net Service. - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

23 Feb 2026 at 09:52

Planning

20 Feb 2026 at 13:43

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education is currently in the planning stage of the procurement process for the National Advocacy Information, Advice, and Safety Net Service, aimed at supporting looked-after children, care leavers, and other vulnerable young people across England. This procurement falls under the services category, with a projected gross value of £648,000. The contract is planned to commence on 1st October 2026 and will run until 30th September 2028, with a possible extension to 30th September 2029. A preliminary market engagement notice has been issued to gather feedback on the proposed delivery model, and an initial supplier engagement event is scheduled for 5th March 2026. This event is open to all potential suppliers, including SMEs and VCSEs, with a registration deadline of 3rd March 2026 at noon. The procurement process is designed to consider consortiums and collaborative bids, enhancing opportunities for diverse participation.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in advocacy, advice services, and welfare support for young people to contribute to a vital national service. Companies with experience in providing independent advocacy, operating digital advice platforms, or delivering safeguarding-related services will find this contract particularly relevant. Engaging in this process allows businesses to expand their reach into public sector contracts, innovate within their service offerings, and potentially establish long-term partnerships with central government. The wide inclusion of SMEs and VCSEs in the procurement process underscores a commitment to fostering business growth across different sectors, encouraging smaller firms and non-profit organisations to leverage their unique capabilities in offering essential support services for children's welfare.

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Notice Title

National Advocacy Information Advice and Safety Net Service. - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

Notice Description

The Department for Education is seeking market feedback on the re-procurement of a national advocacy information, advice and safety net service for looked-after children, care leavers, children in need, and other eligible children and young people in England. The service will provide clear, child-friendly information on advocacy rights; national multichannel advice and signposting; and a safety net advocacy function where local provision is unavailable, unreasonably delayed or denied. The provider will also deliver national intelligence on access, waiting times and systemic barriers; maintain a secure CRM and digital platform; meet safeguarding and data security requirements; and ensure service continuity, workforce capacity and robust reporting and security requirements.

Planning Information

The Department for Education is undertaking preliminary market engagement to gather views on the proposed scope, delivery model, digital requirements, and commercial approach for the reprocured national advocacy information, advice and safety net service. Supplier experience and capability (indicative) To support this engagement, the Department would be interested in feedback from suppliers with experience in: • delivering national or regional advocacy, information or advice services. • supporting children in care, care leavers, and vulnerable young people. • providing independent advocacy in statutory or regulated contexts. • operating helplines, digital triage services, or online advice platforms. • safeguarding‑related or social‑care‑related service delivery. These capability areas are indicative and do not constitute formal selection or evaluation criteria. Feedback from the market will be taken into consideration to help shape the departments proposed scope to ensure that the offer meets the sector’s needs. The Department will be holding an initial supplier engagement event on Thursday 5th March from 11am to 12pm. This will be an online event hosted through Microsoft Teams platform. Deadline for registering for the event on 5th March is 12:00 noon Tuesday 3rd March via Jaggaer. The event will be accessible via the ‘View Opportunities’ link on the Jaggaer e-Tendering portal Homepage. Select the Opportunity Notice for ‘National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service - ssq_717' and this will take you directly to the registration page. This event is open to all potential suppliers, regardless of previous engagement with the Department. The event will provide an overview of the National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service and outline and upcoming market engagement activities scheduled shortly afterwards. All correspondence will be shared via Jaggaer. Important notice: This notice: • Does not signify the commencement of a competitive procurement • Does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education to procure services • Does not create any obligation on the Department The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations. Any funding estimates referenced are indicative only and subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final scope or funding envelope of any future contractual activity.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065951
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015917-2026
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

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

71356300 - Technical support services

85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people

85312300 - Guidance and counselling services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£540,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Feb 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
13 Apr 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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