Award

The Fostering Network Membership

LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

17 Apr 2026 at 15:14

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicestershire County Council has completed a procurement process for the contract titled "The Fostering Network Membership," recognised under the services category, with a focus on subscription services. This contract is vital for the Council's Children and Family Services department to provide foster carers with comprehensive support, including guidance, legal advice, and training. The contracted service provider, The Fostering Network, operates throughout the United Kingdom, including the Leicester region. The procurement method applied was direct, and the contract commenced on 1st April 2026, concluding on 31st March 2028. The award date was 31st March 2026, fulfilling the requirement to deliver specific services as per fostering regulations. The procurement was conducted without competition due to the absence of alternative providers capable of offering an equivalent level of support.

This contract represents an opportunity for businesses involved in foster care-related services, particularly those offering advisory, legal, or educational training solutions, to align with industry best practices and networking opportunities. Companies in the domain of services for children and families would find value in understanding the standards set by The Fostering Network to potentially enhance their service offerings. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) engaging in similar fields could explore partnerships or supplementary services that complement the contracted provisions, thereby fostering business growth and influence within the foster care landscape.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

The Fostering Network Membership

Notice Description

It is a requirement of fostering regulations that the Council's Children and Family Services department has access, and gives access to foster carers, to an organisation that provides carers advice, legal advice, access to training, new legislation and policy advice. The Fostering Network provides the width of advice and training required. A contract has been awarded to The Fostering Network without competition on the basis that they are the only provider who can deliver the services. There is no other countrywide organisation able to offer the level of support, guidance and training required for foster carers or staff. All local authorities use the Fostering Network for these purposes.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0685ac
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035356-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79980000 - Subscription services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£36,468 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Mar 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY 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
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE3 8RA
Post Town
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Blaby
Electoral Ward
Glenfield Faire
Westminster Constituency
Mid Leicestershire

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

THE FOSTERING NETWORK

Further Information

Notice Documents

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-0685ac-2026-04-17T16:14:30+01:00",
    "date": "2026-04-17T16:14:30+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0685ac",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PNHT-9235-VXDV",
            "name": "Leicestershire County Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PNHT-9235-VXDV"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "County Hall",
                "locality": "Leicester",
                "postalCode": "LE3 8RA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKF22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "cfscommissioningsupport@leics.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.leics.gov.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-01507277",
            "name": "THE FOSTERING NETWORK",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "01507277"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PDPP-9778-JDZX"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "87 Blackfriars Road",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SE1 8HA",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI44"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "info@fostering.net"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/",
                "scale": "sme",
                "vcse": true
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PNHT-9235-VXDV",
        "name": "Leicestershire County Council"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "DN813226",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "The Fostering Network Membership",
        "description": "It is a requirement of fostering regulations that the Council's Children and Family Services department has access, and gives access to foster carers, to an organisation that provides carers advice, legal advice, access to training, new legislation and policy advice. The Fostering Network provides the width of advice and training required. A contract has been awarded to The Fostering Network without competition on the basis that they are the only provider who can deliver the services. There is no other countrywide organisation able to offer the level of support, guidance and training required for foster carers or staff. All local authorities use the Fostering Network for these purposes.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - without competition",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete"
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-01507277",
                    "name": "THE FOSTERING NETWORK"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "79980000",
                            "description": "Subscription services"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKF22",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ]
        }
    ],
    "contracts": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "awardID": "1",
            "status": "active",
            "period": {
                "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2028-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 43761.6,
                "amount": 36468,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "dateSigned": "2026-03-31T00:00:00+01:00",
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "035356-2026",
                    "documentType": "contractNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK7",
                    "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035356-2026",
                    "datePublished": "2026-04-17T16:14:30+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}