Planning

Crisis Resilience Fund - Eligibility & Resilience Services

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

18 May 2026 at 14:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Hampshire County Council is currently in the planning stage of a public procurement process for the Crisis Resilience Fund - Eligibility & Resilience Services. The aim is to manage elements of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) designed to provide crisis support and build financial resilience in the community. This process involves a market engagement exercise to gather information and insights, which will support service design and future commissioning decisions. The engagement is not a competitive tender but is crucial for shaping future support services within the UKJ3 region, specifically in Hampshire. Notable dates include the deadline for questionnaire submissions by 29 May 2026, and a future notice to be published by 26 June 2026. The fund's activities are valued at approximately £6.2 million and cover categories such as guidance services, benefit services, and provision of services to the community.

This tender offers expansive opportunities for specialist third-party organisations, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), with expertise in financial resilience and community support services. With the scheduled start date in October 2026, businesses qualified in compliance, financial resilience training, and community service coordination are well-positioned to contribute. The initiative highlights the need for agility in delivering tailored crisis and resilience services, supporting rapid and sustainable solutions for households in financial distress, thus offering subcontracting and partnership opportunities in the provision of crisis payments and resilience services. Interested parties must be prepared to ensure compliance with government guidelines and efficient delivery of multi-channel support systems.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Crisis Resilience Fund - Eligibility & Resilience Services

Notice Description

The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) replaces the Household Support Fund and is intended to provide timely crisis support to households experiencing financial hardship or sudden shocks. The fund helps residents meet essential living costs while also supporting longer-term financial resilience. Launched by the government on 1 April 2026, the CRF requires local authorities to deliver support rapidly and transparently, with clear accountability for the use of public funds. In line with the grant criteria, the funding should be allocated across three strands: * Crisis Payments: Cash-first approach to meet urgent needs (food, utilities, essential goods). This should be a multi-channel application-based process, allowing for individuals to self-refer. The fund should be available year-round, with flexible eligibility for low-income households and those facing a financial shock. Crisis payments should be person centred, trauma informed and needs based. * Resilience Services: Initiatives to build financial resilience for individuals and the community and includes services such as debt advice, income maximisation, savings advice and affordable credit. * Community Coordination: Investment in activities that connect and enhance the local support landscape - strengthening partnerships, referral pathways, and local welfare ecosystems. Hampshire County Council is therefore commissioning a specialist third-party organisation to carry out eligibility checking on its behalf, ensuring: * Compliance with DWP guidance * Fair, consistent decision-making * Proportionate checks that do not delay crisis support * Robust audit and assurance arrangements Alongside this the specialist third-party organisation will be required to deliver: * Deliver financial resilience/capability and wellbeing support * Build individual, and community, skills and confidence in financial resilience * Support vulnerable people early to reduce the need for further crisis support * Strengthen links to wider community resilience services * Work with partners to report outcomes for DWP monitoring

Planning Information

Hampshire County Council is seeking to understand the current market capacity and capability to deliver elements of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). This market engagement exercise is not a tender or competitive process. Information gathered will be used to inform service design, delivery models and future commissioning decisions. Responses will not be scored, and participation does not form part of any future assessment. The Authority invite interested organisations to complete a questionnaire that can be requested via the Authority's e-tendering system, In-tend. Registering on In-tend • Providers interested in completing the questionnaire are encouraged to register on In-tend at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/hampshire/ • We recommend that you refer to the e-tendering guidance for suppliers which can be found by clicking on `Information for Suppliers` at the top of the In-Tend home page. • If your organisation is not registered on the Hampshire In-tend portal, please go to the website stated above and click on the `Register` tab - registration is free. Requesting the Questionnaire • Once registered, please search AS29109 'HCC CRF Eligibility & Resilience Services'. You will be able to download the Questionnaire from here which is a Word document. • Please complete your organisation details and answer all questions, and return attached to correspondence by the deadline 17:00 on 29 May 2026. Receiving Notification Emails To ensure you receive email alerts and notifications from our system, please add the email domain `@in-tendorganiser.co.uk` to your Safe Senders list.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069b27
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045426-2026
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

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

75200000 - Provision of services to the community

75310000 - Benefit services

85312310 - Guidance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£6,200,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 May 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
26 Jun 20264 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
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
HAMPSHIRE 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
WINCHESTER
Postcode
SO23 8UJ
Post Town
Southampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ36 Central Hampshire
Delivery Location
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Local Authority
Winchester
Electoral Ward
St Michael
Westminster Constituency
Winchester

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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