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DHSC:ASC Fair Pay Agreement Negotiation Support Fund

Department of Health and Social Care

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

18 Aug 2026 at 08:44

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

17 Aug 2026 at 11:11

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

13 Jul 2026 at 12:50

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

29 May 2026 at 09:50

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department of Health & Social Care commissioned services to support negotiations for Fair Pay Agreements in the adult social care sector. The requirement is intended to improve pay, terms and conditions and other employment matters by supporting sectoral collective bargaining. The work covers health and social care support, including stakeholder engagement, outreach and awareness, accessible information and resources, and health training services. It is delivered across the United Kingdom, with engagement expected to include adult social care employers, provider membership organisations, local authority networks, SMEs, micro-providers and individual employers. The procurement is a public-sector service requirement for organisations able to understand the adult social care workforce and communicate effectively with a diverse range of providers and stakeholders.

The procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. The Department used a single-lot open procedure. The tender deadline was 29 June 2026, the enquiry deadline was 17 June 2026 and the award decision was due by 7 July 2026. Two bids were received, both from SMEs. The contract was awarded on 7 July 2026 to Improvement & Development Agency For Local Government for £298,750 excluding VAT, or £358,500 including VAT. The award standstill ended on 23 July 2026. The contract was signed on 14 August 2026 and runs from 14 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. Evaluation weighted quality at 60%, price at 30% and social value at 10%. The tender estimated value was £321,000 excluding VAT, or £385,000 including VAT.

This procurement shows demand for suppliers that can combine adult social care knowledge with structured stakeholder engagement, workforce and employment understanding, and practical health-sector communications. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate reach across employers and provider networks, including SMEs, micro-providers, rural and coastal organisations, providers in deprived areas and individual employers. The requirement also favours capability in maintaining stakeholder records, monitoring engagement, producing accessible materials and resources, and reporting delivery confidence and progress through regular performance measures. Social value formed part of the evaluation, so bidders would need to show how their approach creates wider benefit alongside quality and price. Organisations with established relationships across the adult social care sector, experience of health training or awareness programmes, and the capacity to coordinate nationwide activity would be well placed.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

DHSC:ASC Fair Pay Agreement Negotiation Support Fund

Notice Description

The government's manifesto committed to establishing Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs) in the Adult Social Care (ASC) sector - aimed at improving pay, terms and conditions, and other related employment matters for the ASC workforce, by introducing a new form of sectoral collective bargaining. The Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA) provides the legislative basis for this, and negotiations are expected to start in April 2027. In order to ensure negotiations are as successful as possible, ministers have approved a PS321k Negotiation Support Fund (NSF) to support the sector prior to the start of negotiations. This fund is seen as key for mitigating delivery and handling risks associated with this top Government priority for ASC.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a85c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078344-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
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

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

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

79211110 - Payroll management services

80561000 - Health training services

85000000 - Health and social work services

85100000 - Health services

85112200 - Outpatient care services

85144100 - Residential nursing care services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£321,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£321,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£298,750 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£298,750 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
29 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Jul 20263 months ago
Contract Period
14 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department of Health and Social Care
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
SW1H 0EU
Postcode Area
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
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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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