Planning

London's Violence Reduction Unit Online Harms Trusted Adults Training Programme

MAYORS OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

12 Jun 2026 at 10:38

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime is currently planning a procurement process for the London’s Violence Reduction Unit's "Online Harms Trusted Adults Training Programme" within the public authority sub-central government sector. This programme falls under the training services industry category and is aimed to be delivered in London from October 2026 to October 2029. A virtual market engagement event is scheduled for 25th June 2026, and organisations interested in participating have until 3rd July 2026 to submit their questions and complete the provided questionnaire. The procurement is in the planning stage, and the anticipated contract value is £850,000. This initiative uses a light-touch procurement regime to identify a specialist partner capable of enhancing the safeguarding practices of trusted adults working with at-risk young people.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses with expertise in online harms, safeguarding, violence reduction, and contextual safeguarding. The project requires providers with a solid background in designing comprehensive training curricula that equip personnel with the knowledge to tackle modern digital threats affecting young people. The initiative calls for individual organisations, partnerships, or consortia that can bring diverse skills and experiences to deliver a wide-reaching development programme. Such businesses would benefit from becoming part of a pivotal governmental effort to improve safeguarding capabilities city-wide, while also asserting themselves as leaders in youth-related public health and safety training solutions.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

London's Violence Reduction Unit Online Harms Trusted Adults Training Programme

Notice Description

London Violence Reduction Unit Programme Title: Online Harms Trusted Adults Training Programme Indicative Contract Value: PS850,000 Contract Duration: October 2026- October 2029 The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is undertaking a virtual market engagement exercise on Thursday 25 June at 10:00, via MS Teams, to inform the commissioning of an Online Harms Trusted Adults Training programme. The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is committed to understanding the factors that place children and young people at risk of violence, exploitation and harm, and to working collaboratively with partners to deliver long-term, sustainable solutions. We work across communities and sectors, including youth services, local government, education, health, policing and the voluntary and community sector, championing a public health approach that combines prevention, early intervention and effective support for those experiencing the greatest levels of risk and vulnerability. At the heart of our approach is the belief that violence is preventable, not inevitable. We recognise, however, that many children and young people are already navigating the impacts of trauma, exploitation, abuse and complex community dynamics. As such, our work seeks not only to prevent harm before it occurs, but also to strengthen the systems, services and trusted adults responsible for safeguarding, supporting and intervening with those most affected. Central to this approach is a commitment to partnership working, evidence-informed practice and ensuring that the voices, experiences and expertise of young people and communities shape the solutions designed to support them. Background The Mayor's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is seeking to engage with the market in advance of a forthcoming procurement opportunity relating to the delivery of its flagship Online Harms Trusted Adults Training Programme. The programme forms part of the VRU's wider public health approach to violence reduction and sits within a London-wide model developed following extensive consultation with young people, practitioners, safeguarding professionals, academics and sector experts. The VRU recognises that online harms are increasingly a public safety, safeguarding and public health concern. Children and young people are navigating identity, relationships, influence, exploitation and conflict across interconnected online and offline environments. However, systems, services and safeguarding responses have often struggled to keep pace with the rapidly evolving nature of digital spaces. The VRU is therefore seeking a specialist delivery partner capable of strengthening the confidence, capability and safeguarding practice of trusted adults working with young people at the sharpest end of risk. The successful provider will be expected to design and develop a comprehensive curriculum focused on online harms, demonstrating expertise in the intersection between online and offline harm, including VAWG, violence, vulnerability, exploitation, and emerging digital risks. The curriculum should equip trusted adults with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to identify, understand and respond to evolving forms of harm, including those facilitated or amplified through artificial intelligence (AI), social media platforms and other digital technologies. Description of the service This programme seeks to move beyond traditional awareness-raising approaches and contribute to sustainable workforce development, organisational learning and systems change across London's safeguarding landscape. The VRU welcomes bids from individual organisations as well as collaborative partnerships and consortia. We recognise that expertise may be distributed across different organisations, and we encourage applications that bring together complementary skills, knowledge and experience. Providers do not need to demonstrate strength across every area independently, provided that the partnership as a whole can evidence the required expertise and capacity to deliver the programme. This may include, for example, combining specialist knowledge in VAWG, contextual safeguarding, workforce development, online harms, learning and evaluation, cross-sector partnership working, and violence reduction approaches. The successful provider (can be a partnership or consortium bid with a lead provider) will support the development of a more informed, confident and resilient workforce capable of recognising, preventing and responding to emerging online harms affecting children and young people. The programme will contribute to: Strengthening safeguarding capability across London in relation to online harms and their impact on young people's wider lives and experiences. Embedding contextual safeguarding approaches that recognise the interplay between online and offline harms, risks and protective factors. Contributing to the prevention and reduction of violence against women and girls (VAWG), recognising the role that online environments can play in shaping attitudes, behaviours and experiences of harm. Improving practitioner confidence, professional curiosity and decision-making in responding to emerging harms across both digital and physical contexts. Supporting violence reduction and prevention objectives by addressing the interconnected nature of online and offline harm, exploitation and vulnerability. Developing sustainable learning resources and sector-wide guidance to strengthen responses to online harms and related safeguarding concerns. Informing future policy, commissioning and practice development in relation to online harms, exploitation and violence affecting children and young people. Target Audience The programme will focus on tertiary practitioners working directly with young people experiencing heightened vulnerability including those affected by VAWG, violence, trauma, exploitation, adverse childhood experiences, and neurodivergent young people who may face additional barriers, risks or vulnerabilities online. Potential cohorts may include: Youth Justice Teams. Social Work Teams. Independent Domestic Violence Advocates. Designated Safeguarding Leads. Specialist youth workers. Hospital-based youth workers. Custody-based practitioners. Contextual safeguarding and exploitation specialists. Scope of Delivery The successful provider will be expected to design and deliver a specialist, evidence-informed and scenario-based workforce development programme focused on four mandatory thematic areas: Social Media and AI Risks Supporting practitioners to understand the role of social media and AI risks, platform design, algorithms and emerging technologies in shaping young people's experiences of harm, conflict, exploitation and vulnerability. This should include awareness of the growing use of AI chatbots and conversational AI tools, and the potential risks they may present in influencing attitudes, reinforcing harmful narratives, facilitating grooming or exploitation, and shaping young people's understanding of relationships, identity, violence against women and girls, and other forms of vulnerability. Violence Against Women and Girls Supporting practitioners to identify and respond to online misogyny, image-based abuse, AI-enabled harms, online harassment and the growing intersection between online harms and violence against women and girls. Grooming, Exploitation and Criminal Networks Supporting practitioners to identify, prevent and respond to online grooming, exploitation, coercion and criminal influence operating across multiple digital platforms. Systems Change and Sustainability The VRU is particularly interested in approaches that move beyond standalone training delivery and contribute to sustainable systems change. Providers (either individually or collectively through a partnership/consortium) should demonstrate experience of: Workforce development and capacity building. Safeguarding practice improvement. Contextual safeguarding. Youth participation and co-production. Learning and evaluation. Policy and practice development. Cross-sector partnership working. The successful provider will be expected to support participants translate learning into organisational practice and practical ways of working with young people. This could also include the development of sustainable resources, learning materials, and sector-wide learning that can continue beyond the life of the commission. Indicative Outcomes The programme is expected to: Engage approximately 2,000 practitioners across the life of the programme. Deliver more than 100 learning and engagement sessions across London. Strengthen practitioner confidence, capability and safeguarding practice. Contribute to long-term improvements in policy, practice and systems responses to online harms. Timeframe and Budget The maximum estimated budget for this work is up to PS850,000 over a potential 3-year contract term (2 years +12-month extension), subject to confirmation of funding, internal governance, and approvals. Market Engagement /Response The VRU welcomes engagement from organisations with expertise in online harms, VAWG, safeguarding, contextual safeguarding, violence reduction, workforce development, youth participation and systems change. If you are interested in the opportunity and meet the core capabilities as set out above, then please email vruprocurement@london.gov.uk and you will be asked to fill in a short questionnaire. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Training-services./466H67C584 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/466H67C584

Planning Information

London VRU event will be held online on 25 June 2026 from 10:00am to 11:00am. Once participants have registered via the Eventbrite link, they will be sent a Microsoft Teams invitation to join the session. The eventbrite link for market warming session can be found https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-vru-online-harms-trusted-adults-programme-market-warming-session-tickets-1991542088999?aff=oddtdtcreator Please note that this exercise is in no way a call for competition and will not result in the award of a contract to any respondents to this notice. In terms of timescales any organisations wishing to ask questions or complete the questionnaire will have one week following the market warming event to do so. The questionnaire will therefore be open from 26th June 2026 until 3rd July 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b3dc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055610-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80500000 - Training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£850,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jun 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Jul 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
4 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 2-3 years
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
MAYORS OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME
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
SE1 0LL
Post Town
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Delivery Location
TLI London
Local Authority
Southwark
Electoral Ward
Borough & Bankside
Westminster Constituency
Bermondsey and Old Southwark

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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We work across communities and sectors, including youth services, local government, education, health, policing and the voluntary and community sector, championing a public health approach that combines prevention, early intervention and effective support for those experiencing the greatest levels of risk and vulnerability. At the heart of our approach is the belief that violence is preventable, not inevitable. We recognise, however, that many children and young people are already navigating the impacts of trauma, exploitation, abuse and complex community dynamics. As such, our work seeks not only to prevent harm before it occurs, but also to strengthen the systems, services and trusted adults responsible for safeguarding, supporting and intervening with those most affected. 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Description of the service This programme seeks to move beyond traditional awareness-raising approaches and contribute to sustainable workforce development, organisational learning and systems change across London's safeguarding landscape. The VRU welcomes bids from individual organisations as well as collaborative partnerships and consortia. We recognise that expertise may be distributed across different organisations, and we encourage applications that bring together complementary skills, knowledge and experience. Providers do not need to demonstrate strength across every area independently, provided that the partnership as a whole can evidence the required expertise and capacity to deliver the programme. This may include, for example, combining specialist knowledge in VAWG, contextual safeguarding, workforce development, online harms, learning and evaluation, cross-sector partnership working, and violence reduction approaches. 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