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Disagreement Resolution and Mediation Service Southwest Region

Somerset County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

AwardUpdate

28 Jul 2026 at 10:55

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Somerset Council procured an independent disagreement resolution and mediation service for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. The service supports parents, carers and young people aged 16 to 25 when they have disagreements about SEND provision. It covers 15 local authority areas across the South West, making this a multi-authority regional service rather than a single-council arrangement. The requirement falls within welfare services for children and young people and is governed by the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The buyer is Somerset Council, based in Taunton, and the service is delivered across the South West local authority areas.

This procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. The contract was signed on 24 July 2026 and awarded to Global Mediation Ltd. Its value is £3,500,000. The awarded contract period is 1,260 days, while the tender described a 1,080-day service period. The contract has been extended by six months because the next local authority responsible for procuring the following three-year arrangement was unable to award its procurement and needs additional time to rerun the process. The procurement covered one lot and used a tender process under the legal framework for public contracts. The award relates to the full regional disagreement resolution and mediation service.

This opportunity indicates sustained regional demand for suppliers able to provide independent mediation and disagreement resolution in the SEND sector. A credible competitor would need practical expertise in disputes about SEND provision, the ability to work impartially with parents, carers and young people aged 16 to 25, and a sound working knowledge of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. Delivery capability across 15 South West local authority areas is important, as is the operational capacity to coordinate a service used by multiple councils. Organisations with established mediation practice, experienced SEND personnel and the resources to deliver consistently across a region are best placed for similar requirements from Somerset Council.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Disagreement Resolution and Mediation Service Southwest Region

Notice Description

Lot Information

Lot 1

Contract for Disagreement Resolution and Mediation Service Southwest Region This service provides statutory independent disagreement resolution and mediation services concerning special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision to parents, carers and young people aged 16-25, in 15 local authorities in the Southwest, under the terms of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d4fa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071106-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£3,500,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Not Specified
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Somerset 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
TAUNTON
Postcode
TA1 4DY
Postcode Area
Taunton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK62 Somerset
Delivery Location
TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Somerset
Electoral Ward
Bishop's Hull & Taunton West
Westminster Constituency
Taunton and Wellington

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Global Mediation Limited

Further Information

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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