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DISAGREEMENT RESOLUTION AND MEDIATION SERVICE

Blackpool Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

10 Sep 2026 at 14:40

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Blackpool Borough Council intends to commission a statutory Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) mediation and disagreement resolution service. The provider will support impartial, independent resolution of disputes between families, the local authority and education providers. The service is intended to help resolve disagreements effectively and must operate in line with Chapter 11 of the SEND Code of Practice. This is a public service contract covering special education and associated health and social work support. It would suit organisations that provide mediation, disagreement resolution or related SEND support, particularly where they can work independently with families, councils and education settings. The council is the commissioning body and the service relates to its statutory SEND responsibilities.

This procurement is at the planning stage: the council has announced its intention to procure, but this record is not an invitation to tender. It expects to use a below-threshold open competition, with electronic submission allowed. The council expects the next notice to be published by 30 September 2026. Its indicative timetable gives 27 October 2026 as the enquiry closing date and 3 November 2026 as the tender closing date. The planned contract is one lot, with an estimated value of £120,000 excluding VAT (£144,000 including VAT). The expected contract period is 1 February 2027 to 1 February 2029, with a possible extension to 1 February 2031, subject to funding and contract performance. The council has set out a renewal option.

The work is likely to suit an established mediation or dispute-resolution provider with specific experience of statutory SEND services. Strong candidates will need to demonstrate that they can provide impartial and independent mediation involving families, a local authority and education providers, while supporting effective resolution of disagreements. Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice, particularly the requirements in Chapter 11, will be central to preparing for the procurement and delivering the service. Organisations with experience across special education, local-authority processes and related health or social work settings may be well placed to compete. Providers should use the planning period to assess their SEND mediation capability, independence arrangements and ability to work constructively with all parties to a dispute.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

DISAGREEMENT RESOLUTION AND MEDIATION SERVICE

Notice Description

Blackpool Borough Council is seeking a provider to deliver the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service. The service must offer impartial, independent mediation and disagreement resolution to support the effective resolution of disputes between families, the local authority, and education providers, in line with the requirements set out in Chapter 11 of the SEND Code of Practice.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f6f9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085956-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

80340000 - Special education services

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£120,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£120,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Sep 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
30 Sep 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 1 Feb 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Blackpool 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
BLACKPOOL
Postcode
FY1 1NB
Postcode Area
Blackpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD42 Blackpool
Delivery Location
TLD42 Blackpool
Local Authority
Blackpool
Electoral Ward
Talbot
Westminster Constituency
Blackpool South

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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