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Healthy Schools and Early Years Services

Liverpool City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Sep 2026 at 16:34

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Liverpool City Council is developing a citywide Healthy Schools and Early Years Programme, covering schools, early years settings and alternative provision settings in Liverpool. The service will provide a coordinated, free and accessible health and wellbeing offer supporting the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of pupils, children, teachers, staff and parents. It will help settings and providers identify local needs, improve outcomes, increase access and choice, and reduce duplication. The intended approach is to bring together and maximise existing provision rather than replace or duplicate services. This is a community health service, covering coordination, partnership working, system leadership, prevention and early intervention across a whole-setting model. The procurement is categorised as services and is intended to support a coherent local offer responsive to emerging needs.

This process is at the planning stage: Liverpool City Council is conducting preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. The Council expects to publish the next notice on 10 October 2026. The planned contract is for one lot, with an anticipated term from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030 and a possible extension to 31 March 2032. Its estimated value is £2.5 million excluding VAT, or £3 million including VAT. A supplier engagement event is planned for 29 September 2026 at 09:30 via Microsoft Teams. The market questionnaire is expected to close on 28 September 2026 at 1pm, with clarification questions due by 25 September. Engagement will inform the service specification, delivery model and procurement approach, and the Council may amend or discontinue its plans afterwards.

The work is likely to suit organisations able to coordinate complex, multi-agency health and wellbeing services across a city, rather than providers delivering a single standalone intervention. Relevant strengths include partnership development, system leadership, whole-setting approaches, health improvement, prevention and early intervention, together with the ability to connect schools, early years settings, alternative provision and existing service providers. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate how they can improve access, choice and outcomes, respond to changing local needs, use evidence, and reduce duplication through a coherent local offer. The opportunity is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and for voluntary, community and social enterprises. Organisations with innovative delivery or partnership models can use the engagement to help shape the future requirements.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Healthy Schools and Early Years Services

Notice Description

Liverpool City Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to inform the development of the proposed Healthy Schools and Early Years Programme. The programme will provide a structured whole setting approach that supports the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of students, teachers, staff and parents. The programme is intended to provide coordinated and free, comprehensive and accessible health and wellbeing offer that will be responsive to new and emerging needs. It will support both settings and providers to increase access, choice and reduce duplication and will ensure that the local offer is based on the best possible evidence. The Council is therefore exploring a model that focuses on coordination, partnership working and system leadership, bringing together and maximising the impact of existing services rather than replacing them. The intention is to create a single, coherent offer that helps schools, early years settings and alternative provision settings access appropriate support, identify local needs and improve health and wellbeing outcomes. The Council is seeking to engage with organisations that have experience of coordinating complex multi-agency services, facilitating partnership working and supporting whole-system approaches to health improvement, prevention and early intervention. Feedback gathered through this engagement will help inform the future service specification, delivery model and procurement approach.

Planning Information

Liverpool City Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to inform the development of the proposed Healthy Schools and Early Years Programme. The programme is intended to provide a coordinated, citywide approach to health and wellbeing by bringing together, aligning and maximising the impact of existing provision rather than replacing or duplicating services. The objectives of the engagement are to: Test market capacity, capability and appetite. Explore potential delivery models and partnership approaches. Seek feedback on the proposed service scope and outcomes. Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement. Inform the future procurement strategy and service specification. Supplier Engagement Event Date: Tuesday 29 September 2026 Time: 09:30 Location: Microsoft Teams Suppliers wishing to participate should register their interest via The Chest procurement portal: https://www.the-chest.org.uk Then click "Current Opportunities" and search reference DN830185. A market engagement questionnaire will also be issued through The Chest procurement portal. Suppliers are encouraged to attend the engagement event and complete the questionnaire to provide feedback on the proposed model, delivery considerations and procurement approach. The closing date for responses to the questionnaire is Monday 28 September 2026 at 1:00pm. Any clarification questions relating to this market engagement exercise should be submitted via the messaging facility within The Chest procurement portal no later than 25 September 2026. Responses to clarification questions will be shared through the portal where appropriate. This engagement exercise is being conducted solely for information-gathering purposes and to inform service development. Participation will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process, and the Council reserves the right to amend, pause or discontinue its plans following the outcome of market engagement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0776d1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089327-2026
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

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
11 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2030 3-4 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
Liverpool City 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
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L3 1DS
Postcode Area
Liverpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD7 Merseyside
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD72 Liverpool
Delivery Location
TLD72 Liverpool
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
Waterfront South
Westminster Constituency
Liverpool Riverside

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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