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Best Start in Life - School Based Commission to provide strategic leadership, expertise and co-ordination to strengthen early years practice across the City of York

City of York Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

23 Oct 2026 at 17:43

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

City of York Council is commissioning a school or school-led partnership to provide strategic leadership, expertise and coordination to strengthen early years practice across York. The work supports the city’s Best Start in Life plan and aims to help children experience connection, support and belonging from pregnancy to age five. The commissioned partner will work with the council, York schools, RISE Reception Networks, Stronger Practice Hubs, Family Hubs, early years settings and neighbourhood teams. Its focus is improving the proportion of children achieving a Good Level of Development and reducing inequalities across the city. This is a strategic early years and education support service, classified under health and social work services, delivered across York.

The council invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. The process reached tender, with bids submitted electronically through the stated supplier portal. The deadline for questions was 6 November 2026 at 12:00, and the bid deadline was 13 November 2026 at 12:00. The contract is scheduled to run from 15 February 2027 to 14 February 2029, with an option for a further year depending on future commissioning need. The estimated value is £120,000 excluding VAT (£144,000 including VAT). The procurement is divided into one lot. The council will select the most advantageous tender using a quality-to-price weighting of 70:30; further evaluation detail is in the tender pack.

This opportunity is suited to a school or school-led partnership with the leadership and practical expertise to improve early years provision across a city. Suppliers will need to coordinate effectively with a wide-ranging local network, including schools, reception networks, family hubs, early years settings, neighbourhood teams and local authority services. Relevant experience in early years practice and in supporting children’s development, particularly improving Good Level of Development outcomes and addressing inequalities, will be important to delivering the stated aims. The work calls for the ability to bring partners together and provide strategic direction as well as practical coordination. The requirement is city-wide and collaborative, making it most relevant to organisations able to work across multiple settings and maintain productive relationships with education and community partners.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Best Start in Life - School Based Commission to provide strategic leadership, expertise and co-ordination to strengthen early years practice across the City of York

Notice Description

City of York Council are seeking to commission a school or school-led partnership to provide strategic leadership, expertise, and coordination that strengthens early years practice across York. This commission sits within the wider Best Start in Life (BSIL) plan and will directly support the city's ambition that every child experiences connection, support, and belonging from pregnancy to age five. The commissioned partner will work alongside the local authority, York-based schools, RISE Reception Networks, Stronger Practice Hubs, Family Hubs, early years settings, and neighbourhood teams to improve the proportion of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) and reduce inequalities across the city.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There is flexibility for the Local Authority to choose to extend the contract for a further year, depending on future commissioning need.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078f9e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100757-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender 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

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

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
23 Oct 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
13 Nov 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
15 Feb 2027 - 14 Feb 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
City of York 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
YORK
Postcode
YO1 6GA
Postcode Area
York
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
TLE21 York
Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Micklegate
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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