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Provision of Youth Digital Safety and Online Harms

Police & Crime Commissioner for Merseyside & Chief Constable for Merseyside

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

26 Oct 2026 at 14:44

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

26 Oct 2026 at 14:32

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Police & Crime Commissioner for Merseyside and Chief Constable for Merseyside are exploring a future service to improve children and young people’s safety and wellbeing online across Merseyside. The work would take a coordinated public health approach to online harms, supporting young people to build confidence and agency in digital environments. Areas under consideration include workforce development, practical guidance and resources, communities of practice, evidence sharing and local-authority pilots. Pilots could test digital youth work, targeted prevention, safeguarding pathways and peer-led approaches. The market engagement will examine current services, gaps in practice and strategy, partnership options, evidence and evaluation, and the feasibility of different delivery models. This is service development and delivery, rather than a defined software purchase; the technical classifications also encompass software and IT services.

The process is at preliminary market engagement and planning stage: the buyer is gathering written responses to shape a possible future commissioning opportunity, not inviting bids. The engagement is expected to inform priorities, service design, procurement strategy and evaluation. The buyer has not settled a procurement model; possibilities include one strategic partner, several providers, partnership or consortium delivery, specialist lots, or a mixed approach. The planned engagement response date is 4 December 2026. The indicative contract period is 1 April 2027 to 1 April 2028, with a possible extension to 1 April 2029. The stated estimated value is £150,000. The future service is marked as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. No final specification or commitment to procure has been made.

This engagement is relevant to organisations working in youth digital safety, online harms, public health prevention, safeguarding, digital youth work or related research and evaluation. The buyer is seeking input from charities, community and voluntary organisations, social enterprises, private-sector and public-sector providers, researchers, and partnerships or consortia; smaller and specialist organisations are explicitly welcome. Useful experience includes developing workforce capability, translating evidence into practice, designing prevention interventions and building sustainable partnerships across local systems. Suppliers with knowledge of place-based delivery, youth participation, peer approaches and safeguarding pathways could help shape the options being explored. The engagement also offers a chance to explain delivery capacity and what forms of commissioning could work for the market. No particular accreditation, staffing threshold or technical qualification is set out at this planning stage, and participation does not guarantee a role in any later competition.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Youth Digital Safety and Online Harms

Notice Description

Provision of Youth Digital Safety and Online Harms. PCC/PD/1347. MVRP intends to undertake preliminary market engagement to inform the potential development of a future commissioning opportunity relating to youth digital safety and online harms across Merseyside. The initial scope is to explore how a coordinated public health approach could support children and young people to be safe and well online and to have the confidence, agency and support to thrive in digital environments. The engagement will explore existing provision, strategic and practice gaps, workforce capability, prevention approaches, partnership models, evidence and evaluation, and the feasibility of future delivery options. Potential areas of focus include: (1) building system capability through workforce development, guidance, resources, communities of practice and evidence translation; and (2) local authority test-and-learn pilots to explore place-based approaches such as digital youth work, targeted prevention, safeguarding pathways and peer approaches. These are areas for exploration and are not a final specification or commitment to procure.

Planning Information

C. Subject matter and initial scope MVRP intends to undertake preliminary market engagement to inform the potential development of a future commissioning opportunity relating to youth digital safety and online harms across Merseyside. The initial scope is to explore how a coordinated public health approach could support children and young people to be safe and well online and to have the confidence, agency and support to thrive in digital environments. The engagement will explore existing provision, strategic and practice gaps, workforce capability, prevention approaches, partnership models, evidence and evaluation, and the feasibility of future delivery options. Potential areas of focus include: (1) building system capability through workforce development, guidance, resources, communities of practice and evidence translation; and (2) local authority test-and-learn pilots to explore place-based approaches such as digital youth work, targeted prevention, safeguarding pathways and peer approaches. These are areas for exploration and are not a final specification or commitment to procure. D. Purpose of the preliminary market engagement The engagement is intended to help MVRP understand national, regional and local provision; identify strengths, gaps and emerging evidence; explore partnership and delivery options; assess market capacity; and inform future commissioning priorities, service design, procurement strategy and evaluation. The engagement is open to relevant organisations, including charities, community and voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises, private-sector providers, public-sector organisations, researchers, partnerships and consortia. Smaller and specialist organisations are welcome to contribute. E. Proposed engagement process MVRP proposes to invite written responses through an accompanying Supplier Questionnaire organised around six themes: Strategic Need and Local Priorities; Policy, Practice and Intervention; Building Capability and Confidence; Public Health Prevention; Partnership, Systems Leadership and Sustainability; and Innovation, Learning and Future Development. Engagement method(s): Written questionnaire F. Indicative future procurement approach No final procurement model has been determined. MVRP may consider a single strategic partner, multiple providers, partnership or consortium delivery, specialist lots or a mixed model. Market engagement findings will inform whether and how any future procurement is taken forward, subject to approval, funding and applicable procurement requirements. G. Important procurement information This notice invites participation in preliminary market engagement and is not a tender notice, call for competition or invitation to submit a bid. MVRP is not committing to proceed with a procurement or to award a contract. Participation does not guarantee involvement in a future procurement and does not confer preferential treatment. MVRP will take appropriate steps to ensure that participation in preliminary market engagement does not give a supplier an unfair advantage or otherwise distort competition. Information gathered may be used to inform the future requirement and procurement approach. Any subsequent procurement will be conducted in accordance with the applicable legal and procurement framework. Please email laura.fawcett@merseyside.police.uk to request the supplier questionnaire.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07904d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101100-2026
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

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£150,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2028 1-2 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
Police & Crime Commissioner for Merseyside & Chief Constable for Merseyside
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 3AN
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
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
Everton West
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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