--- title: "Market Engagement - Bfriends Community Based Test & Learn Project" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2022-01-24" --- # Market Engagement - Bfriends Community Based Test & Learn Project Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66.json) ## Summary Essex County Council is initiating the procurement process for the "Market Engagement - Bfriends Community Based Test & Learn Project", targeting health and social work services in the Braintree and Uttlesford District areas of Essex. The process is currently in the planning stage, with a market engagement event scheduled for 15th February 2022, during which potential providers can discuss the project proposal. Interested organisations must confirm their attendance by emailing Lorna Venters by the deadline of 11th February 2022. The project, valued at £210,000, aims to empower local communities to support individuals with Learning Disabilities and Autism through befriending, mentoring, and peer-led activities. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses focused on health and social care, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) that specialise in community engagement and support services. Companies that can deliver innovative solutions tailored to the needs of individuals with Learning Disabilities and Autism are well-suited to participate. By engaging in this project, businesses can expand their service offerings, enhance their community impact, and contribute to developing personalised care approaches that foster social integration. ## Notice Essex County Council would like to invite prospective providers to participate in a market engagement event in preparation for a forthcoming procurement opportunity to secure a two year Test and Learn project to secure befriending, peer-led and mentoring to be conducted in the Braintree and Uttlesford District areas of Essex. The market engagement event will be conducted via MS Teams on 15th February 2022 and will include a discussion of the project proposal as outlined below. If your organisation would like to attend this event, please e-mail lorna.venters@essex.gov.uk by Friday 11th February 2022 confirming the number of colleagues who wish to attend and an e-mail address to enable the Council to send the link to join the online meeting. The overarching aim of this project is to provide an early intervention offer which empowers and supports the communities of Essex to find their own solutions to social integration for people with a Learning Disability and Autism (LD&A) without relying on formally commissioned services. This support offer will act as an effective way of linking individuals with community focused support, including voluntary support, that match an individual's goals and needs, and thereby reduce the need for conventional day opportunity provision and social care interventions. The support solutions within the offer, based on the provision of befriending, mentoring and peer-led activities, should be co-produced with LD&A adults who wish to access it. The aim should be that peer-led groups should be fully led by LD&A adults. The views of adults, families and carers will be key to ensuring that support is appropriate and responsive to changing patterns of need, and individuals are expected to play a key role in the co-production, design and delivery of services. Please note that any dates within this advert are provided for indicative purposes only as this project remains subject to governance approval. The Council will confirm the approved contractual duration within the Contract Notice and tender pack for this procurement. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c254cefb-9c74-4dc4-a28b-a4291971d2bf | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 24 Jan 2022 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 11 Feb 2022 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £210,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | CHELMSFORD | | Post town | Chelmsford | | Postcode | CM1 1QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex | | ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex | | Local authority | Chelmsford | | Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central | | Westminster constituency | Chelmsford | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 24 Jan 2022 at 10:11 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c254cefb-9c74-4dc4-a28b-a4291971d2bf ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c254cefb-9c74-4dc4-a28b-a4291971d2bf 24th January 2022 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://www.essex.gov.uk/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-0898a886-e2c8-467f-94e4-93c948ef9f66.json.