---
title: "Welfare and Debt Advice & Information Service"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-8500189b-95b0-444f-a437-aee41eae62bf"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-8500189b-95b0-444f-a437-aee41eae62bf"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8500189b-95b0-444f-a437-aee41eae62bf.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-8500189b-95b0-444f-a437-aee41eae62bf.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WIGAN COUNCIL"
published: "2018-02-26"
---

# Welfare and Debt Advice & Information Service

Buyer: WIGAN COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-8500189b-95b0-444f-a437-aee41eae62bf

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## Summary

The procurement process pertains to the "Welfare and Debt Advice & Information Service" initiated by Wigan Council, located in Wigan, England. This open tender, classified under 'Guidance services', was published on 16 October 2017, with a deadline for submissions set for 9 November 2017. The contract, with a total value of £1,200,000, is designed to provide high-quality welfare benefits and debt advice services to the population of Wigan borough. The contract duration is from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2021.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) capable of offering comprehensive advice services. Suitable candidates will have a minimum of five years' experience in welfare benefits, housing, and debt advice, and should be able to handle a high volume of inquiries effectively. Collaborations or consortia may be advantageous as Wigan Council prefers a joint approach to service delivery, enabling partners to meet the evolving needs of the community.

## Notice

The provision of an effective, high quality, value for money Welfare benefits and debt Information and Advice Service that is responsive to the needs of the Wigan borough population. Our preferred model will be for a lead organisation to develop a consortia/collaborative approach to delivery. The successful Service Provider must have the capacity to deal with upwards of 15 500 enquiries per year, predominantly via telephone and face to face contact but also have the ability to utilise other techniques such as(website, joint booking system, email, skype). All elements of the service must be delivered in line with nationally accredited quality standards where appropriate e.g. Advice Quality Standard (AQS) and Citizens Advice membership. The Service Provider must be able to demonstrate they have a minimum of 5 years' experience of providing a comprehensive advice service covering, as a minimum, welfare benefits, housing and debt, within a large Local Authority area. Any Service Provider who is unable to demonstrate this experience will not be considered further. The Service Provider must deliver a service that is flexible and able to adapt to changing demand caused by legislative and policy changes as well as demographics and level of need. The Service Provider must deliver an effective and efficient service to manage demand and to improve the customer experience, dealing with enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible, ensuring the need to refer to other organisations is minimised. The Service Provider should have the capability to assist clients with digital inclusion - helping them to get on-line including applying for benefits. The Service Provider must ensure systems are in place to ensure the provision of the service during periods of staff absence due to sickness, holiday or other reasons. The service should be delivered by a team of experienced advice workers with 70 % of paid staff having at least2 years' experience.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dad26a90-c90b-41ca-a433-df17178132ef |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Feb 2018 |
| Submission deadline | 9 Nov 2017 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 15 Jan 2018 |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2018 - 31 Mar 2021 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,200,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,200,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WIGAN COUNCIL |
| Locality | WIGAN |
| Post town | Wigan |
| Postcode | WN1 1YN |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD36 Greater Manchester North West |
| Local authority | Wigan |
| Electoral ward | Wigan Central |
| Westminster constituency | Wigan |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CITIZENS ADVICE SERVICE IN THE BOROUGH OF WIGAN |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85312310 - Guidance services

## Release History

- 26 Feb 2018 at 09:27 - AwardUpdate - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dad26a90-c90b-41ca-a433-df17178132ef
- 17 Oct 2017 at 10:06 - TenderAmendment - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dad26a90-c90b-41ca-a433-df17178132ef
- 16 Oct 2017 at 12:11 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dad26a90-c90b-41ca-a433-df17178132ef

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dad26a90-c90b-41ca-a433-df17178132ef
  26th February 2018 - Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.the-chest.org.uk
  This procurement is being conducted electronically via 'The Chest' North West E-Procurement Portal at the link below. The tender has been published on The Chest with reference number DN302885. Applicants will need to register on this website in order to gain access to the tender documentation.

## Notice URLs

- http://www.wigan.gov.uk/

## Provenance

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