--- title: "Safeguarding Support for Covid-19 Inquiry" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE" published: "2026-03-03" --- # Safeguarding Support for Covid-19 Inquiry Buyer: CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845.json) ## Summary The Cabinet Office is overseeing a contract, in collaboration with the Crown Commercial Service, for the provision of emotional safeguarding support related to the Covid-19 Inquiry. This contract is focused on facilitating trauma-informed interactions, offering timely and sensitive emotional support, though not formal counselling or therapy. The procurement process has reached the award stage, with the contract period commencing on 9th February 2024, concluding on 8th February 2026. The project is categorised under "Staff development services" and includes additional classifications such as "Guidance and counselling services." The procurement method used was an open procedure over the threshold, and the contract is valued at £3,267,134.42 GBP. This opportunity is being conducted in the United Kingdom. Businesses involved in staff development, training, and counselling services stand to benefit notably from this tender, with a focus on providing emotional support in a structured, trauma-informed manner. The potential removal of telephone-based emotional support post-April 2026 presents a unique opportunity for innovative service provision companies specialising in face-to-face or digital engagements. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), alongside voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), are identified as suitable participants for this tender, allowing diverse organisations to expand their market presence and build partnerships around psychological support and engagement during government-led inquiries. ## Notice The Cabinet Office has put in place contracts for the provision of Emotional Support service for use by the Covid 19 Inquiry. The Inquiry has pledged to be trauma-informed across all of its work. A trauma informed approach means seeking to reduce the risk of retraumatisation to people who are engaging with the Inquiry. Emotional support is one of the key ways of reducing retraumatisation by offering timely, sensitive, psychologically informed emotional support to people engaging with the Inquiry's work. Emotional support is not counselling or therapy. The focus is on facilitating the person's engagement with the Inquiry, creating support plans, facilitating stabilisation, providing psychological containment and facilitating the person's journey through their engagement process. These contracts provide the offer of emotional support for everyone engaging with the Inquiry. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has chosen to exercise its option to terminate Lot 1 and Lot 3 of these contracts and on Monday 25 March 2024 gave the requisite 90 days notice. Additional information: In relation to Lot 2 - The value change to $1,144877.74 and Utilisation of the first permitted 1 year extension (effective from 22/02/2026) and removal of telephone-based emotional support from the deliverables required under the contract (effective 1st April 2026). As a result of this, and from01/04/2026, the Inquiry will no longer be charged for baseline monthly cost of telephone/video support sessions. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21f4f848-62f8-430f-9859-a58228f945da | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 3 Mar 2026 | | Submission deadline | 11 Oct 2023 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 9 Feb 2024 | | Contract period | 9 Feb 2024 - 20 Feb 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1,144,877 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £1,144,877 | | 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 | CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE | | Locality | LIVERPOOL | | Post town | Liverpool | | Postcode | L3 9PP | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD7 Merseyside | | ITL 3 | TLD72 Liverpool | | Local authority | Liverpool | | Electoral ward | City Centre North | | Westminster constituency | Liverpool Riverside | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | SUCCESSFUL SUPPLIER LIST CAN BE FOUND IN THE ATTACHMENTS AREA | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 80 - Education and training services - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 79633000 - Staff development services - 80511000 - Staff training services - 80570000 - Personal development training services - 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services - 85312310 - Guidance services - 85312320 - Counselling services ## Release History - 3 Mar 2026 at 17:32 - AwardUpdate - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21f4f848-62f8-430f-9859-a58228f945da - 25 Mar 2024 at 15:25 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21f4f848-62f8-430f-9859-a58228f945da ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21f4f848-62f8-430f-9859-a58228f945da 3rd March 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/e2576f3a-4691-4761-ae30-2b04f5cf03eb - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/f18473dc-116c-454e-993b-f3aafeaf7a08 - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/32c1b101-0616-411b-b630-49ac7c7fa71a ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/crown-commercial-service ## 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-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-dc24e622-ac25-4f10-ae54-29e1c6ff0845.json.