--- title: "Management of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF)" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION" published: "2017-10-17" --- # Management of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb.json) ## Summary The Department for Education is planning a procurement process for the management of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF). This tender, titled "Management of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF)," falls under the social work and related services category. It is set to commence on 1 April 2018 and run until 31 March 2020, with a potential two-year extension based on future Spending Review decisions. The engagement end date for interested parties is set for 23 February 2018. A supplier meeting is scheduled for the week commencing 23 October 2017, and an appointment is expected to be made in December 2017, following the current planning stage. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses focused on providing therapeutic interventions and support services for adoptive families and special guardians. Companies offering digital platform solutions, helpline services, and application management systems would be well-suited to compete for this contract. Additionally, service providers with expertise in social work, community support, and child welfare initiatives can leverage this opportunity to expand their market reach and contribute positively to the welfare of adopted children and families across England. ## Notice ***New on 17th October 2017 - Please note that this tender scheduled for release w/c 16 October 2017 has been delayed. We will notify you through an update to Contracts Finder when it is rescheduled with a revised timeline including a new date for the bidder event.*** See 'Attachments' for a Word version of the description. Many adopted children have experienced early abuse, neglect and trauma and consequently have complex needs. A significant proportion of adoptive parents report challenges in parenting adopted children. The ASF was introduced to improve outcomes for young people and families through improving the quality of adoption support assessments; speeding up access to therapeutic services for adoptive children and improving the quality and availability of services across the country. The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) funds local authorities to provide therapeutic interventions to support adoptive and eligible special guardianship families. The ASF was rolled out across England in May 2015 following a successful prototype. As at the end of August 2017, the ASF had provided over PS55m towards to supporting 19,000 families across all local authority areas, with an average of 200 applications to the Fund totalling on average PS500k per week. The current contract to deliver the ASF expires at the end of March 2018. We wish to procure a delivery partner to manage the ASF for two years (from 1 April 2018-31 March 2020), with the option to extend for a further two years subject to decisions about the future of the Fund beyond 2020 (subject to Spending Review decisions). The delivery partner's role will be to: - set up and manage a digital platform to process up to 10,000 applications per year; - provide ongoing helpline support and other relevant guidance on making applications to the Fund to local authorities; - assess and approve up to 10,000 applications a year according to published scope and criteria; - manage payments to local authorities; - respond to complaints; - develop and implement ideas to make best use of the learning from the take up of ASF to date; - provide detailed management information to the Department on a weekly, monthly and annual basis; - provide targeted support to local authorities and regional adoption agencies on a range of policy areas including developing the provider market and piloting the regionalisation of the ASF; - work effectively with any contractor appointed to carry out the evaluation of the implementation of the Fund; and - ensure there is a smooth transition or closure at the end of the contract. Additional information: The contract notice will be published wc 16 October 2017. A supplier meeting is planned for w/c 23 October. We hope to appoint in December 2017 to enable a period of transition planning between January and March 2018. START AND END DATES OF THE CONTRACT: 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2020 with the possibility of a further two years subject to Spending Review decisions about the future of the Fund beyond 2020. ESTIMATED VALUE: up to PS2m each year for two financial years (2018-20) ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/cd6c9866-a2f7-48da-9b54-1380fabf79db | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 17 Oct 2017 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 23 Feb 2018 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | 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 | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION | | Locality | SHEFFIELD | | Post town | Sheffield | | Postcode | S1 2FJ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber | | ITL 2 | TLE3 South Yorkshire | | ITL 3 | TLE32 Sheffield | | Local authority | Sheffield | | Electoral ward | City | | Westminster constituency | Sheffield Central | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85300000 - Social work and related services ## Release History - 17 Oct 2017 at 17:14 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/cd6c9866-a2f7-48da-9b54-1380fabf79db - 22 Sep 2017 at 08:18 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/cd6c9866-a2f7-48da-9b54-1380fabf79db ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/cd6c9866-a2f7-48da-9b54-1380fabf79db 17th October 2017 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/032815f6-83f6-4fe2-aae5-ad653ab440d6 Description and further information ## 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-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-ea3d14ee-ba2e-4665-818e-51f4a78588cb.json.