--- title: "Emergency Welfare Scheme: Oxfordshire Crisis Fund" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2023-02-06" --- # Emergency Welfare Scheme: Oxfordshire Crisis Fund Buyer: OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d.json) ## Summary The Oxfordshire County Council is initiating a tender process for the implementation of the Emergency Welfare Scheme known as the Oxfordshire Crisis Fund, aimed at providing support to low-income households facing urgent needs. This tender falls under the category of system and support services and is part of the services procurement. The contract will be effective from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, with a potential 2-year extension. The procurement method being used is a selective and restricted procedure, focused on social and health-related services. The deadline for tender submission is February 20, 2023. The launch of the Oxfordshire Crisis Fund offers an opportunity for businesses providing social and health-related services tailored to emergency support. Companies specialising in welfare provision, crisis management, and support services would find this tender relevant to their expertise. Businesses with experience in managing public sector contracts focusing on welfare schemes, eligibility assessments, complaints procedures, and service delivery are well-suited to compete in this procurement process initiated by the Oxfordshire County Council. ## Notice It is well understood that the availability of emergency welfare funds, designed to support low-income households with urgent and unforeseen needs, can help prevent immediate crisis turning into long-term deprivation. Unlike the majority of upper tier authorities, Oxfordshire County Council ("the Council") currently has no business-as-usual crisis fund. While specific funding is available in some local areas (for example from Town and Parish Councils) and for specific groups, there is no equivalent fund open to all eligible residents across the County. This leaves a gap for 'last-resort' support in the Oxfordshire system. The Government has increasingly adopted an expectation that local delivery capacity for emergency scheme exists and that this can address gaps in national welfare provision. Further, the Government assumes that this infrastructure is in place and can be used to spend new funding streams at short notice. Following the administration of a series of short-term interventions through the COVID-19 and subsequent cost-of-living crisis, the Council has now identified a business case for implanting a new scheme and a revenue budget has been agreed for 2023/24-2025/26 inclusive. The Council wishes to procure the capacity to deliver and provide for a new Oxfordshire Crisis Fund that will: Receive applications and / or referrals for crisis funding; determine eligibility against criteria set by the Council; issue support where an application is successful in a form agreed by the Council; communicate with unsuccessful applications; and, in all cases, offer signposting and additional support information. Issue support to individuals specifically pre-identified by the Council as in need of support, without the need for an eligibility check. Implement an appropriate level-1 complaints procedure. ### Lot Information Lot 1 It is well understood that the availability of emergency welfare funds, designed to support low-income households with urgent and unforeseen needs, can help prevent immediate crisis turning into long-term deprivation. Unlike the majority of upper tier authorities, Oxfordshire County Council ("the Council") currently has no business-as-usual crisis fund. While specific funding is available in some local areas (for example from Town and Parish Councils) and for specific groups, there is no equivalent fund open to all eligible residents across the County. This leaves a gap for 'last-resort' support in the Oxfordshire system. The Government has increasingly adopted an expectation that local delivery capacity for emergency scheme exists and that this can address gaps in national welfare provision. Further, the Government assumes that this infrastructure is in place and can be used to spend new funding streams at short notice. Following the administration of a series of short-term interventions through the COVID-19 and subsequent cost-of-living crisis, the Council has now identified a business case for implanting a new scheme and a revenue budget has been agreed for 2023/24-2025/26 inclusive. The Council wishes to procure the capacity to deliver and provide for a new Oxfordshire Crisis Fund that will: Receive applications and / or referrals for crisis funding; determine eligibility against criteria set by the Council; issue support where an application is successful in a form agreed by the Council; communicate with unsuccessful applications; and, in all cases, offer signposting and additional support information. Issue support to individuals specifically pre-identified by the Council as in need of support, without the need for an eligibility check. Implement an appropriate level-1 complaints procedure. Renewal: Potential of 2 years on aggregate. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003636-2023 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Restricted procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 6 Feb 2023 | | Submission deadline | 20 Feb 2023 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2023 - 31 Mar 2025 | | 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 | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | OXFORD | | Post town | Oxford | | Postcode | OX1 1ND | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC | | Local authority | Oxford | | Electoral ward | Osney & St Thomas | | Westminster constituency | Oxford West and Abingdon | | Delivery location | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support ### Codes - 72250000 - System and support services ## Release History - 6 Feb 2023 at 17:12 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003636-2023 ## Notice URLs - http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=4bcecbc5-3fa6-ed11-811f-005056b64545 ## 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-h6vhtk-03a34d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a34d.json.