---
title: "Closing the Gap Cost of Living Support Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05059b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05059b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05059b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05059b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "READING BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2025-08-07"
---

# Closing the Gap Cost of Living Support Service

Buyer: READING BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05059b

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05059b)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05059b.json)

## Summary

Reading Borough Council has completed the procurement process for their "Closing the Gap Cost of Living Support Service" project, which aims to mitigate the impacts of poverty and deprivation by providing practical tools, advice, and assistance to communities and individuals. This open procedure tender is in the award stage and was conducted in the services category, specifically under social work and related services, and other community, social, and personal services, based in Reading, United Kingdom. Expressions of interest concluded on 25 May 2025, with a standstill period ending on 18 August 2025. The awarded contract is valued at £696,000 and will run from 1 November 2025 until 31 October 2028, with the possibility of a two-year renewal.

This tender provides an opportunity for businesses within the social services sector to engage in work aimed at reducing health inequalities and promoting long-term community changes. Companies focused on community-based, preventative solutions, such as social enterprises and SMEs with a vested interest in social value and local welfare improvement, would find this contract beneficial. The awarded supplier, Citizens Advice Reading, is well-suited to deliver on these goals, being a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) and a voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) with a track record in similar initiatives. Such projects are pivotal for businesses aiming to enhance their portfolio in public sector collaborations and expand their influence in vital community support services.

## Notice

RBC are completing a ITT exercise for the provision of Closing the Gap Cost of Living Support Service - Reducing the impacts of poverty and deprivation by providing practical tools, advice and assistance to communities and individuals. Full details of the requirement can be found in the Specification in Annexe 1 which outlines the requirements for each funding. The Bid documents contain proposals for the works. Services under the Closing the Gap programme are commissioned in line with RBC's Council Strategy, Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Poverty Needs Analysis and the Berkshire Joint Strategic Needs Analysis, and focus on community-based, preventative work. These services are commissioned to reduce differences around healthy life expectancy, reduce health inequalities and contribute to long-term change. Suppliers that would like to take part in this process are invited to "Express Interest" upon which they will be given access to the full documentation delivered through this portal. Documents can be accessed from the "My Tenders" area of this website by selecting the "View Details" button for the project. Expressions of interest will only be accepted until 25/05/2025. Any questions relating to this opportunity should be made via the correspondence link on this portal.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046852-2025 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Aug 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Jun 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 27 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 1 Nov 2025 - 31 Oct 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £696,000 |
| Lots value | £696,000 |
| Awards value | £696,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | READING BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | READING |
| Post town | Reading |
| Postcode | RG1 2LU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ16 Berkshire West |
| Local authority | Reading |
| Electoral ward | Abbey |
| Westminster constituency | Reading Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CITIZENS ADVICE READING |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services
- 98 - Other community, social and personal services

### Codes

- 85300000 - Social work and related services
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

## Release History

- 7 Aug 2025 at 11:01 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046852-2025
- 22 Apr 2025 at 12:22 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016225-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046852-2025
  7th August 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016225-2025
  22nd April 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/Home
  all submissions must be via Reading Borough Council's In-Tend portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/Home

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-05059b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05059b.json.