--- title: "VRU - Expert Partner for Youth Digital Safety in London" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06c583" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c583" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c583.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c583.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME" published: "2026-07-07" --- # VRU - Expert Partner for Youth Digital Safety in London Buyer: MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c583 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c583) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c583.json) ## Summary The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is actively seeking an Expert Partner for Youth Digital Safety in London through an open procurement process under the tender stage. This opportunity aims to support their Violence Reduction Unit's (VRU) comprehensive digital safety programme that targets online harms affecting children and young people aged 11 to 25. The programme, which is relevant to several industry categories including research and development consultancy services, is focused within the London region of the United Kingdom. Key dates include the tender submission deadline on 5th August 2026, and the potential contract start date on 1st October 2026, potentially lasting 36 months. The procurement is divided into two lots: Research, Policy and Evidence Partner and Programme Development and Learning Partner, with an estimated maximum contract value of up to £550,000, excluding VAT. The VRU is seeking to advance a public health approach to violence reduction through innovative digital solutions and multi-agency collaboration. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in digital safety, safeguarding, and youth engagement to expand their portfolios. Organisations with expertise in research, policy development, programme implementation, and multi-agency coordination are highly encouraged to apply, either individually or in partnerships. Both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) that can offer innovative, research-based solutions and practical tools for addressing online harms are well-positioned to benefit from this contract. Successful bidders will have the chance to influence digital safety practices across London and establish themselves as key partners in an influential public health initiative addressing modern digital challenges faced by young people. ## Notice About the VRU The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), hosted within the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), pioneers a partnership-based public health approach to tackling violence through prevention and early intervention. Since 2019, the VRU has invested in over 550,000 targeted interventions for young people across London. Working with partners across government, local authorities, education, health, policing and the voluntary and community sector, the VRU supports coordinated action at the key touchpoints that influence a young person's journey: early years and families, education, positive opportunities, youth work, and communities and place. Central to the VRU's approach is a commitment to embedding the voices of young people, practitioners and communities in policy, programme design and decision-making. Programme Background The VRU recognises that the rapid growth of digital platforms and technologies has created both new opportunities and new risks for children and young people. While online spaces can support connection, creativity, learning and participation, they can also expose young people to harmful content, exploitation, misogyny, harassment, coercion and technology-enabled abuse, and can contribute to the escalation of offline harm and violence. As digital risks continue to evolve, there remains a significant gap between young people's lived experiences of the online world and the systems, policies and services designed to support them. The VRU is therefore developing a wider digital safety programme to strengthen London's response to online harms through a more coordinated, place-based and multi-agency approach. This programme is expected to include: - Strengthening trusted adult capability through specialist training and practical support. - Piloting innovative digital youth work approaches that engage young people safely in digital spaces. - Supporting local authorities and borough partners to test and strengthen local responses to online harms through safeguarding and place-based practice. - Building a stronger London-wide evidence base, strategic understanding and coordinated regional response. To support this ambition, the VRU is seeking to appoint an Expert Partner for Youth Digital Safety in London. The successful provider(s) will help the VRU keep pace with emerging trends in online harms, strengthen the evidence and practice base, embed youth-informed approaches, and support the development of a more coordinated public health response across London. Description of the Service The appointed provider(s) will act as an expert partner to the VRU, delivering specialist support across policy, research, evidence, programme development, learning and practice translation. The role will support the wider digital safety programme by strengthening connections between research, policy, safeguarding and frontline delivery, ensuring that insight and learning are translated into practical improvements for young people, practitioners and systems across London. The commission is structured into two complementary lots: Lot 1: Research, Policy and Evidence Partner Lot 2: Programme Development and Learning Partner Bidders may apply for one or both lots, and proposals may be led by a single organisation, partnership or consortium. The VRU particularly welcomes collaborative delivery models that bring together complementary expertise, capacity and reach. Target Audience The commission focuses on online harms affecting children and young people aged 11-25, with particular relevance to the VRU's violence reduction, safeguarding and prevention agenda. Providers should demonstrate an understanding of how digital risks, behaviours and protective factors may vary across adolescence and young adulthood, and how they may be shaped by factors such as age, gender, race, sexuality, disability, neurodivergence, socio-economic disadvantage and wider vulnerability. The work is expected to address a broad and evolving range of online harms, including peer conflict, harmful social media dynamics, exploitation, violence against women and girls (VAWG), misogyny, technology-enabled abuse and online harms that may contribute to or escalate offline violence. The scope is intentionally flexible and intended to support the VRU in identifying emerging risks and priority areas over time. Intended Outcomes The commission will contribute to: - Stronger strategic understanding of digital safety and opportunity for children and young people. - Stronger multi-agency safeguarding responses to digital risk. - Youth-informed research, policy and delivery across the wider VRU digital safety programme. - Stronger learning partner support and programme improvement across priority delivery strands. - More practical and timely support across the wider VRU digital safety programme. - A more coordinated public health response to online harms across London. - Stronger external influence and strategic leadership on youth digital safety. Timeframe and Budget The intended contract period is 36 months, from October 2026, comprising an initial 24-month term with an option to extend for a further 12 months, subject to funding, performance and relevant approvals. The budget breakdown is detailed below: Lot 1 - Fixed Services: PS110,600 Lot 2 - Fixed Services: PS205,400 In addition, optional draw-down provision may be commissioned subject to programme need, funding availability and approvals: Lot 1: up to PS82,000 Lot 2: up to PS152,000 The maximum potential contract value is therefore up to PS550,000 excluding VAT, inclusive of core and optional provision. The VRU does not guarantee that any draw-down provision will be utilised. Note: Market engagement was conducted on 29th June 2026, you can see the notice here https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058240-2026 ### Lot Information Research, Policy and Evidence Partner This lot will provide expert research, policy and evidence support across the VRU's wider digital safety programme. The successful provider will help the VRU keep pace with emerging online harms, build and translate the evidence base, support policy development and external influence, and strengthen understanding of how digital risks intersect with violence reduction, safeguarding and prevention. Renewal: optional 12 months extension Programme Development and Learning Partner This lot will provide programme development, learning and practice support across the VRU's wider digital safety programme. The successful provider will act as a learning partner, helping to strengthen delivery, capture and apply learning, support continuous improvement, and translate evidence and insights into practical tools, guidance and resources for services, practitioners and local systems across London. Renewal: Optional extension of 12 months ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063780-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 7 Jul 2026 | | Submission deadline | 5 Aug 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £660,000 | | Lots value | £660,000 | | 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 | MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South East London | | Postcode | SE1 0LL | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East | | ITL 3 | TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark | | Local authority | Southwark | | Electoral ward | Borough & Bankside | | Westminster constituency | Bermondsey and Old Southwark | | Delivery location | TLI London | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services ## Release History - 7 Jul 2026 at 14:44 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063780-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063780-2026 7th July 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/K4CSQU42CU - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/KU7M9CP4NV - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058240-2026 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. 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