---
title: "Action for children-Side Step"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Newcastle City Council"
published: "2026-08-24"
---

# Action for children-Side Step

Buyer: Newcastle City Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a.json)

## Summary

Newcastle City Council commissioned Side Step, a specialist support service for young people involved in, or at risk of, criminal exploitation and serious organised crime. The service is intended to identify and support criminally exploited young people through relationship building, engagement, risk intelligence and multi-agency collaboration. It develops bespoke contextual safeguarding plans to guide interventions, with safeguarding as a central requirement. The work falls within rehabilitation and support services related to criminal justice (CPV 75231200) and is delivered in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. The council is the buyer, while Action for Children is the appointed provider. This is a focused children and young people service combining safeguarding, criminal justice, substance-misuse support and coordinated intervention rather than a general youth or social care contract.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Action for Children. It was a below-threshold direct award without competition, under the light-touch regime, with one lot. The contract was signed on 21 August 2026 and has a stated period from 21 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. Its value is £150,000 gross. Two further 12-month extension options are available, with the maximum contract period ending on 31 March 2029. The provider must report on young people engaged through Youth Offending Team substance-misuse support every three months, care plans for offenders needing further intervention every month, and reductions in harm and risk at service exit compared with entry every six months. The procurement was not divided into a competitive tender process.

This requirement indicates demand for providers able to work with young people affected by criminal exploitation, serious organised crime and related safeguarding risks. A credible competitor would need strong relationship-building and engagement practice, the ability to gather and use risk intelligence, and experience of coordinating interventions across multiple agencies. The service also requires contextual safeguarding planning tailored to individual circumstances, alongside links to criminal justice and substance-misuse support. Organisations should be able to demonstrate robust outcome monitoring: engagement through Youth Offending Team substance-misuse support, agreed care plans for further intervention, and measurable changes in harm and risk between entry and exit. Action for Children’s appointment shows that a voluntary or community-sector provider can deliver this focused, multi-agency youth service for the council.

## Notice

Side Step seeks to identify and support young people involved in, or at risk of, criminal exploitation and serious and organised crime. Safeguarding is paramount in supporting criminally exploited young people, and the service aims to balance relationship building, engagement, risk intelligence and multi-agency collaboration to develop bespoke contextual safeguarding plans that inform the delivery of interventions.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080206-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 21 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £150,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Newcastle City Council |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Postcode area | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE1 8QH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Monument |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Action for children |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services

### Codes

- 75231200 - Services related to the detention or rehabilitation of criminals

## Release History

- 24 Aug 2026 at 10:37 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080206-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080206-2026
  24th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-21437

## Notice URLs

- http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/

## 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-06ea3a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ea3a.json.