---
title: "Award of DCAF - Evaluation of the Programme for Scotland's Childminding Future"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Scottish Government"
published: "2026-09-23"
---

# Award of DCAF - Evaluation of the Programme for Scotland's Childminding Future

Buyer: Scottish Government  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225

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## Summary

The Scottish Government commissioned social research on childminding in Scotland. The work evaluates whether the current strategy, including the Scottish Childminding Association’s Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future, is addressing the reasons for the sustained decline in childminder numbers. It is intended to assess the effectiveness of this intervention, rather than to provide childminding services. The research is for the Scottish Ministers and concerns the childminding workforce across Scotland. This is a specialist research and evaluation requirement for suppliers with the ability to investigate workforce trends and assess the effects of a public programme in its policy context.

The procurement has been awarded to Ipsos (market research) Ltd, and the contract is recorded as active. The award date and contract period are not stated. The award value is £99,700. The requirement was for a single research project, procured as a service. One bid was recorded. The tender period began on 9 July 2026; no submission deadline is given. The stated evaluation purpose was to assess the current strategy, including the Scottish Childminding Association programme, and its effectiveness in mitigating the causes of declining childminder numbers. The contract was signed on 9 March 2026. The recorded signing date precedes the stated start of the tender period.

For research and evaluation suppliers, this award demonstrates Scottish Government demand for evidence on workforce decline and the effectiveness of interventions in a specific public-policy area. A credible competitor for a future requirement of this kind would need to design and deliver robust social research, understand the childminding sector across Scotland, and assess both the underlying reasons for falling workforce numbers and whether a programme has addressed them. Relevant experience would include evaluating government strategies and programmes, interpreting workforce trends, and producing findings useful to ministers and policy teams. The selected supplier was a market research company, and the procurement attracted one recorded bid, indicating a specialist research requirement rather than a broad service contract.

## Notice

In the context of sustained decline in the childminding workforce and the current intervention strategy, the Scottish Government, on behalf of the Scottish Ministers wishes to commission a research project to evaluate the effectiveness of the current strategy, including the Scottish Childminding Association's Programme for Scotland's Childminding Future, in mitigating the underlying reasons behind the continued decline in childminder numbers across Scotland.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565092 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Quick Quote Award |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £99,700 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Not specified |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Scottish Government |
| Additional buyers | Argyll and Bute Council; Consumer Scotland; Dumfries and Galloway Council; Dundee City Council; Fife Council; Moray Council; North Lanarkshire Council; Perth & Kinross Council; Registers of Scotland; Scottish Borders Housing Association; The Highland Council |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Postcode area | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G2 8LU |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 29 |
| Supplier names | Ipsos MORI; NEC Software Solutions UK Limited; FRP Advisory; Mitie; Turner & Townsend; Jump Research; Chase Services Group Ltd; Houlder Limited; IFF Research; Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd; GC Insight Ltd; Amey OW Ltd; Beam Up Ltd; Gemmell & Prout Marine Limited; Venesky Brown Ltd; SKODA UK; HaskoningDHV UK Ltd; William Yule & Son Limited; LEARNING POOL LIMITED; Abbeyfield Kirkcaldy Society Limited; Sanderson Government and Defence; Helpthemove Ltd; George Brown & Sons Engineers (Leith) Limited; VWR International Ltd; WSP UK Limited; Stantec UK Ltd; Galliford Try Construction Ltd; Specialist Computer Centres; 8x8 UK Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79315000 - Social research services

## Release History

- 23 Sep 2026 at 12:21 - Award - PCS Notice - Quick Quote Award - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565092

## Notice URLs

- http://https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
- http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk
- http://www.dumgal.gov.uk
- http://www.fife.gov.uk
- http://www.highland.gov.uk
- http://www.moray.gov.uk
- http://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/15478/Tenders-and-contracts
- http://www.ros.gov.uk
- http://www.sbha.org.uk
- http://www.scotland.gov.uk
- https://consumer.scot/

## 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-r6ebe6-0000837225. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000837225.json.