---
title: "Services for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Highland"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "The Highland Council"
published: "2026-10-21"
---

# Services for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Highland

Buyer: The Highland Council  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052

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## Summary

The Highland Council is seeking a provider for a holistic support service for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children across the Highland Council area. The service covers children referred through the National Transfer Scheme and those arriving spontaneously. It is intended to help young people live safely and successfully in local communities while they progress through the asylum and immigration process. Support should promote safety, stability, wellbeing, integration, independence and positive outcomes, taking account of young people who may have experienced displacement, trauma, loss and uncertainty. This is a social care service for children and young people, rather than a supply of goods or construction work.

The buyer invited offers through an open procedure, with electronic submissions. The tender submission deadline set was 1 December 2026 at 12:00. The initial contract period runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029, with options for yearly extensions for up to a further three years, potentially to March 2032. The stated contract value is £3.6 million. The extensions depend on continuation of UK Government funding, and the Council’s ability to exercise them is conditional on that funding. There is one lot covering the service across Highland. The award basis is the most economically advantageous tender, weighted 95% for quality and 5% for price.

This opportunity is suited to providers with relevant experience supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and helping young people affected by displacement, trauma, loss and uncertainty. Relevant experience is specifically identified as a selection consideration. Bidders will undergo financial checks, including credit assessment; where a credit check is unavailable, the stated requirements include financial accounts or, for newer businesses, cash-flow information and a bank letter. A parent-company guarantee may support a bidder that does not otherwise meet the financial criteria. Providers must hold, or commit to obtain before contract start, employer’s liability insurance of £10 million and public liability insurance of £5 million. Community benefits, fair working practices and environmental benefits also form part of the evaluation.

## Notice

A holistic support service for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) referred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and those arriving spontaneously within the Highland area. The initial contract length will be two years (April 2027 - March 2029) with additional options to extend the contract on a yearly basis for up a further three years (March 2032). Funding will be provided through the UK Government's funding arrangements and the Council's ability to exercise any extension option will be dependent on the continuation of this funding supply.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

A holistic support service for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) referred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and those arriving spontaneously within the Highland area. The service will promote safety, stability, wellbeing, integration, independence and positive outcomes for young people who may have experienced displacement, trauma, loss and uncertainty. The service will support UASC to live safely and successfully within local communities across Highland while progressing through the asylum and immigration process.. The contract contains additional options to extend the contract on a yearly basis for up a further three years (March 2032).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT567045 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F21 - Social And other Specific Services (Public Contracts) |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 1 Dec 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £3,600,000 |
| 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 | The Highland Council |
| Locality | INVERNESS |
| Postcode area | Inverness |
| Postcode | IV3 5NX |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands |
| ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Electoral ward | Inverness West |
| Westminster constituency | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Delivery location | TLM6 Highlands and Islands |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people
- 85312000 - Social work services without accommodation

## Release History

- 21 Oct 2026 at 01:00 - Tender - OJEU - F21 - Social And other Specific Services (Public Contracts) - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT567045

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT567045
  Services for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Highland - A holistic support service for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) referred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and those arriving spontaneously within the Highland area. The initial contract length will be two years (April 2027 - March 2029) with additional options to extend the contract on a yearly basis for up a further three years (March 2032). Funding will be provided through the UK Government's funding arrangements and the Council's ability to exercise any extension option will be dependent on the continuation of this funding supply.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.highland.gov.uk
- http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
- http://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052
- https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

## 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-r6ebe6-0000846052. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000846052.json.