✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 8 Oct 2026, 18:52.
Opportunity overview
Herefordshire Council is seeking to appoint a single provider to deliver a countywide Community Family Help Service for children, young people and families with multiple and/or complex needs who require Family Help support. The Service will provide targeted, relationship-based, whole-family interventions that promote resilience, improve outcomes for children and help prevent escalation into statutory services.
The successful Provider will act as a key delivery partner within Herefordshire's Family Help model, providing Family Help Lead Practitioners, coordinating multi-agency support, undertaking Family Help assessments and plans, and working closely with statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations. The Service will support a minimum of 150 Family Help referrals and 30 Reducing Parental Conflict cases per annum and will include the delivery of partnership training to strengthen local practice.
The contract is expected to commence on 1 February 2027, with an initial mobilisation and implementation period prior to service commencement on 1 April 2027. The initial contract term will be three years, with an option to extend for up to a further two years. The procurement is being conducted under the Procurement Act 2023 using the Open Procedure and is subject to the Light Touch Regime.
The maximum available Contract Value for the core Community Family Help Service is £1,550,000 (excluding VAT) over the full potential 5-year term. Subject to demand, additional funding and internal governance, the Council may also purchase additional referrals and/or training up to a maximum value of further £1,650,000 (excluding VAT). These additional purchases are not guaranteed. The maximum potential Contract Value is therefore up to £3,200,000 (excluding VAT). Note the service is being partially funded by Department for Education Grants.
TUPE information:
TUPE is expected to apply to this contract, and bidders should ensure that the implications of TUPE, including the associated employment and cost implications, are fully considered and reflected in their tender.
Bidders must request access to the TUPE information well in advance of the tender closing date. To access the Employee's information, bidders are required to complete and sign the Completion Document 5 (TUPE Confidentiality Letter Agreement) included within the tender pack, and return it via ProContact messaging system at www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk. The TUPE information will be provided following receipt of the completed agreement.
Bidders are responsible for ensuring that they request the TUPE information sufficiently early to enable them to take it into account when preparing their Tender. Failure to request or review the TUPE information will not relieve the successful Bidder of its obligations in relation to TUPE.
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
Scope, procedure and submissions
Id
DN832337
Status
active
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
How to submit
Herefordshire Council has published this contract opportunity on the 'Supplying the Southwest Portal' (project reference DN832337).
Interested parties are invited to review the tender documentation by registering on the portal (ProContract) and expressing an interest in the opportunity.
Please note that tenders must be submitted exclusively via the Procontract e-tendering portal at www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk by the closing date and time as indicated in the timetable. Submissions received by any other means will not be considered.
To register with ProContract on the Supplying the Southwest Portal, click on the link below or copy and paste the link into your browser's address bar: https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk
Published risks
The Council has identified the following known risks as risks which could affect the satisfactory performance of the Contract, but which because of their nature and uncertainty as to the impact or extent, cannot be fully addressed or quantified.
Where responsibility for such risks is not otherwise allocated within the Contract (including Change in Law or Force Majeure), these may give rise to lawful modifications in accordance with Schedule 8 of the Procurement Act 2023, subject to the Variation Procedure.
Risks may include, but are not limited to:
• fluctuations in referral volumes and service demand;
• changes in legislation, statutory guidance or national policy;
• Changes to funding arrangements, including the level of funding, continuation and conditions of the funding available, including the Department for Education Grants
• Workforce and sector capacity challenges
Where such risks materialise, the Council may make modifications to the Contract, including adjustments to service scope, delivery model, capacity, performance requirements, or contract value, where necessary to maintain satisfactory performance. Any such modifications will be limited to what is necessary and will comply with statutory requirements, including value thresholds and transparency obligations.
Extensions are subject to further internal governance, budget approvals and satisfactory Service Provider performance.
Options
Description
Subject to demand, additional funding and internal governance, the Council may also purchase additional referrals and/or training up to a maximum value of further £1,650,000 (excluding VAT). These additional purchases are not guaranteed.
6 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
6 VERSIONS
1
050285-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
2
069860-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
3
070020-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
4
073754-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
5
083727-2026Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ·
6
095421-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Herefordshire Council is inviting tenders for one provider to deliver a countywide Community Family Help Service for children, young people and families with multiple or complex needs. The service includes whole-family interventions, Family Help lead practitioners, multi-agency coordination, assessments and plans, support for at least 150 referrals and 30 Reducing Parental Conflict cases each year, and partnership training.
Who this may suit
Suitable for providers of family support, children’s social care, early help, whole-family intervention and multi-agency coordination services that can deliver across Herefordshire and manage TUPE implications.
Key points identified
Single-provider delivery modelAppoint a single provider to deliver the countywide service.Evidence: "seeking to appoint a single provider to deliver a countywide Community Family Help Service"
Minimum annual activitySupport at least 150 Family Help referrals and 30 Reducing Parental Conflict cases per annum.Evidence: "support a minimum of 150 Family Help referrals and 30 Reducing Parental Conflict cases per annum"
Service approachProvide targeted, relationship-based, whole-family interventions for children, young people and families with multiple and/or complex needs.Evidence: "targeted, relationship-based, whole-family interventions"
96% approved-analysis confidence9 supplier criteria identified5 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
Herefordshire Council is inviting tenders for one provider to deliver a countywide Community Family Help Service for children, young people and families with multiple or complex needs. The service includes whole-family interventions, Family Help lead practitioners, multi-agency coordination, assessments and plans, support for at least 150 referrals and 30 Reducing Parental Conflict cases each year, and partnership training.
Who this may suit
Suitable for providers of family support, children’s social care, early help, whole-family intervention and multi-agency coordination services that can deliver across Herefordshire and manage TUPE implications.
Coordinate multi-agency support, undertake Family Help assessments and plans, and work with statutory, community and voluntary-sector organisations.
View supporting evidence
"coordinating multi-agency support, undertaking Family Help assessments and plans, and working closely with statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations"
Training
98% confidence
Deliver partnership training to strengthen local practice.
View supporting evidence
"will include the delivery of partnership training to strengthen local practice"
TUPE information access
97% confidence
Bidders must complete and sign Completion Document 5 (TUPE Confidentiality Letter Agreement) and return it through ProContract messaging to request employee information.
View supporting evidence
"bidders are required to complete and sign the Completion Document 5 (TUPE Confidentiality Letter Agreement)... and return it via ProContact messaging system"
Supplier eligibility conditions
96% confidence
Unknown from the supplied notice data.
View supporting evidence
No explicit selection or exclusion conditions are supplied.
SME suitability
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
suitable_for_sme is null.
VCSE suitability
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
suitable_for_vcse is null.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Maximum potential contract value
99% confidence
Up to £3,200,000 excluding VAT.
View supporting evidence
"The maximum potential Contract Value is therefore up to £3,200,000 (excluding VAT)."
Core service maximum value
99% confidence
£1,550,000 excluding VAT over the full potential five-year term.
View supporting evidence
"maximum available Contract Value for the core Community Family Help Service is £1,550,000 (excluding VAT) over the full potential 5-year term"
Optional additional purchases
99% confidence
Up to £1,650,000 excluding VAT for additional referrals and/or training, subject to demand, funding and internal governance; not guaranteed.
View supporting evidence
"may also purchase additional referrals and/or training up to a maximum value of further £1,650,000... These additional purchases are not guaranteed."
Funding
96% confidence
The service is partially funded by Department for Education grants.
View supporting evidence
"the service is being partially funded by Department for Education Grants"
VAT basis
99% confidence
Values stated are excluding VAT.
View supporting evidence
Contract-value statements explicitly state "excluding VAT".
Delivery
Delivery area
98% confidence
Herefordshire (countywide); delivery region recorded as UKG11.
View supporting evidence
"countywide" service for Herefordshire; delivery location is listed as UKG11.
Expected contract commencement
96% confidence
1 February 2027.
View supporting evidence
"The contract is expected to commence on 1 February 2027"
Service commencement
98% confidence
1 April 2027, following an initial mobilisation and implementation period.
View supporting evidence
"initial mobilisation and implementation period prior to service commencement on 1 April 2027"
Initial term
99% confidence
Three years.
View supporting evidence
"The initial contract term will be three years"
Extension option
99% confidence
Up to a further two years.
View supporting evidence
"with an option to extend for up to a further two years"
TUPE
99% confidence
TUPE is expected to apply.
View supporting evidence
"TUPE is expected to apply to this contract"
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Opportunity status
99% confidence
Open tender.
View supporting evidence
display_status is "open" and source_status is "active".
Submission deadline
99% confidence
17 November 2026 at 12:00 UTC.
View supporting evidence
submission_deadline is "2026-11-17T12:00:00Z".
Procurement procedure
99% confidence
Open procedure.
View supporting evidence
procurement_method_details is "Open procedure"; description states the procurement is conducted using the Open Procedure.
Legal regime
99% confidence
Procurement Act 2023; Light Touch Regime.
View supporting evidence
"The procurement is being conducted under the Procurement Act 2023 using the Open Procedure and is subject to the Light Touch Regime."
Lot structure
98% confidence
One active lot is recorded, with no lot title or description supplied.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 is active with value £3,200,000; its title and description are null.
Tender access route
90% confidence
Tender-pack and TUPE messaging reference supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk / ProContract messaging.
View supporting evidence
"return it via ProContact messaging system at www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk"
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
TUPE cost and employment risk
99% confidence
TUPE is expected; bidders remain responsible for considering employment and cost implications even if they do not request or review the TUPE information.
View supporting evidence
"Failure to request or review the TUPE information will not relieve the successful Bidder of its obligations in relation to TUPE."
Confidential TUPE-data timing risk
99% confidence
Access to employee information requires a signed confidentiality agreement and should be requested well before the tender deadline.
View supporting evidence
"Bidders must request access to the TUPE information well in advance of the tender closing date."
Revenue certainty risk
99% confidence
£1.65m of the stated maximum value relates to optional additional purchases and is not guaranteed.
View supporting evidence
"These additional purchases are not guaranteed."
Grant funding dependency
93% confidence
The service is partially funded by Department for Education grants, which may create funding dependency.
View supporting evidence
"the service is being partially funded by Department for Education Grants"
Incomplete lot detail
99% confidence
The sole recorded lot has no title or description, so no further lot-specific scope can be verified from the supplied data.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 title and description are null.
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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