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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service.

Blackpool Borough Council · Tender notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 28 Sept 2026, 13:41.

Opportunity overview

Blackpool Borough Council is seeking a provider to deliver the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service. The service must offer impartial, independent mediation and disagreement resolution to support the effective resolution of disputes between families, the local authority, and education providers, in line with the requirements set out in Chapter 11 of the SEND Code of Practice.

Classification

  • CPV80340000 — Special education services
  • CPV85000000 — Health and social work services

Lots

  • Lot 1£150k

Documents and notices

  • Tender notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
  • https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=908e8150-52b7-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=TrueOpen source ↗

Published notice details

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
ocds-h6vhtk-06f6f9
Status
active
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
No

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

lightTouch

Submission terms

Electronic Submission Policy
allowed

Tender Period

Ends
3 Nov 2026, 12:00

Enquiry period

Ends
27 Oct 2026, 12:00

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
active
Has Renewal
Yes

Value

Including VAT
180,000
Amount
150,000
Currency
GBP

Selection criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Description
Please confirm whether you already have, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below: • Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £5 Million • Public Liability Insurance = £5 Million • Professional Indemnity Insurance = £2 Million *It is a legal requirement that certain companies hold Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of £5 million as a minimum. See the Health and Safety Executive website for more information: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse39.pdf. Data Protection Please confirm that you have in place, or that you will have in place by the award of the contract, the human and technical resources to perform the contract to ensure compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and to ensure the protection of the rights of data subjects. Legislative Requirements Please confirm that you are able to meet all the Council's policy and legislative requirements and will provide copies of any company policies; procedures or associated documentary evidence if requested to do so Please confirm that you comply with the following legislation, guidance and practice: • Children and Families Act (2014) (Part 3, Sections 51 to 57) • The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (2014) • The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 Years (2015), particularly Chapter 11: Resolving Disagreements. • Equality Act (2010) • Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act (2007) • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026) • Blackpool Borough Council's SEND Strategy and Local Offer • Professional Standards to Mediators Working with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) - CMC/CoM (2025) Please confirm that mediators hold appropriate mediation qualifications and are Accredited to the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and the College of Mediators Professional Standards Framework, or an equivalent recognised professional standard. All staff are subject to appropriate DBS checks commensurate to their role The Provider shall comply with the following statutory timescales for SEND mediation services: • Within 3 working days of the mediation information and advice being given, where the parent or young person decides not to proceed with mediation, the Provider must issue a Mediation Certificate. • Within 30 calendar days of the parent or young person informing the Mediation Adviser that they wish to pursue mediation, the mediation meeting must be arranged and held, unless all parties agree otherwise. • Where mediation cannot be arranged within the 30-day period, the Provider must issue a Mediation Certificate to enable the parent or young person to lodge an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). • Within 3 working days of the mediation meeting concluding, the Provider must issue a Mediation Certificate where required. Can provide a range of accessible contact methods, including: • A direct telephone helpline; • A 24-hour answering service; • A dedicated email address for enquiries; and • Signposting to relevant local and national support.

Suitability

Sme
Yes
Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Feb 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Jan 2030, 23:59
Max Extent Date
31 Jan 2032, 23:59

Renewal

Description
Subject to budget review and contract performance.

Award criteria

Description
Overall Weightings Quality 60%, Social Value 10%, Pricing 30% Quality Questions sub-weighting totalling 100% Relevant experience and contract examples 20% Service Delivery, Outcomes and Performance 20% Case Management, Compliance and Governance 20% Service Staffing 10% Engagement, Co-production and continuous improvement 10% Business Continuity 10% Safeguarding 5% GDPR 5%

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
80340000
Description
Special education services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
85000000
Description
Health and social work services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKD42
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
L-1
Document Type
biddingDocuments
Entry 2
Id
091396-2026
Document Type
tenderNotice
Notice Type
UK4
Description
Tender notice on Find a Tender
Published
28 Sept 2026, 12:31
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Blackpool Borough Council
Id
GB-PPON-PHHB-5249-RZVD

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PHHB-5249-RZVD

Address

Street Address
PO Box 11, Town Hall
Locality
Blackpool
Postal Code
FY1 1NB
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKD42

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Blackpool · UKD42 · FY1 1NB · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKD42 · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS
  1. 085956-2026Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 091396-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·