✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 16 Oct 2026, 15:17.
Opportunity overview
Essex County Council (ECC) is seeking information from suppliers of social media screening services as part of an early market engagement exercise.
ECC's HR Shared Services team provides employment vetting services to over 900 schools across Essex, as well as a range of local authority and other public sector organisations.
We are reviewing the market to better understand current service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experience. The information gathered will help inform our future service requirements and any potential procurement activity.
Please note, this exercise does not form part of a formal procurement process and participation will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement activity.
Classification
CPV72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
CPV79600000 — Recruitment services
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen 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.
IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
79600000
Description
Recruitment services
Delivery locations
Entry 1
Region
UKH3
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Planning and budget
Milestones
Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
If you are interested in taking part in this preliminary market engagement, please complete the following questions and send to rachael.flynn@essex.gov.uk.
Please provide responses to the following questions:
Organisation Details
• Organisation Name
• Contact Name
• Contact Email
• Website
1. Service Overview
Please provide a brief overview of your social media screening service, including screening approach and how long you have provided social media screening services for (maximum 250 words).
2. Platforms Included
Requirement Yes / No
Facebook
Instagram
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
TikTok
YouTube
Reddit
Threads
Other
3. KCSIE Compliance
ECC is seeking to understand how suppliers interpret and deliver against the online search requirements set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidelines.
Please answer the following, with a Yes/No, providing further detail where relevant.
Does your service include searches of internet search engines (e.g. Google, Bing or equivalent)?
Is this search automated or manually undertaken?
If search engine checks are not currently included, are there plans to introduce this functionality?
Please provide any additional information on how your organisation ensures compliance with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
(This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2)
4. Volumes & Capacity
Please indicate annual volumes managed, maximum annual capacity and typical turnaround times.
5. Pricing Model
Please provide an overview of your pricing structure, including:
• Cost per check.
• Volume discounts.
• Any implementation, licence, or annual fees.
6. Public Sector Experience & Reference
Please confirm experience of delivering social media screening services to other public sectors e.g. Schools, MAT’s, Local Authorities, NHS, Police or other public sector organisations.
Please provide details of at least one current customer operating at a similar scale to ECC and briefly describe:
• Customer organisation
• Services provided
• Screening volumes
• Length of relationship
• Contact name and email address
7. Reporting
Please describe the reports produced as part of your social media screening service, including:
• The format of the report provided to customers.
• How findings are categorised and presented.
• Whether screenshots or supporting evidence are included.
• How audit trails and decision-making are recorded.
• Any management information, dashboard or volume reporting available.
• How protected characteristics are managed within reporting.
Please provide a sample report where available.
8. Compliance and Information Security
Please briefly describe how your organisation ensures compliance with relevant data protection and information security requirements when delivering social media screening services.
Please include details of any relevant certifications such as ICO registration, Cyber Essentials, & ISO 27000.
9. Additional Information
Please provide any information you believe would help us understand your solution, approach, and value proposition.
10. Supplier Demonstrations
Please indicate whether you would be willing to participate in a short supplier demonstration and discussion as part of this market engagement exercise.
Yes / No
11. Register your interest
Should ECC proceed with a procurement exercise, would you like to receive the Request for Quotation (RFQ)?
Yes / No
Due
28 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
097975-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
1 VERSION
1
097975-2026Preliminary market engagement 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
Essex County Council is conducting early market engagement to understand the market for social media screening services supporting employment-vetting activity. This is a planned procurement-stage exercise, not an open tender or formal procurement.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to suppliers that provide social media screening services and can describe their service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and experience. Future contract requirements and bidding conditions are unknown.
Key points identified
Information sought from suppliersService offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experienceEvidence: "We are reviewing the market to better understand current service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experience."
Future service requirementsUnknown; information gathered will inform future requirementsEvidence: "The information gathered will help inform our future service requirements and any potential procurement activity."
Participation eligibilityUnknownEvidence: The notice does not state eligibility criteria.
95% approved-analysis confidence3 supplier criteria identified3 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.
Essex County Council is conducting early market engagement to understand the market for social media screening services supporting employment-vetting activity. This is a planned procurement-stage exercise, not an open tender or formal procurement.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to suppliers that provide social media screening services and can describe their service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and experience. Future contract requirements and bidding conditions are unknown.
Key deliverables
Market information on social media screening service offerings
Information on pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experience
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
3 criteria identified
Information sought from suppliers
99% confidence
Service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experience
View supporting evidence
"We are reviewing the market to better understand current service offerings, pricing models, capacity, technology, reporting capabilities and supplier experience."
Future service requirements
99% confidence
Unknown; information gathered will inform future requirements
View supporting evidence
"The information gathered will help inform our future service requirements and any potential procurement activity."
Participation eligibility
99% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
The notice does not state eligibility criteria.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Contract value
99% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
No value is supplied.
Pricing
98% confidence
Pricing models are being explored; no commercial terms are stated
View supporting evidence
"We are reviewing the market to better understand current service offerings, pricing models..."
Delivery
Delivery location
99% confidence
UKH3
View supporting evidence
Delivery location is listed as region "UKH3".
Delivery timetable
99% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
No contract start or end date is supplied.
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Status
99% confidence
Upcoming / planning; early market engagement
View supporting evidence
Display status is "upcoming", stage is "planning", and the description states "early market engagement exercise".
Procurement status
99% confidence
Not a formal procurement process and not an open bidding opportunity
View supporting evidence
"This exercise does not form part of a formal procurement process."
Notice type
99% confidence
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
View supporting evidence
Notice type is "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender".
Submission deadline
99% confidence
Unknown
View supporting evidence
No submission deadline is supplied.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Early-stage scope risk
99% confidence
Future service requirements, procurement route, timetable, commercial terms and submission requirements have not been stated.
View supporting evidence
The notice is an "early market engagement exercise" and says information will inform "future service requirements and any potential procurement activity".
No procurement commitment
99% confidence
Participation does not create an advantage or disadvantage in a future procurement.
View supporting evidence
"Participation will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement activity."
Lot information limitation
99% confidence
A planning lot is present but has no title, description, value or deadline.
View supporting evidence
Lot 1 has null title, description, value and submission deadline.
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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