Scope
Reference
PRJ_30883
Description
THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION
This Market Sounding Questionnaire aims to gather feedback from the market on procuring a holistic homelessness prevention training and development package for the Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) and partners in North Paddington. This training will form the foundation of a homelessness prevention pilot.
The pilot will operate for an initial 12‑month period, with ongoing evaluation to assess outcomes and effectiveness. Subject to performance and learning, there is scope to extend the pilot for a following 12-month period and expand beyond the North Paddington area.
The selected organisation(s) will design, develop, and deliver a culturally sensitive and holistic homelessness prevention training and development package, alongside supporting resources, for the VCS and key partners in North Paddington.
The overall package should be designed in collaboration with WCC and co-designed with the community. It should broadly cover four key areas:
1. WCC support and pathways - including a whole-council approach, departmental processes and available support. This will require effective engagement and coordination with internal departments to ensure a clear and shared understanding of the local context.
2. Housing & Homelessness - key issues and WCC-specific local context.
3. Holistic Prevention - related factors such as mental and physical health, unemployment, income maximisation, and poverty. This will include the co‑design and delivery of bespoke training with smaller, grassroots organisations that specialise in specific areas and the coordination of existing training available through WCC.
4. Organisational development reviews - identifying existing strengths and opportunities to develop skills aligned to the specific needs of the communities supported, as informed by WCC data and predictive modelling.
4.3. The training offer will have the overarching key goals:
1. Upskill the VCS on housing and homelessness, including risk identification, to support residents and inform future commissioning.
2. Provide an umbrella framework to support VCS to holistically access and apply skills from existing, specific training, to support residents to prevent homelessness.
3. Build capacity and resilience by deepening understanding of homelessness and its links to other issues.
4. Help manage residents' expectations and empower informed decision-making.
5. Provide knowledge of WCC processes and pathways to ensure appropriate support.
6. Strengthen working relationships with the VCS, fostering trust and collaborative problem-solving.
7. Deliver a bespoke package of resources and tools for the VCS.
The information contained herein may be subject to change based on feedback received from the market and may not be reflected in any future tender opportunities. A decision on whether to proceed with a full procurement exercise will be taken following consideration of the responses received.
All information provided will be considered commercially sensitive and kept in confidence.
Total value (estimated)
- £250,000 excluding VAT
- £300,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027
- Possible extension to 31 May 2028
- 2 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
Contract locations
- UKI32 - Westminster
Engagement
Engagement deadline
9 February 2026
Engagement process description
Market Questionaire Attachment
Open market from 19th January 2026 until 9th January 2026 at 12pm to complete and return the question through the Jaggaer e-tendering system. Please raise any clarification questions by end of day on the 2nd February 2026
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Contracting authority
Westminster City Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJVD-6261-BPPJ
64 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QP
United Kingdom
Email: schaudhry1@westminster.gov.uk
Website: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government