Tender

CN250157 - Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service

  • Kent County Council

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-030734

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04cecd (view related notices)

Published 6 June 2025, 5:11pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Kent County Council

Sessions House

Maidstone

ME14 1XQ

Contact

Ms Orla Miller

Email

orla.miller@kent.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3000412878

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKJ4 - Kent

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.kent.gov.uk

Buyer's address

http://www.kent.gov.uk

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=2eb5aecc-5ce5-ef11-8134-005056b64545

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=2eb5aecc-5ce5-ef11-8134-005056b64545

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

CN250157 - Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service

Reference number

DN757681

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85323000 - Community health services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service : Tender Notice

Kent County Council is seeking to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, that supports children and young people in mainstream schools and across community settings, such as Family Hubs, during both term time and school holiday periods.

The service will hold a key role in supporting those children and young people who are either in mainstream schools and those who for various reasons are not attending school regularly (e.g. such as those home educated, non/low-school attendance, living in Refuges, etc) and have Speech and Language needs. This will be referred to as place-based settings.

This service will initially sit alongside the wider Community Services provided by the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) with an ambition for the services to be seamless provision to those accessing the Services.

The Balanced System® Framework is a framework for commissioning Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) for children and young people. The aim is to use the framework to understand, plan and evaluate services to support children and young people with SLCN within place-based settings across Kent. The Framework has been developed in line with both national policy and legislation, as well as professional guidance for Speech and Language Therapists, to deliver integrated services for children and young people.

Subject to acquiring approval, it is Kent County Council’s intention to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, commencing 27 October 2025.

Service delivery will be in partnership and working with the wider stakeholders, including, but not limited to NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 District and Borough Councils, Medway Council.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £13,020,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ4 - Kent

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service : Tender Notice

Kent County Council is seeking to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, that supports children and young people in mainstream schools and across community settings, such as Family Hubs, during both term time and school holiday periods.

The service will hold a key role in supporting those children and young people who are either in mainstream schools and those who for various reasons are not attending school regularly (e.g. such as those home educated, non/low-school attendance, living in Refuges, etc) and have Speech and Language needs. This will be referred to as place-based settings.

This service will initially sit alongside the wider Community Services provided by the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) with an ambition for the services to be seamless provision to those accessing the Services.

The Balanced System® Framework is a framework for commissioning Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) for children and young people. The aim is to use the framework to understand, plan and evaluate services to support children and young people with SLCN within place-based settings across Kent. The Framework has been developed in line with both national policy and legislation, as well as professional guidance for Speech and Language Therapists, to deliver integrated services for children and young people.

Subject to acquiring approval, it is Kent County Council’s intention to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs – Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, commencing 27 October 2025.

Service delivery will be in partnership and working with the wider stakeholders, including, but not limited to NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 District and Borough Councils, Medway Council.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 1 - Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 25

Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 1 - Mobilisation and Contract Resourcing / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 3 - Integration and Collaboration / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 4 - Improving access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 5 - Social Value / Weighting: 15

Price

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £13,020,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

60

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

Available extension up to 24 months

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No

two.2.14) Additional information

Procured under PSR Provider Selection Regime - Competitive Process - no option to select 'Competitive Process' in drop down menu.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2025/S 000-000743

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

4 July 2025

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

4 July 2025

Local time

12:05pm

Place

Responses received electronically - seal broken by two KCC procurement officers present.

Information about authorised persons and opening procedure

Seal will be broke by Senior Commercial and Procurement Officer - will be witnessed by Commercial and Procurement Officer


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Kent County Council

Maidstone

Country

United Kingdom