Scope
Description
Havant Borough Council (the council), is inviting tenders from suitably qualified suppliers for the provision of open access social welfare services for people across Havant Borough (the Service).
The purpose of the Service is to:
- Provide free, confidential, impartial advice to people in need, over the age of 16 who live or work in Havant Borough.
- Improve outcomes for individuals and help prevent future crisis, whilst helping reduce demand for health care, social care, housing, and other statutory services.
- Seek to understand the underlying causes of people's problems with the aim of helping the individual better deal with the symptoms of their challengers by offering a holistic advice and support service.
The Service must be available through a range of options, with and without appointment, on a walk-in basis at accessible locations in the Borough, by telephone, email or other technologies that provide confidential communication.
The Service must provide advice that is accurate, up-to-date, lawful, and fit for purpose. It shall be tailored to meet the needs of the customer. Therefore the Service must provide advisors training is areas of high volume / high value demand, and who are also able to help customers find answers that fall outside of these areas.
The highest areas of demand are welfare benefits, debt, housing, consumer issues and other issues including family rights, employer rights etc.
In addition, the Service must provide specific debt and other advice to council housing customers. This will include attendance at the council's premises for 1.5 days per week to work directly with the councils housing team.
The council's budget for this service is £141,000 per year, excluding VAT. This will be paid in 2 instalments in March and October each year.
The contract is due to commence on 01 April 2026 for an initial period of 3 years, ending on 31 March 2029. The contract includes the option to extend for additional periods to be agreed, to a maximum contract term of 5 years.
This takes the total approximate value of the contract is £705,000 (excluding VAT). The council aims to work with the supplier to identify and bid for new pots of funding. Where this is successful, this may lead to an increase in the total value of the contract.
Payment for the contract will be made in 2 instalments at 6 month intervals starting on contract commencement.
Tenderers are advised to note that TUPE does apply to this service. TUPE information is available to bidders on request and on completion of a non-disclosure agreement.
The key dates for this tender process are:
- Tender submission deadline: 12:00 on 19 January 2026
- Standstill period: 30 January 2026 - 11 February 2026
- Contract start date: 01 April 2026
Tenderers should note that the council is part of the "Hampshire and Solent" area that has been accepted as a priority area for English Devolution. This process includes Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the creation of new unitary authority structures to replace existing "two-tier" county and district council system. Further details about this process are available at https://www.havant.gov.uk/devolution-and-local-government-reorganisation-lgr
Definite timescales for this process are still to be confirmed, however, for Tenderers, the prospect of LGR means:
- the minimum contract term has been set to allow for flexibility during this period of reorganisation
- the take up of extension options may depend on how advice services across the new structure will be commissioned
- this contract may be novated to the new authority structure and name during the contract term
- the contract may be varied to allow for service adaptations within the new structure, or to prepare for the new structure
Total value (estimated)
- £705,000 excluding VAT
- £846,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
- Possible extension to 31 March 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
The contract includes the option to extend, for additional periods to be agreed, to a maximum total contract term of 5 years, subject to the agreement and performance and both parties.
Please note, fixed extension periods have not been set to allow for non-standard extension periods to be used as required, within the context of LRG.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85312310 - Guidance services
Contract locations
- UKJ35 - South Hampshire
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
The conditions of participation for this contract are set out in the Project Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and Section 3 of the Stage 1 Conditions of Participation document, and are summarised below:
ECONIMIC AND FINANCIAL STANDING (EFS)
- Assessment of financial risk - Tenderer financial standing will be assessed in accordance with the council's EFS methodology. This is provided within the tender documents.
- Use of a guarantor - where a guarantor is required, the guarantor's financial standing will be assessed in accordance with the council's EFS methodology. This is provided with the tender documents.
- Ability to obtain relevant insurances - ability to obtain Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance of £10million, each and every claim, Public Liability Insurance of £10million, each and every claim, and Professional Indemnity Insurance of £2million, each and every claim.
LEGAL CAPACITY
- GDPR compliance - written statement to confirm the service will be delivered in accordance with the requirements of GDPR.
The documents are available to download through the council's eProcurement portal at: https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities/Index
Technical ability conditions of participation
The conditions of participation for this contract are set out in the Project Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and Section 3 of the Stage 1 Conditions of Participation document, and are summarised below:
TECHNICAL ABILITY
- Provision of contract examples - provision of 1 contract example evidencing provision of similar open access social welfare advice services.
- Organisation standards - demonstration the organisation has achieved the Advice Quality Standard.
- Health and safety
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
9 January 2026, 11:59pm
Tender submission deadline
19 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
All tender response must be submitted using the council's eProcurement Portal, Proactis. The portal can be accessed at: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
30 January 2026
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 30 September 2030
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service delivery | Service delivery will be assessed over the following sub-criteria: - Hours and location: 5% - Service delivery: 10% - Engaging with clients: 10% |
Quality | 25% |
| Staff resources | Staff and resources will be assessed over the following sub-criteria: - Organogram: 5% - Contract manager: 5% - Staff training and wellbeing: 10% - Staff recruitment: 5% |
Quality | 25% |
| Annual service price | Price | 20% | |
| Working with stakeholders | Working with stakeholders will be assessed over the following sub-criteria: - Working with the council: 7.5% - Working with other partners: 7.5% |
Quality | 15% |
| Management information | Quality | 10% | |
| Social value | Quality | 5% |
Other information
Description of risks to contract performance
Tenderers should note that the council is part of the "Hampshire and Solent" area that has been accepted as a priority area for English Devolution. This process includes Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the creation of new unitary authority structures to replace existing "two-tier" county and district council system. Further details about this process are available at https://www.havant.gov.uk/devolution-and-local-government-reorganisation-lgr
Definite timescales for this process are still to be confirmed, however, for Tenderers, the prospect of LGR means:
- the minimum contract term has been set to allow for flexibility during this period of reorganisation.
- the take up of extension options may depend on how advice services across the new structure will be commissioned.
- this contract may be novated to the new authority structure and name during the contract term.
- the contract may be varied to allow for service adaptations within the new structure, or to prepare for the new structure.
- the value of the contract may change to accommodate the required service adaptations within the new structure, or to prepare for the new structure.
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Contracting authority
Havant Borough Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PGRP-6166-CGXY
Civic Centre Rd, Havant PO9 2AX
Havant
PO9 2AX
United Kingdom
Email: hbc_procurement@havant.gov.uk
Website: http://www.havant.gov.uk
Region: UKJ35 - South Hampshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government