Scope
Reference
HCC2516934
Description
Hertfordshire County Council wishes to procure a County Wide Advocacy Service and One Stop Shops for Victims and Survivors of Violence against Women and Girls
The Service Specification is for the provision of a countywide advocacy service to support victims and survivors of abuse types considered as forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). These include, but are not limited to;
o Domestic abuse
o Sexual abuse
o Stalking and harassment
o Forced marriage
o So-called 'honour-based abuse
o Female genital mutilation
This Service will act as a 'One Front Door' for access to our 'One Stop Shop' (OSS).
The support offered at the OSS can vary, however the core focus of the Strategy is support around:
• Specialist advocacy provision including risk assessment and safety planning;
• Housing advice and advocacy;
• Legal advice in family, immigration, and/or housing law as well as criminal justice support;
• Economic advice including benefit and debt advice; and
• Therapeutic support including individual and group counselling.
Due to the high degree of coordination required to manage all the service elements of this Contract, and to ensure the Services are delivered in a joined up and structured way, the Commissioners have decided to award a Contract to one organisation who will be responsible to them for contract delivery but which can sub-contract the delivery of elements of the Services, it is therefore not suitable for this contract to be split in to Lots.
Full details of the requirement can be found in the Service Specification which is in Schedule 1 of the Contract Document.
Organisations wishing to take part in this project are invited to 'express an interest' and also 'opt in' which will give access to the full procurement documents in the e-tendering system.
Organisations must complete and submit a Tender by the deadline of 12 noon on the 23rd of January 2026.
Please allow sufficient time to make your return, as Tender submissions cannot be uploaded and submitted after this return deadline.
Please ensure that where possible documents are uploaded as a PDF and that file names are succinct.
Any questions relating to this procurement must be made via correspondence on the website, in accordance with the procurement documents, and can be addressed to the main contact as shown in the details above.
Tenderers should be aware that due to the nature of the Services provided, any Contract formed as a result of this procurement process shall be executed as a deed. Tenderers should seek independent legal advice on the implications of this prior to submitting their Tender, where appropriate.
Please note that the contract requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands.
To access this opportunity please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home
Please Note: The TUPE Employee Liability Information has been provided along with other documentation for this procurement. TUPE related information must be protected as personal data in accordance with the requirements of Data Protection legislation and must also be kept confidential. By clicking on the View Details button and accessing the documentation for this procurement, Tenderers agree:
a) To undertake to treat the information as confidential and commercially sensitive at all times and take all reasonable steps to prevent any inadvertent disclosure to any third party .
b) That under no circumstances will any of the information be disclosed by your organisation to any third party without the Council's prior consent in writing.
c) That the information supplied will be stored securely and destroyed or returned to the Council, after your Organisation's bid has been submitted or you decide not to proceed with a tender submission.
d) That you will indemnify the Council for any losses, arising from your breach or breach by any of your personnel of these confidentiality requirements specified above and data protection requirements in relation to TUPE Employee Liability Information.
e) The requirements above apply whether the supplier uploads a tender response to this procurement or not.
Total value (estimated)
- £13,200,000 excluding VAT
- £15,840,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029
- Possible extension to 30 June 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
The Initial Contract Period is three (3) years with the option to extend for up to two (2) further years, year on year and subject to available funding
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 75200000 - Provision of services to the community
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
Contract locations
- UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Submission
Enquiry deadline
9 January 2026, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
23 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
16 March 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Price - 20% | Price | |
| Quality - 80% | Broken down as above in the weighting description |
Quality |
Weighting description
The evaluation of tenders will consist of three (3) Parts as per the pre-determined evaluation criteria in Table A of the Instructions to Tenderers document
Table A
Evaluation Criteria
Mandatory Requirements (Pass/Fail)
Part 1 - Qualification
Your information and the Bidding Model - Non-Scored - Bid Form 1
Registration on FTS and Exclusion Information - Pass/Fail - Bid Form 2
Associated persons - Pass/Fail - Bid Form 3
Intended Sub-contractors - Pass/Fail - Bid Form 4
Part 2 - Selection
Part 2A -...
Other information
Payment terms
Invoices are to be submitted to the Council, in accordance with the Prices and Payment clause in the Conditions of Contract. Payments of the Charges shall be made via the Controcc system each quarter in advance, for one quarter of the annual Charges. Payment will normally be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of a correct invoice.
Description of risks to contract performance
The Contract will be based on the Council's standard contract terms included with the tender documents. There are no known immediate risks to performance during the initial three-year fixed term of this contract. However, a key strategic risk relates to future UK policy changes abolishing the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office (who will be a party to the contract) and local government reorganisation and devolution arrangements. Such changes could directly affect the structure, scope, or continuation of the contract during the initial 3 year contract term and beyond. While no decisions have been made at this stage, the contracting authority is actively monitoring the evolving landscape. Suppliers should be aware that any resulting implications will be managed in accordance with applicable legislation and the contract terms, particularly the Change Control provisions at paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 of the draft contract. These include the parties cooperating in good faith to agree the terms of any required change, and if the parties cannot agree the change a right for the contracting authority to terminate the contract on not less than 3 months' written notice to the Contractor.
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home
Please either register or log in to the above web address, and then 'express interest' and 'opt in' in order to view the full set of documentation relating to this tender opportunity
Contracting authority
Hertfordshire County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWJT-5264-WYMY
Robertson House, Six Hills Way
Stevenage
SG1 2FQ
United Kingdom
Region: UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government