Official UK procurement notice
Conversion Practices Victim Support Service
Authority: Cabinet Office (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis contract is for the development, setup, and operation of a Conversion Practice Victim Support Service (CP VSS)-or the integration of comprehensive support into an existing helpline and website. The service provides confidential, sensitive support, initial pastoral care, and signposting (such as counselling, options for police reporting, emergency housing, and personal safety) to individuals who have experienced, are undergoing, or are at risk of conversion practices, as well as concerned family members, colleagues, and safeguarding professionals.
Please note that the contract value has been listed at £180,000+VAT to allow for any potential future variations required to the contract. However the anticipated spend through the contract is expected to be up to a maximum of £160,000 plus VAT.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 20 Jun 2028, 23:59 BST.
CPV: Counselling services · Helpdesk and support services · Miscellaneous services · Telephone-answering services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£180,000
- Economic & financial standing
The legal and financial capacity conditions of participation, such as requirement to obtain a specified D&B Failure Score, have or arrange to have specified insurance policies and comply with data protection law, are set out in the procurement documents.
- Technical & professional ability
The technical ability conditions of participation, such as requirement to submit 1 contract example and respond to the Authority's modern slavery and cyber essential questions, are set out in the procurement documents.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Technical: 70%
- Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical: Evaluated on a 70% overall weighting comprising three quality criteria (totaling 100% within the Technical Envelope): Question 4 - Telephone Helpline Service Provision (43% of Technical Envelope) Question 5 - Delivery of Pastoral Support (42% of Technical Envelope) Question 6 - Social Value (15% of Technical Envelope) Full details are found in the procurement documents
- Price: The compliant bidder submitting the lowest evaluated price receives the full 30 marks. All other compliant bids receive marks calculated using the standard formula: (Lowest Evaluated Price / Bidder Price) × 30.
- Economic & financial standing
The legal and financial capacity conditions of participation, such as requirement to obtain a specified D&B Failure Score, have or arrange to have specified insurance policies and comply with data protection law, are set out in the procurement documents.
- Technical & professional ability
The technical ability conditions of participation, such as requirement to submit 1 contract example and respond to the Authority's modern slavery and cyber essential questions, are set out in the procurement documents.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £179,754 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Cabinet Office buys Social work services (CPV 8531), and who usually turns up
Cabinet Office’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Social work services (CPV 8531) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in Greater London (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside Greater London.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 78 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid27%
2–340%
4–623%
7+10%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate25%
Within ±2%65%
Above estimate10%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 8531Published estimate£180k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid24%
2–348%
4–621%
7+7%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
Based on 41 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Middle 50%£166k–£180k
Estimate£180k
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
Barnardo'sLarge | £167m83 awards in 36m · last this month | 31 live · £87m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=38 |
| £368m9 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 1 live · £39k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| £27m13 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 2 live · £7.4m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=8 | |
| £40m39 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago | 9 live · £21m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=8 | |
Solace Women's AidLarge | £22m7 awards in 36m · last 8 months ago | 3 live · £17m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 4% below n=3 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 20 Jun 2028
- First published
- 10 Jul 2026, 11:58 BST
- Last source update
- 16 Oct 2026, 11:41 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
P0248- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-097101- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c85fFind a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via Jaggaer- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 9 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 3 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
10 Jul 2026 → 3 Dec 2026 · 8 dates- Planning notice published102 days ago10 Jul 2026, 11:58 BST
- Market engagement88 days ago24 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
The requirement comprises two primary components:
Helpline Service: The operation of a bespoke helpline, or the integration of comprehensive support into an existing vulnerable-person helpline. The service must operate a minimum of Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, via telephone and live web-chat/email.
Website Management: The transfer, maintenance, and expansion of an existing information website, which serves as a public repository for legal protections, resources, and signposting.
A draft copy of the requirements are attached to this notice.
- Key Procurement Parameters & Constraints
Contract Duration: 24 Months (with a formal performance review at the 12-month mark).
Estimated Financial Value: Strict maximum budget of £80,000 per annum (Inclusive of VAT), totaling £160,000 over the 24-month term. Bids exceeding £80,000 in either year will not be considered.
Anticipated Call Volumes: 300 to 2,000 calls per year (call rates are expected to vary and will likely spike at times when conversion practices are receiving media attention).
- The Transition & Timeline Scenario
The Authority is operating under strict budgetary constraints and has no budget available for dual-running contract costs. The contract start date is currently 1 October 2026 (but may be subject to shifting timelines). Regardless of the exact calendar date, the transition will be structured as follows:
The Final 4-6 Weeks of the Current Contract: The outgoing supplier will utilise this time to execute their exit plan, compiling all necessary data, scripts, website hosting configurations, and asset packages.
Contract Day 1 (New Contract Start Date): The compiled handover package will be passed to the winning bidder on this day.
Day 1 Go-Live: The incoming supplier is expected to be fully operational, answering live helpline calls and managing the website immediately from Contract Day 1.
- Market Engagement & Expression of Interest (EoI) Questions
The Authority invites interested suppliers to review this information and submit responses to the following questions:
Question 1: Primary Requirements
Please confirm that you are able to fulfil our two primary requirements; Helpline Service and Website Management? (Yes
/No)
Question 2: Expression of Interest
Are you interested in bidding for this requirement when the formal contract notice is published? (Yes / No)
Question 2: Onboarding Feasibility
The outgoing supplier will spend the last 4 weeks of their contract completing their exit plan to hand over to the new supplier on Contract Day 1. We want to know if this is feasible for your organisation.
Given that you will receive the handover documentation and asset package on Contract Day 1, is it operationally feasible for your contact centre to handle live helpline calls and manage the website immediately without a mobilisation period? If not, what specific risks does this present to your organisation, and what alternative solutions within the strict £80,000 p.a. budget framework would you propose? How long would you need to become fully operational?
- How to Respond
Interested suppliers should submit their Expression of Interest and responses to the questions above by July 24th 2026 at 17:00 BST.
Please find link to the Contracts Finder Notice which contains a link to the draft statement of requirements as an attachment: www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6c50accf-c1b2… ↗
Please submit your response via email to [email protected] with the subject line: "Preliminary Market Engagement Response - Conversion Practices VSS".
- Tender notice published6 days ago14 Oct 2026, 14:54 BST
- Latest notice published4 days ago16 Oct 2026, 11:41 BST
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 14 days3 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 20 days9 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 31 days20 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 43 days3 Dec 2026
Notice history
7 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Jul 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published10 Jul 2026, 11:58 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published14 Oct 2026, 14:54 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £180,00014 Oct 2026, 14:54 BSTwas £133,333
- Status changed to active14 Oct 2026, 14:54 BST
- Procurement method changed14 Oct 2026, 14:54 BST
- Deadline published: 9 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT14 Oct 2026, 14:54 BST
- Tender notice published16 Oct 2026, 11:41 BSTUK4
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender