Official UK procurement notice
Disagreement Resolution and Mediation Services (DRMS)
Authority: Liverpool City Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionLiverpool City Council is required to provide disagreement resolution and mediation services in accordance with its statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014.
These services include disagreement resolution, mediation advice, and mediation, each serving a distinct role within the legal framework.
The services are delivered independently of the Council, ensuring impartiality and confidentiality. They offer families and young people an opportunity to resolve disputes at an early stage, helping to avoid formal legal proceedings and reducing the need for time consuming and costly appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal.
CPV: Legal advisory and representation services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£425,000
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).
Lot awarding rule: The contract will be awarded based on the most economically advantageous tender, assessed using the following criteria: Quality - 70% Price - 20% Social Value - 10%
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - open competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 13 Aug 2025, 09:39 BST
- Last source update
- 9 Feb 2026, 10:24 GMT
- Authority reference
DN786664- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-061322- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0586acFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 3 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 22 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
Tenders must be submitted electronically via the ProContract portal: procontract.due-north.com ↗
Timeline
13 Aug 2025 → 9 Feb 2026 · 7 dates- Planning notice published13 Aug 2025, 09:39 BST
- Market engagement8 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Pre-Procurement Consultation Questionnaire published via ProContract: link procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗
- Tender notice published390 days ago1 Oct 2025, 13:21 BST
- Clarification questions by369 days ago22 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline357 days ago3 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Contract starts268 days ago1 Feb 2026
- Latest notice published259 days ago9 Feb 2026, 10:24 GMT
Notice history
10 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 13 Aug 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published13 Aug 2025, 09:39 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published1 Oct 2025, 13:21 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £425,0001 Oct 2025, 13:21 BST
- Status changed to active1 Oct 2025, 13:21 BST
- Procurement method changed1 Oct 2025, 13:21 BST
- Deadline published: 3 Nov 2025, 16:00 GMT1 Oct 2025, 13:21 BST
- Contract award notice published16 Jan 2026, 10:30 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete16 Jan 2026, 10:30 GMT
- Contract signature expected31 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published9 Feb 2026, 10:24 GMTUK7
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-08: 1 release · 13 Aug 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why Mediate LimitedSME1 Feb 2026 – 31 Jan 2028 · up to 31 Jul 2028Extensions: The authority reserves the right to apply a 6‑month extension option, contingent on the contractor demonstrating satisfactory performance throughout the contract term. · Options: For the duration of the contract, the authority may exercise the right to place additional purchase orders as necessary and within the scope of the original agreement. | £410,750 | 15 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Why Mediate LimitedSME
- Signed
- 28 Jan 2026
- Value
- £410,750
- Period
- 1 Feb 2026 – 31 Jan 2028 · up to 31 Jul 2028 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Authority reserves the right to apply a 6‑month extension to the contract term, subject to the provider's satisfactory performance throughout the initial period.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4final-stage tenders | 3 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- WHY MEDIATE LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award 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