Official UK procurement notice
Integrated Mediation and Disagreement Resolution For Young People and Parents and Carers of Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities
Authority: Norfolk County Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNorfolk County council is looking to award a contract for the provision of SEND Mediation and Disagreement Resolution. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires Mediation and Disagreement Resolution (MDR) services to be put in place by Local Authorities and health commissioners.
Disagreement Resolution and Mediation is a voluntary, private and confidential process. The aim is to bring people together in a facilitated way to find solutions to their disagreements.
It can save time and pressure for all involved and it can help re-build relationships that have broken down. Early resolution of disagreements benefits children, young people, parents, carers, institutions, and professionals' party to the disagreement.
•Mediation focuses on elements of an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in education, social care, or health. It is used at various stages of the process and is specifically linked to decisions about EHCP needs assessments and plans.
•Disagreement Resolution focuses on any element of SEND provision, not just those who are being assessed for (or have) an EHCP.
All those who bids were assessed have been issued with assessment summaries as per the Procurement Act 2023 section 50(3). These were issued on 24 June 2025.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 17 Apr 2028, 23:59 BST.
CPV: Health and social work services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£600,000
- Economic & financial standing
The Council will be assessing the legal, financial and technical ability of bidders to perform the contract being procured as set out in the Invitation to Tender. This assessment includes past experience, financial suitability, health and safety, modern slavery and references. These are all designated as pass/fail criteria.
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 (3)
- Service Delivery Plan: 35%
- Management of the Service: 35%
- Price: 30%
Published award criteria (3)
- Service Delivery Plan
- Management of the Service
- Price: Pricing is split as following MIAS (8%) Mediation (15%) Disagreement Resolution (2%) Late Cancellation / resolved pre - meeting (5%)
- Economic & financial standing
The Council will be assessing the legal, financial and technical ability of bidders to perform the contract being procured as set out in the Invitation to Tender. This assessment includes past experience, financial suitability, health and safety, modern slavery and references. These are all designated as pass/fail criteria.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
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
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 17 Apr 2028
- First published
- 16 Apr 2025, 09:43 BST
- Last source update
- 24 Jun 2025, 15:23 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Jun 2025
- Authority reference
NCCT43111- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-015860- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0503a6Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
As per the terms and condition issued with this procurement.
- Risks
Norfolk County Council has joined the government's Devolution Priority Programme.
This process has the potential to lead to the establishment of a county combined authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, with strategic powers, headed by an elected mayor. A consultation is under way.
Government has also invited participation by Norfolk in Local Government Review. This process has the potential to lead to unitary local government in Norfolk. One of these changes could happen without the other. The contract may be assigned or novated to any successor authority(ies) to Norfolk County Council or to any joint body incorporating or formed by any such successor. The County Council or a successor authority or joint body may order services on behalf of other local authorities serving any area within Norfolk's current geographical boundaries.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 19 May 2025, 11:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 9 May 2025, 11:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
This procurement will be managed electronically via the Council`s e-procurement system. To participate in this procurement and gain access to documents when they are available, applicants must first be registered on the system at
in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc ↗ (intendhost ↗.
co.uk/norfolkcc)
. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at
in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc/aspx/Buyer… ↗
(in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc/aspx/Buyer… ↗)
.Once registered you will be able to see the procurement project under the `tenders` section and `express an interest` in this tender. If you encounter any difficulties whilst using the system you can contact the In-tend support team by phoning +44 8442728810 or e-mailing
Timeline
16 Apr 2025 → 1 Sept 2025 · 9 dates- Planning notice published16 Apr 2025, 09:43 BST
- Tender notice published17 Apr 2025, 11:55 BST
- Clarification questions by9 May 2025, 11:00 BST
- Submission deadline19 May 2025, 11:00 BST
- Award decision expected by20 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent24 Jun 2025, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published24 Jun 2025, 15:23 BST
- Standstill ends4 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts1 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
Notice history
9 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 16 Apr 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published16 Apr 2025, 09:43 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published17 Apr 2025, 11:55 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £600,00017 Apr 2025, 11:55 BSTwas £1,200,000
- Status changed to active17 Apr 2025, 11:55 BST
- Procurement method changed17 Apr 2025, 11:55 BST
- Deadline published: 19 May 2025, 11:00 BST17 Apr 2025, 11:55 BST
- Contract award notice published24 Jun 2025, 15:23 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete24 Jun 2025, 15:23 BST
- Contract signature expected7 Jul 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglia Care TrustSME1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2028 | £600,000 | 24 Jun 2025standstill to 4 Jul 2025 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6final-stage tenders | 5 | 2 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Anglia Care TrustAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (10)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- 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