Official UK procurement notice
Management and Delivery of a Belfast Citywide Appeals Service
Authority: Belfast City Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis procurement is in relation to the management and delivery of a Belfast Citywide Appeals Service.
Belfast City Council wishes to appoint an experienced Contractor who will provide suitably qualified advisors and administration support, to provide an accessible, high quality, confidential Belfast City appeals service that will provide support for people to prepare cases that will be considered by the Appeals Service administered by the Court Service (Northern Ireland), and provide representation at relevant appeals, ensuring an effective appeals service for clients.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Aug 2029, 23:59 BST.
CPV: Civic betterment and community facility support services · Other community, social and personal services · Provision of services to the community
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,080,000
- Economic & financial standing
Modern Slavery Statement.
GDPR Compliance.
Safeguarding.
Insurances.
Financial Standing.
See tender documents for further information.
- Technical & professional ability
Previous Company Experience.
Social Value Procurement Policy - Organisational Behaviours.
Registration with Advice NI.
IT System - Advice Pro (License).
See tender documents for further information.
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 (8)
- Implementation and Mobilisation Plan: 15%
- Approach and Methodology: 15%
- Management, Resources and Systems: 10%
- Administration: 5%
- Monitoring and Performance Management: 10%
- Communications: 10%
- Cost: 20%
- Social Value: 15%
Published award criteria (8)
- Implementation and Mobilisation Plan
- Approach and Methodology
- Management, Resources and Systems
- Administration
- Monitoring and Performance Management
- Communications
- Social Value
- Cost
- Economic & financial standing
Modern Slavery Statement.
GDPR Compliance.
Safeguarding.
Insurances.
Financial Standing.
See tender documents for further information.
- Technical & professional ability
Previous Company Experience.
Social Value Procurement Policy - Organisational Behaviours.
Registration with Advice NI.
IT System - Advice Pro (License).
See tender documents for further information.
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 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
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 1 Aug 2029
- First published
- 9 Jun 2025, 07:51 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Dec 2025, 09:43 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 28 Nov 2025
- Authority reference
T2652- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-055700- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0544e3Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 23 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 16 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
9 Jun 2025 → 1 Apr 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published9 Jun 2025, 07:51 BST
- Market engagement13 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
As previously mentioned, the Council wishes to appoint an experienced Contractor to manage and deliver a Belfast Citywide Appeals Service, which will cover a full range of issues including benefits, appeals / tribunal support and representation, basic money and debt, consumer issues, basic immigration, administration of justice, human rights, employment, housing, education and health & disability
The aim is to have a contract that will run for a maximum of 4.5 years to provide flexible delivery of the service with engagement with clients, based on individual needs and circumstances, by telephone, face-to-face, on-line, etc. making use of technology and modern methods of delivery / engagement. The service will make use of mechanisms that will enable referrals, linking clients with the required appeals support around issues that include, debt, employment, housing, education, health and disability, immigration and complex social security issues.
With the appropriately qualified advisors, the service should be delivered in premises that are fully disabled accessible; have private interview room/s; be in a location which is accessible by public transport and considered neutral and acceptable to all sections of the community; have appropriate facilities for storage of confidential information and equipment; open five days per week with at least one early evening or weekend session.
The Council will be holding a consultation session at 11am on Wednesday 13th August 2025. The session will be a short presentation on MS Teams, which will give a brief overview of the requirements of the new Citywide Appeals Service and an overview of the procurement process, including an indicative timeline. Representatives from the Councils Community Support and Commercial and Procurement Services teams will be present. Those interested in attending should register their interest by sending an email “FAO Rachel Crothers” to [email protected] no later than 4pm Tuesday 11th August 2025.
- Next notice expected1 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published11 Sept 2025, 10:44 BST
- Clarification questions by374 days ago16 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline367 days ago23 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent334 days ago26 Nov 2025
- Award decision expected by331 days ago28 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Standstill ends321 days ago8 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published314 days ago15 Dec 2025, 09:43 GMT
- Contract starts208 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
13 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Jun 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published9 Jun 2025, 07:51 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published28 Jul 2025, 09:06 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published11 Sept 2025, 10:44 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £1,080,00011 Sept 2025, 10:44 BSTwas £1,215,000
- Status changed to active11 Sept 2025, 10:44 BST
- Procurement method changed11 Sept 2025, 10:44 BST
- Deadline published: 8 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST11 Sept 2025, 10:44 BST
- Tender notice published22 Sept 2025, 11:23 BSTUK4
- Deadline moved to 23 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST22 Sept 2025, 11:23 BST+15 days · was 8 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Contract award notice published26 Nov 2025, 09:26 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete26 Nov 2025, 09:26 GMT
- Contract signature expected9 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published15 Dec 2025, 09:43 GMTUK7
Published amendments (1)
The tender closing date has changed from 8th October to 23rd October 2025. The clarification/inquiry deadline has changed from 1st October to 16th October 2025.
Routine re-releases (6)
- 2025-09: 1 release · 11 Sept 2025
- 2025-07: 1 release · 28 Jul 2025
- 2025-06: 1 release · 9 Jun 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advice SpaceVCSE1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further two periods of twelve months. Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor. · Options: If required, Council reserves the right to add additional requirements to the management and delivery of the Service under this Contract during the Contract Period including but not limited to: • Additional services:- changes associated with the Appeals Service that would accommodate changes to policies, procedures and working practices around the Welfare Benefits' System. The Council reserves the right to add or remove objectives to or from the Contract in line with requirements. Any contract variation may be subject to further Council internal approvals and be in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. | £1,296,000 inc. VATsame award published again · counted once | 26 Nov 2025standstill to 8 Dec 2025 | Standstill |
| Advice SpaceVCSE | £1,296,000 inc. VAT † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 2 · Advice SpaceVCSE
- Signed
- 9 Dec 2025
- Value
- £1,296,000 inc. VAT
- Period
- 1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The Council reserves the right to extend/renew the Contract up to a further two periods of twelve months. Any extension may be subject to further approval by Council Committee, availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the Contractor.
- Options
- The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. If required, Council reserves the right to add additional requirements to the management and delivery of the Service under this Contract during the Contract Period including but not limited to: • Additional services:- changes associated with the Appeals Service that would accommodate changes to policies, procedures and working practices around the Welfare Benefits' System. The Council reserves the right to add or remove objectives to or from the Contract in line with requirements. Any contract variation may be subject to further Council internal approvals and be in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023.
No agreed KPIs: The Specification includes high level "Expected Outcomes" rather than KPI's.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Advice SpaceAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (6)
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
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender