Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Experts at Hand Outreach Services
Authority: Medway Council (Local council)
Medway Council is seeking to commission providers to deliver the Experts at Hand Partnership, a key element of the Council's SEND and Inclusion Reform Programme. The overarching aim of the programme is to increase the confidence, knowledge and capability of mainstream schools, settings and practitioners to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND through access to specialist expertise, workforce development, collaboration and system-wide improvement. The programme is founded on the principle that specialist expertise should be shared across the system to build sustainable capacity, strengthen inclusive practice and improve outcomes for children and young people. Published lot titles: Special School Inclusion Expertise; Alternative Provision and SEMH Expertise; Specialist SEND Expertise; Leadership Development, Training and Communities of Practice; Parent, Carer and System Co-production.
What is being bought5 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionMedway Council is seeking to commission providers to deliver the Experts at Hand Partnership, a key element of the Council's SEND and Inclusion Reform Programme.
The overarching aim of the programme is to increase the confidence, knowledge and capability of mainstream schools, settings and practitioners to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND through access to specialist expertise, workforce development, collaboration and system-wide improvement.
The programme is founded on the principle that specialist expertise should be shared across the system to build sustainable capacity, strengthen inclusive practice and improve outcomes for children and young people.
Delivery may include:
•Consultation and coaching for schools and settings.
•Workforce development, training and professional learning opportunities.
•SEND leadership development and support for SENDCOs.
•Communities of Practice and peer-to-peer learning.
•Inclusion reviews and support for the implementation of Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP).
•Development of resources, tools and practical guidance to support inclusive practice.
•Parent, carer and stakeholder engagement activities.
•Co-production and participation opportunities to inform service development.
Delivery will be organised through the following specialist Lots:
Lot 1 – Special School Inclusion Expertise
•Special school outreach and inclusion support.
•SENDCO development and coaching.
•Inclusion reviews and curriculum adaptation.
•Building mainstream workforce confidence in supporting children and young people with complex SEND.
Lot 2 – Alternative Provision and SEMH Expertise
•SEMH consultation and workforce development.
•Attendance, engagement and reintegration support.
•Relational practice and trauma-informed approaches.
•Building capacity to meet the needs of children and young people at risk of exclusion.
Lot 3 – Specialist SEND Expertise
•Access to specialist SEND knowledge and guidance.
•Specialist consultation and training.
•Support in meeting the needs of children and young people with low-incidence and complex needs.
•Development of specialist resources and practical advice.
Lot 4 – Leadership Development, Training and Communities of Practice
•SEND leadership development.
•SENDCO workforce development.
•Establishment and facilitation of Communities of Practice.
•Promoting collaboration, professional learning and system leadership.
Lot 5 – Parent, Carer and System Co-production
•Parent and carer engagement.
•Co-production activities and events.
•Development of co-produced resources.
•Ensuring lived experience informs service design, delivery and evaluation.
The programme will play a key role in strengthening the local SEND system through:
•Sharing specialist expertise across education, health and care partners.
•Building workforce confidence and capability.
•Supporting earlier intervention and inclusive practice within mainstream settings.
•Promoting partnership working and system-wide collaboration.
•Developing sustainable networks that continue beyond periods of direct support.
•Reducing reliance on specialist escalation through strengthened local capacity.
The Council intends to appoint one or more providers across each Lot and is seeking organisations with the expertise, capacity and commitment to work collaboratively as part of the Experts at Hand Partnership, delivering high-quality support that contributes to sustainable improvements in inclusion, workforce capability and outcomes for children and young people with SEND across Medway.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:
www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Chatha… ↗
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
CPV: Education and training services · Special education services
Lots and requirements (5)Procurement structure
5 lots · all with a published value (£1,188,000 together) · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Special School Inclusion ExpertisePublished value£594,000
•Special school outreach and inclusion support.
•SENDCO development and coaching.
•Inclusion reviews and curriculum adaptation.
•Building mainstream workforce confidence in supporting children and young people with complex SEND.
Lot #2Alternative Provision and SEMH ExpertisePublished value£118,800
•SEMH consultation and workforce development.
•Attendance, engagement and reintegration support.
•Relational practice and trauma-informed approaches.
•Building capacity to meet the needs of children and young people at risk of exclusion.
Lot #3Specialist SEND ExpertisePublished value£178,200
•Access to specialist SEND knowledge and guidance.
•Specialist consultation and training.
•Support in meeting the needs of children and young people with low-incidence and complex needs.
•Development of specialist resources and practical advice.
Lot #4Leadership Development, Training and Communities of PracticePublished value£178,200
•SEND leadership development.
•SENDCO workforce development.
•Establishment and facilitation of Communities of Practice.
•Promoting collaboration, professional learning and system leadership.
Lot #5Parent, Carer and System Co-productionPublished value£118,800
•Parent and carer engagement.
•Co-production activities and events.
•Development of co-produced resources.
•Ensuring lived experience informs service design, delivery and evaluation.
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 award criteria (3)
- Quality: Technical Questions
- Price
- Social Value: Social Value benefit
No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.
- Price carries 20 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected: about £237,600 – ~£1,188,000 per lot (twice each lot's 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 Medway Council buys Special education services (CPV 8034), and who usually turns up
Medway Council’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Special education services (CPV 8034) →
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.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in South East England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
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How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 78 days of the bid deadline.
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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.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
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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 bid34% / 14%
2–318% / 29%
4–624% / 57%
7+24% / 0%
How did awards compare with estimates?
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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 estimate33% / 8%
Within ±2%46% / 69%
Above estimate20% / 23%
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 #1Special School Inclusion ExpertiseCPV 8034Published estimate£594k
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. The bar shows 138 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid32%
2–328%
4–625%
7+15%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #2Alternative Provision and SEMH ExpertiseCPV 8034Published estimate£119k
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. The bar shows 138 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid32%
2–328%
4–625%
7+15%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #3Specialist SEND ExpertiseCPV 8034Published estimate£178k
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. The bar shows 138 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid32%
2–328%
4–625%
7+15%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #4Leadership Development, Training and Communities of PracticeCPV 8034Published estimate£178k
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. The bar shows 138 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid32%
2–328%
4–625%
7+15%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #5Parent, Carer and System Co-productionCPV 8034Published estimate£119k
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. The bar shows 138 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid32%
2–328%
4–625%
7+15%
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.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
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.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
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. Contracts Finder contracts appear on the Retender Radar, not yet in these figures.
- 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
- 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
- 5 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Last source update
- 5 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 1 Dec 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-105233- Accelerated
- Light touch contract
- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-07b552Find a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via ProContract (Due North)- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 20 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 12 Nov 2026, 18:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
A tender must be completed for each lot a provider wishes to bid for:
Lot 1 - www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/MXG435U4EA ↗
Lot 2 - www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/2834AST9Y6 ↗
Lot 3 - www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/AS556HSYFB ↗
Timeline
5 Nov 2026 → 4 Jan 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published12h ago5 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMT
- Today6 Nov 2026
- Clarification questions byin 6 days12 Nov 2026, 18:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 14 days20 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 25 days1 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 58 days4 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published5 Nov 2026, 14:00 GMTUK4
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 (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender