How to win: National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service

About this contract

The Department for Education is seeking market feedback on the re-procurement of a national Advocacy Helpline and Safety Net Service for looked after children, care leavers, children in need, and other eligible children and young people in England. The service will provide clear, child-friendly information on advocacy rights; a national multi-channel information, advice and signposting service; and a Safety Net advocacy function where local advocacy provision is unavailable, unreasonably delayed, inaccessible or denied. In addition, the Department is exploring the inclusion of a pilot to test an opt-out advocacy model for children living in residential care. Under this model, advocacy would be routinely offered to children unless they choose to decline participation. The Department intends to use this market engagement to gather feedback on the feasibility, affordability and practical delivery considerations associated with incorporating such a pilot within the future contract. The scope, scale and final design of the pilot are therefore subject to further development and market testing. The provider will also be expected to: • maintain accurate information on advocacy provision ac

How to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Department for Education scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £540,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins services work.
• ✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar services contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
• ✓Start early: it closes 9 October 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

BidWriter drafts your responses from your company profile, scores them against the marking scheme, and tracks your whole pipeline. Free to start — no card needed.

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