How to win: Provision of 'Experts at Hand' Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy Support - Market Engagement

A services contract from Milton Keynes City Council, worth £4,500,000. Below: what it involves and how to write a winning bid for it.

Buyer

Milton Keynes City Council

Value

£4,500,000

About this contract

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) is seeking to engage with the provider market to inform the commissioning approach for Educational Psychologists (EPs), Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) and Occupational Therapy (OT), as part of the 'Experts at Hand' programme of SEND reform. "Experts at Hand" is a Department for Education (DfE) initiative launching in September 2026 to bring health and education specialists directly into mainstream education and early years settings. It is intended to provide support for mainstream schools to identify children's needs earlier and provide timely, time-limited support to develop inclusive practice. This market engagement exercise forms an important step in shaping the future delivery model for 'Experts at Hand' within Milton Keynes. We are keen to hear from providers on the questions published contained within the market engagement document on our e-tendering portal In-Tend . Please respond to the questions latest by 5pm on the 31st August via In-Tend Correspondence section/market engagement stage. The Market Engagement document can be accessed on our e-tendering portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes/aspx/Home

How to win contracts like this

✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — Milton Keynes City Council scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
✓At £4,500,000, 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: deadlines are tight and a strong bid takes iteration.

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