Source: https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a13c67-154a-724c-8d9d-9be62aa07e6a/national-advocacy-and-advice-service pending GB open procedure Suitable for SMEs # National Advocacy and Advice Service [Department for Education](https://tendernation.io/buyers/department-for-education) Estimated value £834,000 Published 20 Oct 2021 Deadline Rolling deadline ## Who can bid - Buyer says suitable for SMEs The buyer ticked “suitable for SMEs” on the notice. Anyone can still bid. - Buyer says suitable for VCSEs The buyer ticked “suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises” on the notice. - Open procedure Anyone can submit a full tender; there is no shortlisting stage. [More contracts for small businesses and VCSEs](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/for-small-businesses) ## About this tender The Department for Education currently funds a national advocacy and advice service (presently delivered as the Always Heard advocacy service) which ensures looked-after children, care leavers and children on the edge of care in England understand their rights to advocacy; are signposted to local advocacy services; and provided with direct 'safety net' advocacy when denied or unable to access local services. The service provides a national helpline to eligible children and young people as well as a range of support routes outside of the helpline, including via website, WhatsApp, text, email, and face to face where required. The current contract for the national advice and advocacy services ends on 31 March 2022. The purpose of this PIN is to initiate engagement with the market for the provision and procurement of the advocacy and advice service beyond the end of March. A market engagement event will take place on 20 October from 11:00 -12:30 via Microsoft Teams. All organisations wishing to attend the event should book a place via this email address: by 5pm on Monday 18 October with the following information: - name of your organisation - name of attendees (maximum two) - contact details The Department is interested in organisations that have significant expertise and experience in advocacy for children and young people. We are open to different commercial arrangements, including consortia and partnerships to undertake this service. Ideally we are looking for organisations with: - Significant experience in delivering advocacy and advice to children and young people in social care and/or education sectors - Ability to identify gaps in advocacy provision nationally and barriers to accessing advocacy to help drive and inform improvements to advocacy services - Experience in working with local authorities to broker local advocacy support and support systemic change in advocacy provision - Expertise in using a wide range of methods to support and reach eligible children and young people - Understanding of child safeguarding and experience alerting children's services to safeguarding concerns We encourage organisations of any size with the necessary expertise to come to our event. We anticipate that any successful provider(s) may start to deliver in April 2022 and that delivery will be 2 + 1 years. Read full description ## CPV classification Call centre Source Contracts Finder (UK) [View official notice](https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/1592b32c-5107-433d-bc41-7b28fe3fc6aa) Never miss a tender like this again Get AI summaries, deadline alerts and a bid pipeline for tenders matched to your business. Free to start. [Track tenders free](https://tendernation.io/register) [Buyer profile Department for Education: past awards and live tenders](https://tendernation.io/buyers/department-for-education) [Sector More Business services tenders](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services) ## More tenders like this [Social Housing Emerging Disrupters 6 · Procurement for Housing · 29 days left · 17 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a154e4-4909-7303-a67f-9c3bff3eb4d8/social-housing-emerging-disrupters-6) [Business travel services – Rahmenvertrag Bearbeitung von Reisekostenabrechnungen nach BRKG · GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH · 29 days left · 17 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a15183-cd6e-73e4-b6e8-3954e5689021/germany-business-travel-services-rahmenvertrag-bearbeitung-von-reisekostenab) [Photocopying services – Externe printdiensten · VZW Sint-Paulusschool · 36 days left · 24 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a15183-34d8-71be-840d-38bf2a8bcc92/belgium-photocopying-services-externe-printdiensten) [Supply services of personnel including temporary staff – Diák- és nyugdíjas munkaerő biztosítása NTH (376) · NTH Nemzeti Tőkeholding Zrt. · 11 days left · 30 Oct 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a15183-76f6-70c4-823e-7b614dada7b3/hungary-supply-services-of-personnel-including-temporary-staff-diak-es-nyug) [Interpretation services – Tolktjänster · Stockholms läns sjukvårdsområde · 30 days left · 18 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a15183-4e9a-70dc-8b27-e3d274e53dc5/sweden-interpretation-services-tolktjanster) [Printing and distribution services – SGCD53\_MARCHE\_ELECTIONS\_BRGE · Préfecture de la Mayenne · 28 days left · 16 Nov 2026](https://tendernation.io/opportunities/01a15183-7726-73f4-bb67-b3121363d6bf/france-printing-and-distribution-services-sgcd53-marche-elections-brge)