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The Department for Education is undertaking a market engagement exercise to inform the future procurement of kinship support services in England. The services are expected to provide free to access support for kinship carers and may include peer support, information, advice, training and related support activities. We are seeking views from the market on how a national offer of support to kinship carers could be delivered, while also supporting local authorities to develop the capability and capacity needed to play a greater role in the provision of support in the future, including through their Kinship Local Offer. The engagement will help the Department understand market capacity, service delivery models, innovation opportunities and potential procurement approaches. Feedback received through this engagement will help inform the Department's requirements and proposed specification, ensuring that any future service reflects the needs of children and young people, the sector and potential providers. Supplier engagement event The Department will hold an initial supplier engagement event on Monday 5th October 2026 11am-11:30am. The deadline for registering for this event is 17:00 on Sunday 4th October 2026 via Jaggaer. The event can be accessed through the "View Opportunities" section of the Jaggaer e-Tendering portal. Select the opportunity notice titled "Kinship Support Service for Kinship Carers in England- SSQ_848" to access the registration page. The event is open to all potential suppliers, regardless of any previous engagement with the Department. The session will provide an overview of the proposed National Kinship Carer Support Service and outline the subsequent market engagement activities. Market Engagement - Supplier 121s Following the engagement event, suppliers will be invited to attend individual 1:1s at the following dates and times which will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please only request a 1:1 meeting if you are able to share relevant experience, expertise or views on delivering a free-to-access support service for kinship carers, including approaches that support local authorities to build the capability and capacity to play a greater role in the provision of support over time. Tuesday 6th October 2026 10:30-11:00 11:00-11.30 11:30-12:00 13:00-13:30 13:30-14:00 14:00-14:30 All correspondence relating to this market engagement exercise will be issued through Jaggaer. Important notice This notice: • does not signify the commencement of a competitive procurement process; • does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education to procure services; and • does not create any obligation for the Department. Any funding estimates referred to during this market engagement are indicative only and may be subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage regarding the final scope, value or funding envelope of any future procurement activity.