Tenders

Independent Advocacy

Open
Deadline
58 days left
April 30, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Other
Reference
013428-2026
Value
£4,000,000
Location
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom
Published
February 23, 2026
Organization
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

February 13, 2026

Deadline for Questions

April 23, 2026

Submission Deadline

April 30, 2026

Contract Start Date

December 31, 2026

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Budget
£4,000,000
Duration
48 months
Location
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Type
Other
84
Quality Score/100
Excellent

Original Tender Description

Cornwall Council is conducting preliminary market engagement to help shape the future commissioning of Independent Advocacy across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This engagement follows earlier activity undertaken in August 2025 relating to the Adults Advocacy Service and now expands the scope to explore the feasibility of an all‑age Independent Advocacy model, including Children and Young People’s Advocacy and the Independent Visitor Service. The Council is seeking views from providers on potential delivery models, including separate Adults and CYP arrangements, integrated all‑age models, partnership or consortium approaches, and the role of statutory and non‑statutory advocacy within future provision. Feedback will support the Council’s Outline Business Case and inform subsequent specification development. Suppliers are invited to participate by reviewing the Soft Market Test documentation and submitting written responses via the ProContract procurement portal (Project DN774644) by 16:00 on Wednesday 11 March 2026. Further engagement events, including an in‑person session and online workshops, will be advertised through the portal. Participation in this engagement will not prejudice suppliers in any future procurement process. This notice and the associated SMT do not constitute a call for competition, and the Council is not committing to any procurement or contracting approach at this stage. The contract start date shown in this PMEN is indicative only and required for system purposes. It supersedes any earlier dates referenced in previous market engagement notices. Final timelines will be confirmed following analysis of this Soft Market Test and approval of the Outline Business Case.

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Requirements & Qualifications

13 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (4)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (5)
Technical (2)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS4
--Review the Soft Market Test documentation.
--Submit written responses via the ProContract procurement portal (Project DN774644).
--Submit responses by 16:00 on Wednesday 11 March 2026.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No mandatory exclusion grounds apply as this is a preliminary market engagement, not a formal tender.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS5
--Be a provider interested in delivering Independent Advocacy services.
--Be capable of delivering services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
--Be able to provide services for all ages, adults, children and young people, or Independent Visitor Service.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS2
--Possess the expertise to provide views on potential delivery models for Independent Advocacy (e.g., separate Adults/CYP, integrated all-age, partnership/consortium).
--Demonstrate an understanding of Independent Advocacy services.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--No financial requirements are specified for participation in this preliminary market engagement.

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Documents

4 documents available with AI summaries

Planning NoticeHTM
013428-2026.html

Cornwall Council is conducting preliminary market engagement to shape future independent advocacy commissioning across all age groups in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, seeking provider feedback on potential delivery models.

OCDS RecordDOC
013428-2026_ocds_record.json

This document is an OCDS record providing structured data about Cornwall Council's preliminary market engagement for an all-age Independent Advocacy service, seeking provider views on potential delivery models.

OCDS Release PackageDOC
013428-2026_ocds_release.json

Cornwall Council is conducting a Soft Market Test to gather provider feedback on potential delivery models for an all-age Independent Advocacy service across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which is not a call for competition.

Official PDF VersionPDF
013428-2026_official.pdf

Cornwall Council is conducting preliminary market engagement to gather provider feedback on potential delivery models for an all-age Independent Advocacy service across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, informing future commissioning.

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84
Excellent

Tender Quality Score

This is a well-structured and transparent Soft Market Test, effectively seeking market input for future commissioning of Independent Advocacy services. While some structured data fields are unpopulated, the documentation clearly outlines the purpose and participation requirements.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance80/100

The tender clearly defines itself as a preliminary market engagement (Soft Market Test) and explicitly states it is not a call for competition, which aligns with procurement regulations for pre-procurement activities. CPV codes are appropriate. The empty 'Type' and 'Procedure' fields are minor data entry issues, not legal non-compliance.

Structured data fields 'Type' and 'Procedure' are empty.
Clarity90/100

The description is exceptionally clear, detailing the purpose of the market engagement, the scope of services, and the type of feedback sought. AI-extracted requirements for participation are also very clear and understandable for an SMT.

Completeness85/100

All essential information for a Soft Market Test, such as title, organization, reference, estimated value, and duration (with appropriate disclaimers), is provided. Documents are attached and summarized. Requirements for SMT participation are defined.

Structured data fields 'Type', 'Procedure', and 'Liable Person' are empty.
Fairness95/100

The SMT process appears highly fair and transparent. Full document access is implied, the value is disclosed, and the four-week deadline for SMT responses is reasonable. Requirements are generic and not tailored, and e-procurement is enabled.

Practicality80/100

Electronic submission via the ProContract portal is supported, enhancing practicality. The indicative contract start date and duration, with clear disclaimers, are appropriate for a preliminary market engagement. Financing information is available.

A direct document URL is not explicitly provided in the text, though access via the portal is implied.
Data Consistency85/100

The data is largely consistent, with dates being logical and the indicative nature of timelines clearly stated. There are no disputes or suspensions. The main inconsistencies are the unpopulated 'Type', 'Procedure', and 'Liable Person' fields.

Structured data fields 'Type', 'Procedure', and 'Liable Person' are empty.
Sustainability60/100

The core service (Independent Advocacy) inherently addresses social aspects. The SMT's focus on exploring new delivery models suggests an openness to innovation. However, there are no explicit green procurement criteria or additional social criteria beyond the service itself.

No explicit green procurement criteria.
No additional social criteria beyond the inherent nature of the service.

Strengths

Clear definition as a Soft Market Test, not a formal tender.
Highly transparent and fair process for market engagement.
Comprehensive and clear description of purpose and requirements.
Electronic submission supported via a dedicated portal.
Openness to exploring innovative delivery models.

Concerns

Several structured data fields (Type, Procedure, Liable Person) are unpopulated.
Lack of explicit green procurement criteria.
No additional social criteria beyond the inherent service nature.

Recommendations

1. Populate all structured data fields to improve machine readability and data completeness.
2. Consider incorporating explicit sustainability (green/social) criteria in future formal tenders.
3. Ensure direct links to all relevant SMT documentation are easily accessible on the ProContract portal.

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