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 across England and support children and young people to access appropriate local services; • provide national intelligence to the Department on advocacy demand, access, waiting times, barriers to provision and emerging themes; • maintain appropriate digital, telephony, case management and reporting systems; • comply with safeguarding, information governance, cyber security and data protection requirements; • ensure appropriate workforce capacity, skills, training and quality assurance arrangements; • support performance monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement; and • ensure continuity of service throughout the contract period. The Department is particularly interested in market views on the delivery model, affordability, workforce implications and implementation requirements associated with integrating an opt-out advocacy pilot within the wider Advocacy Helpline and Safety Net Service.

Procurement Act 2023

Light touch

The Department for Education (DfE) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to gather views on the proposed scope, delivery model, digital requirements and commercial approach for the re-procurement of the National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service. Supplier experience and capability To support this engagement, the Department is interested in feedback from suppliers with experience in: • delivering national or regional advocacy, information or advice services; • supporting children in care, care leavers and vulnerable children and young people; • providing independent advocacy in statutory or regulated contexts; • operating helplines, digital triage services or online advice platforms; and • delivering safeguarding, children’s social care or -related services. These capability areas are indicative only and do not constitute formal selection or evaluation criteria. 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 Tuesday 29th September 2026 10am-11am. The deadline for registering for this event is 12pm on Monday 28th September 2026 via Jaggaer. The event can be accessed through the "View Opportunities" section of the Jaggaer e-Tendering portal. Select the opportunity notice titled "National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service - SSQ" 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 Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net Service and outline the subsequent market engagement activities. Market Engagement Questionnaire Following the engagement event, suppliers will be invited to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire is intended solely to inform the Department's understanding of the market and the development of any future procurement strategy. Participation is voluntary and responses will not be evaluated as part of any future procurement process. The questionnaire will be made available via the Jaggaer e-Tendering portal following the supplier engagement event. Details of any deadlines will be communicated through the Jaggaer messaging system and during the supplier engagement event. 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 on the Department. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities for participation by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consortia, partnerships and collaborative bids from all organisation types will be welcomed and considered. 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.