BidSonarBidSonar
ContractsGrantsOrganisationsSectors
BidSonarBidSonar·Built by Hypership
SourcesBrandPrivacyTermsCookies

BidSonar is an independent index of public-sector opportunities. We aggregate data from official sources and are not affiliated with any procurement body. Data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 and the EU TED reuse notice.

    ContractsIndependent Review Mechanism for Fostering and Adoption - Market Engagement
    Open tender

    Independent Review Mechanism for Fostering and Adoption - Market Engagement

    Contract value
    £800k
    Published 25 Sept 2026

    Market engagement event to gather supplier feedback on the future delivery and commercial strategy for the Department for Education's Independent Review Mechanism statutory service for fostering and adoption.

    🇬🇧United Kingdom· LondonPublished 25 Sept 2026· 3 weeks agoviaFind a Tender
    Contract value
    £800k
    Published 25 Sept 2026

    Decision brief

    4 fields
    • Contract value
      £800,000indicative
      Pounds sterling
    • Closing date
      Rolling
      No closing date published
    • Sector
      Social Care
      Browse related listings
    • Location
      🇬🇧United Kingdom
      London

    Lifecycle

    Open

    Open tender — no closing date published. Opened 3 weeks ago.

    25 September 2026
    Open tender · no closing date published

    Brief

    The Department for Education is seeking market feedback to inform the future delivery model for the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), a statutory service providing independent reviews for prospective and existing foster parents, adopters, and adult adoptees. The IRM allows applicants to request independent review of fostering and adoption service decisions, including those relating to approval status and access to records. These reviews are conducted by independent panels of experienced children's social care professionals, ensuring impartial assessment. This is a pre-procurement market engagement event only and does not constitute the start of a formal procurement process. The Department is gathering supplier input on future service delivery approaches, operational models, and commercial strategy to ensure the IRM continues to support transparency, fairness, and public confidence in fostering and adoption decision-making across England. Any formal procurement opportunity will be advertised separately, and the scope, requirements, and contract value may be refined following this engagement activity. Potential suppliers should be prepared to discuss innovative delivery models, quality assurance mechanisms, and capacity to manage complex case reviews.

    Track record

    3 awards · 3 winners
    Open field

    No single supplier dominates the field.

    In this category, DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION has awarded 3 contracts to 3 suppliers.

    Who wins here
    1. Careerminds UK Limited1× · 33%
    2. Anna Freud/UCL/SLaM1× · 33%
    3. Social Finance Ltd1× · 33%

    Across this category, the most active winners are CARE LINE HOMECARE LIMITED, SPRINGFIELD HOME CARE SERVICES LIMITED, Roche Diagnostics Ltd — the field to beat, or your route in as a partner.

    More from DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

    4 listingsView all →
    AwardedProfessional Services🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Lead Creative Agency for National Fostering Recruitment Campaign 2026

    Opportunity for a strategic creative agency to lead the National Fostering Recruitment campaign, developing strategy, producing multi-channel assets, and managing brand guardianship in partnership with the Department for Education.

    £2,550,000DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    AwardedResearch & Innovation🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Cost Analysis of Undergraduate Provision and Qualifications in English Higher Education

    Research to analyze and compare undergraduate education costs across English universities to inform higher education funding policy.

    £290,198DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    AwardedIT & Software🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Teacher Services - Technical Support and Quality Assurance Testing

    Vendor needed to provide technical support and quality assurance testing services for teacher-related educational technology systems.

    £22,500,000DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
    Published 15 Oct 2026
    AwardedEducation & Training🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Reception Early Language Monitoring Service Using CSCOT

    Direct award contract to deliver integrated early language monitoring services using CSCOT observations in Reception classrooms across the English Hubs programme for 3 years with extension options.

    £445,356DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
    Published 15 Oct 2026

    Open in Social Care

    4 open listingsView all →
    OpenSocial Care🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Children and Young People's Short Breaks Services: Home Care, Sitting, and Outreach Support

    Recruitment of specialist providers to deliver home care, sitting, and community outreach support services for disabled children and young people, offering respite to family carers.

    est.£4,030,830Borough Council of Calderdale
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    Social Care🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Supported Living Service Provider for Battlefield Area, Shrewsbury

    Shropshire Council is recruiting a supported living provider to support 4 adults with learning disabilities across 3 properties in Shrewsbury, with a 3-year contract extendable to 7 years.

    SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    OpenSocial Care🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Peer-Led Parent Support Programme in Wokingham

    Wokingham Borough Council is offering £300,000 over three years to lead a peer-led parent support programme that trains parents as facilitators to deliver community-based parenting support.

    WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    OpenSocial Care🇬🇧United Kingdom

    Employment Support Services for People with Learning Disabilities in Southwark

    Southwark Council is engaging suppliers to provide employment support services helping residents with learning disabilities access and maintain work opportunities.

    £730,822indicativeLONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK
    Published 16 Oct 2026
    Take action
    View tender on sourceFind a Tender

    Full notice and submission process on the publisher's site

    Publisher
    UK Cabinet Office
    Licence
    OGL v3.0
    Source
    find-tender.service.gov.uk
    Record ID
    ocds-h6vhtk-077a23

    Track

    Know when this goes to tender

    Sonar emails you the day the tender is published, then 7 and 2 days before it closes.

    Track this notice

    Free · No card

    Your fit

    Could you win this?

    A straight answer for your business — bid, partner or pass — based on who wins DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION's work like this.

    3 awards · 3 firms

    Check my fit

    Free · No card

    DF
    Buyer
    DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
    Sector
    Social Care