Education Support Outreach Service for Children with Visual and Multi-Sensory Impairment

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is conducting a market engagement exercise to gather feedback from potential providers about delivering an Education Support Outreach Service for children and young people with visual impairment and multi-sensory impairment (MSI) support across the borough. This is an information-gathering exercise only and does not constitute a formal procurement or competition. The current service supports approximately 170 children and young people, providing specialist assessment, advice, intervention, training, and support to students, families, schools, and early years settings. The future service must deliver high-quality, inclusive support that promotes independence and educational achievement, including specialist outreach, assessment and advisory services, training for educational staff, family support, and integration with SEND services. Interested organisations must complete the market engagement questionnaire via the Council's procurement portal (registration required at https://lbbd.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml) by 12 noon on Monday 12th October 2026. Participation is voluntary and will not affect future procurement opportunities. Organisations are responsible for all response costs. The estimated maximum annual budget is £168,000 plus inflationary rises, with a total estimated contract value of £702,906 over four years. Providers must employ qualified staff with specialist expertise in visual impairment and MSI support, and demonstrate ability to meet diverse needs, deliver quality outcomes, support inclusive practice, and comply with statutory duties. The service should support children within and outside the borough, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) attending independent settings.