Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Support

Essex County Council ("the Council") conducted a procurement to commission a new Voluntary and Community Support service as part of a wider offer to strengthen and champion a thriving and influential voluntary and community sector within the administrative boundaries of Essex (excluding the unitary authorities areas of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea). In addition, this service will also be open to the following classification of users: NHS Healthcare (Integrated Care Systems) both within the administrative boundaries of Essex and cross-boundary organisations.

This procurement encompassed the following lots:

Lot One: Universal Standard Support Offer

Lot Two: Community Participation

The commencement date for both lots is 1st December 2024 until 31st March 2031 with a break clause at 31st March 2028. Please note that the maximum duration amounts to 75 months and 30 days. However, due to the constraints with the fields in this notice, this position has been rounded up to the nearest month. The stated budget for this service is based on £75,000 for the initial four (4) months per lot and £75,000 p.a. for each subsequent year of the contracts per lot. In addition, the Council understands that there may be scope for additional funding of up to 15% although this remains subject to confirmation during the post-tender phase of the project. In addition, please note that the total value of the procurement in section II.1.7 of this notice reflects the cumulative value of the contract award for both lots excluding any additional funding.