Open tenders / Health & social care
Open tender · Notice 101733-2026
Newham Best Start Family Hubs Befriending, Navigation and Peer Support Service
- Value
- £450k
- Closes
- 27 Nov 2026 (19 days)
- Where
- London
- Lots
- 1
- Suitable for SMEs
- Yes, says the buyer
- Contract
- 1 Apr 2027 – 31 Mar 2029
In plain English
London Borough of Newham wants a voluntary, community and faith sector-led befriending and navigation service for families from pregnancy to age five, with a telephone helpline and possibly text, WhatsApp or web channels, using trained local volunteers as peer supporters. The contract is estimated at £450,000 in total and runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029; bids close at noon on 27 November 2026.
Good fit for: Community or voluntary organisations experienced in family support, befriending or helplines in east London.
Written with AI from the official notice. Check the notice before relying on it.
What the buyer says
The London Borough of Newham is looking to commission a new Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS)-led befriending and navigation service, to complement our existing Best Start Family Hubs offer. This service should be flexible and accessible, supporting Newham families from pregnancy to age five. We are particularly interested in commissioning a model with multi-channel access, for instance with a telephone helpline and additional options such as text, WhatsApp, web-based or other virtual channels. The intention is that the service would combine informal emotional support, 'a listening ear', with practical advice, including signposting and referrals. The overall aim is to reduce isolation, build parental confidence, engage seldom heard groups, and support families to navigate local services and systems. This service will utilise a peer support approach that reflects Newham’s diverse communities, recruiting and training local volunteers to deliver elements of the offer. We would expect the service to connect closely into the Best Start Family Hubs network, enabling warm handovers and ongoing light-touch support until families are successfully linked into wider provision. Alongside the core phone offer, we are also interested in how providers might use outreach, community engagement and digital channels to extend reach, particularly to underrepresented groups who may not access traditional services.
Getting the documents
newham.delta-esourcing.com (the buyer's own site, usually free to register).
Procedure: Below threshold - open competition (Open: anyone can bid (a lower-value contract with lighter rules)). Published 27 Oct 2026.
What similar contracts went for
Similar contracts went for £1.8m to £2.1m (3 since 2026; 2 won by small firms).
| Contract | Won by | Value | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Provision of Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Volunteer Peer and Parenting Support Service Manchester City Council | Home-Start Manchester SME | £1.8m | 2 Sep |
| Best Start Family Hubs Outreach Service Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council | Home-Start Host Ltd SME | £2m | 25 Aug |
| Provision of Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Manchester City Council | The Big Life Company Limited | £2.1m | 2 Jul |
From the award notices on Find a Tender and Public Contracts Scotland. Values are as each notice states them and cover the contract's whole term: most notices give the value before VAT, but about one in seven gives only a figure including VAT. AI picked these as the same kind of work and can be wrong, so check what each one included before you price.
Similar open tenders
- My Ends 3.0 Programme · Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime · closes 11 Nov
- Reopening of Framework Agreement for Live-in Care (All-Ages), Complex Care (All-Ages) and Trusted Assessors for Spot Therapy and Clinical Psychology Provision for NHS Devon Integrated Care Board · NHS Devon Integrated Care Board · closes 11 Nov
- Distress Brief Intervention · North Lanarkshire Council · closes 11 Nov
- Sunderland Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) · NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board · closes 11 Nov
- Stop Smoking Medication Framework · West Northamptonshire Council · closes 11 Nov
Want tenders like this, matched to your firm?
Winnable emails the few new tenders that fit you each weekday, with the catch spelled out. £29/month after a 14-day free trial (no card needed).