Open tenders / Training & education
Open tender · Notice 100831-2026
SEND Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service (MDRS)
- Value
- £440k
- Closes
- 20 Nov 2026 (12 days)
- Where
- North West
- Lots
- 1
- Suitable for SMEs
- Yes, says the buyer
- Contract
- 1 Apr 2027 – 31 Mar 2030
In plain English
Cheshire East Council wants a provider to run a mediation and disagreement resolution service for special educational needs and disability (SEND), covering disputes about education, health and care needs assessments and plans. The contract runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030 and is estimated at £440,000 in total over those three years.
Good fit for: Independent mediation or dispute resolution providers with experience in special educational needs or children's services.
Written with AI from the official notice. Check the notice before relying on it.
What the buyer says
The MDRS contract is specifically linked to decisions about education, health, and care needs assessments and education, health, and care plans (EHCP), while disagreement resolution services can be used to try to resolve other issues in relation to your child's special educational needs (SEN). The Children and Families Act 2014 and the related Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0-25 years (SEND code of practice) (DfE, 2015) place an emphasis on the avoidance of disagreements through a person-centred approach to decision-making and open communication between professionals and parents and young people. It is an alternative to a Tribunal hearing and is much quicker and less formal. Mediation enables people to communicate better with each other, and it can help re-build relationships that have broken down. Parents and young people need to consider mediation before they can register an appeal with the first-tier tribunal (special educational needs and disability). Parents and young people will also be able to go to mediation about the health and social care elements of an education, health, and care (EHC) plan.
Getting the documents
the-chest.org.uk (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 26 Oct 2026.
What similar contracts went for
Similar contracts went for £97k to £250k (2 since 2025; 2 won by small firms).
| Contract | Won by | Value | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disagreement Resolution and SEND Mediation North East Lincolnshire Borough Council | Global Mediation Limited SME | £97k | 30 Jan |
| Independent Mediation Service for Education Health and Care Assessments and Reviews and Disagreement Resolution Service for SEND. Durham County Council | Why Mediate Limited SME | £250k | 21 Oct |
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.
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