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Oldham Advice Services Tender Notice

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Published March 6th, 2026

Detected March 7th, 2026

Summary

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has published a tender notice for Oldham Advice Services, aiming to consolidate and improve financial inclusion support. The new commissioned partner model, funded by the DWP, will replace annual grant agreements and is expected to run from July 2026 to June 2029, with an option to extend. This notice also includes a preliminary market engagement exercise with a deadline of March 27, 2026.

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What changed

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has issued a tender notice for Oldham Advice Services, signalling a shift from annual grant funding to a commissioned partner model. This initiative, supported by the Crisis and Resilience Fund from the Department of Work and Pensions, aims to consolidate and enhance resident-focused advice services, including financial, debt, energy, consumer, housing, employment, and family law. The new contract is anticipated to commence on July 1, 2026, with a duration of three years, potentially extendable for another three years, and will include a role for the provider in quality assuring and training other sector advice services.

This notice also serves as a preliminary market engagement exercise, with a deadline for engagement set for March 27, 2026. Potential suppliers are encouraged to participate to help prepare for the formal procurement process. The move to a commissioned model is intended to provide longer-term funding stability and allow for more robust contract management and service specification, aligning with the Procurement Act 2023. While the council retains design and delivery of crisis schemes, the broader advice services will be managed through this new contractual framework.

What to do next

Review tender notice for Oldham Advice Services
Participate in preliminary market engagement by March 27, 2026, if interested in bidding
Prepare for a new commissioned partner model for advice services starting July 2026

Source document (simplified)

Planning

Oldham Advice Services

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2026/S 000-020649

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0664bc

Published 6 March 2026, 7:05pm

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Reference

DN809074

Description

Oldham Council currently provides and grant funds several financial inclusion services supporting multiple levels of need from low level issues to complex advice and guidance. Moving forwards and supported by the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) from 1 April 2026, we will improve and consolidate the offer to residents, making it easier to access timely and resident-focused support and advice with a one front door approach wherever possible. The current grant agreement is due to end on 31 March 2026 however there is a 6 month extension to the current contract to enable a formal tender process.

Moving forwards, it is preferable to move from annual grant

funding agreements to a commissioned partner model via a procurement exercise. This provides a longer-term

funding commitment providing stability for both the Council, residents and the provider. It also brings the Council in line with other authorities and means that service quality and performance can be robustly defined and managed through an established contract, service specification and performance framework. The commissioned service offer will include all levels of financial advice including personal budgeting and income maximisation, debt advice and energy and consumer advice. They will also continue to provide legal and advice services across a range of other issues such as housing, employment, family etc. The provider will also fulfil a role to quality assure and provide training and guidance across the borough to ensure a consistency of advice across the public and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sectors. Lastly, they will also work with the Council to establish, maintain and nurture a financial inclusion

offer that is well communicated and significantly easier for residents, elected members, services and partners to navigate. The Council will retain the design and delivery of crisis schemes and grant funding.

Contract dates (estimated)

1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029
Possible extension to 30 June 2032
6 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

Accounting, auditing and fiscal services

Miscellaneous business and business-related services

Other services

Contract locations

UKD - North West (England)

Engagement

Engagement deadline

27 March 2026

Engagement process description

The main purpose of the preliminary market engagement exercise is to assist the Council and potential suppliers to prepare for a procurement process in respect of the Project; the Council will gather information, which it will use to clarify its requirements, assess the market's capacity and develop a final procurement strategy.

More specifically for this particular market engagement exercise, the Council's objectives are:

To share information in relation to the Project and the potential tender opportunity with the market.

To obtain feedback from potential suppliers/the market generally and in particular in relation to the questions set out in Appendix 1 Combined Questions & Specification document available following registration on the Chest (the Council's e-tendering portal https://procontract.due-north.com). Access to this document pack is not restricted, with the exception that those wishing to access it must be registered on The Chest.

Suppliers are asked to submit written responses through The Chest (the Council's e-tendering portal https://procontract.due-north.com). in respect of this market engagement exercise. Written responses are not mandatory nor are they a prerequisite for accessing future procurement documents.

Stage 1 - One to One Discussion

Stage 2 - Written Responses

Issue Market Engagement Documents on Chest - 13th March 2026

Stage 1 - One-to-One discussions 16th March 2026 To be booked via Chest at times to be confirmed

20th March 2026 To be booked via Chest at times to be confirmed.

Deadline for written responses - 27th March 2026