Experts at Hand: Occupational Therapy, Inclusion and Participation Service
Open
Closes in 28 days
Key facts
- Closing date
- Friday 13 November 2026, 10:00 (UK time) Closes in 28 days
- Buyer's estimated value
- Not stated The buyer's own estimate, not income to you.
- Contract period
- ? to 31 Mar 2029
- Procedure
- Open procedure
- Notice type
- Not stated
Decision brief
Taken from the buyer's published notice (shown as written, shortened where long). Tenderpatch has not added to or interpreted it. Always read the official documents before bidding.
- How bids will be scored
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- Quality & Innovation : 40%
- Integration, Collaboration and Sustainability : 25%
- Improving Access and Reducing Inequalities : 25%
- Social Value : 10%
- Conditions of participation (what you must show)
- None published in the notice. They may be in the tender documents.
- Contract length and extensions
- Start not stated to 31 Mar 2029. Extensions: The Authority may, at its sole discretion, extend the Contract for up to three (3) years should additional funding become available. Any decision to extend the contract will be subject to the availability of future national funding and internal governance approval. Accordingly, there is no guarante…
- How to submit
- Through in-tendhost.co.uk ↗ (the buyer's own portal).
- Tender documents
- No document links in the notice. Use the official notice link.
New to public tenders? Plain-English guide to this page
- Framework
- An agreement that sets terms for work the buyer may order later, often from several suppliers. The value shown usually covers the whole agreement, not one job.
- Open for bids / closing date
- You must submit by the closing date and time, normally through the buyer's own online portal. Late bids are normally refused.
- Clarification questions
- A deadline for asking the buyer questions about the tender. It is earlier than the closing date.
- Conditions of participation
- What the buyer asks suppliers to show before they can be considered, such as experience, insurance or accreditations.
- Bids are scored on
- How the buyer will compare bids, usually a split between price and quality. A 60/40 split in favour of quality means the cheapest bid will not necessarily win.
- Lots
- A tender can be split into parts. You can often bid for only the lots that suit you.
- Area (ITL)
- The buyer names an official statistical area for where the work is, not a street address. Check the tender documents for the actual sites.
- UK4 and other notice codes
- Official codes for the type of notice. A "tender notice" means bids are being invited.
General explanations written by Tenderpatch, not part of this notice.
Description
'Experts at Hand' is designed to transform how support for children and young people with SEND is delivered, by bringing specialist expertise directly into mainstream early years, primary, secondary and post-16 settings. By embedding 'expert roles', such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and specialist teachers, alongside setting staff. The offer supports earlier identification of need, strengthens workforce confidence and capability, and provides timely, evidence-based support within everyday learning environments.
The Experts at Hand offer will support mainstream settings across early years, primary, secondary and post-16, to better identify and meet the needs of children and young people with emerging or identified SEND. It will provide dedicated professional expertise tailored to the needs of individual children and young people, through observation, assessment, and identifying appropriated targeted support to help more children and young people flourish within their settings.
Norfolk County Council (NCC) is undertaking a procurement exercise and is inviting suitably qualified and experienced applicants to submit offers to deliver the Occupational Therapy, Inclusion and Participation Service.
The procurement is being conducted under regulation 11 of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations).
As the Council's funding is currently confirmed until 31 March 2029, any initial contract term will end on 31 March 2029. The Authority may, at its sole discretion, extend the Contract for up to three (3) years should additional funding become available. Any decision to extend the contract will be subject to the availability of future national funding and internal governance approval.
Accordingly, there is no guarantee that any extension will be offered. Any extension will be subject to a further Key Decision in accordance with the Authority's governance arrangements.
The value of the initial term is £3,829,100 split as follows:
• Financial Year 2026/27 - £835,260
• Financial Year 2027/28 - £1,474,800
• Financial Year 2028/29 - £1,519,040
It is anticipated that the Contract will be awarded on 20 January 2027, with service delivery commencing on 22 February 2027.