SBC0625 Pre-market Engagement for the Provision of an Accessible Financial Advice Service across Stevenage including specialist housing support

Description

This notice is for pre-market engagement and is not a request for tenders. Stevenage Borough Council plan to invite bidders to tender for the provision of an accessible financial advice service across Stevenage including specialist housing support. Stevenage is a town and borough within the county of Hertfordshire and has a total area of 25.96 km2 (10.02 square miles). The service comprises of three strands of advice and support to ensure that residents can access timely advice and interventions to prevent escalation into homelessness or deeper financial hardship. The three elements of the service are: 1. Core Support Service: This includes initial triage and assessment, to identify support needs, connecting clients to appropriate advice within Stevenage’s Advice Services and/or through referrals to relevant partner agencies across Stevenage. Issues typically include but are not limited to: - Debt and money advice - Welfare benefits - Employment related enquiries - Legal issues relating to financial matters - Housing concerns - Consumer issues - Family and relationship issues, including Domestic Abuse - Immigration advice (to OISC Level 1) 2. Specialist Housing Support (Welfare Benefits Casework): This provides impartial welfare benefits and debt advice casework to support the Council’s housing management function. The service is inclusive and accessible to all Stevenage residents regardless of background or personal circumstances. 3. Preventing Homelessness and Keeping Residents in their Own Homes (Court Help Desk Worker): This includes the provision of free, tailored, and confidential homelessness prevention advice and independent court representation for Stevenage residents helping to keep families and individuals facing eviction in their own homes. The pre-procurement market engagement will comprise:- Submission of the Supplier Questionnaire (please see Appendix A – separate MS Word document) following the instructions in Section 10. The Supplier’s Questionnaire must be received by 12:00 midday on Tuesday 8th July 2025.