First Tier Level: Welfare Rights & Financial Wellbeing Advice

" The process, under the services industry category, spanned multiple locations indicated by the UKC23 region, covering various localities within Sunderland, such as Sunderland West, Sunderland North, Sunderland East, Washington, and Coalfield, along with a city-wide telephony and digital offer. The procurement utilised an open procedure method, with the tender reaching the award stage. Awards were made to Shiney Advice and Resource Project and Citizens Advice Sunderland on the 24th of April, 2025, with contracts valued at £800,000 and £400,000 respectively, confirming the service provision of welfare rights and financial wellbeing advice.

This procurement presents business growth opportunities, particularly for firms specialising in social work and related services. Organisations capable of delivering high-quality services across multiple lots, such as welfare rights advice and digital telephony solutions, are well-positioned to benefit from such frameworks. Both large and small enterprises, signified by the variety of suppliers, can engage with this framework, potentially diversifying their service offerings and enhancing their market presence within the public sector.

The requirement for high-quality service, emphasised by the award criteria, indicates that firms with robust service delivery capabilities coupled with competitive pricing would be well-suited to participate in future procurement processes of this kind.