Adult Advocacy Service and Children’s Advocacy Service

Bury Council, in partnership with Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, is commissioning independent advocacy services with an estimated total value of £1,200,000 excluding VAT.

The contract will provide independent advocacy across statutory and non-statutory pathways, helping adults and children access appropriate advocacy support in health and social care settings.

Service Requirements

The contract covers independent advocacy services for adults and children across Bury.

• Adult Advocacy Service: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Care Act Advocacy, NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy and generic advocacy.
• Children’s Advocacy Service: Independent Mental Health Advocacy.

The service is jointly commissioned with Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and includes health-related statutory duties.

Providers must be able to respond flexibly to changing demand, maintain service continuity and work collaboratively with the commissioning authorities to support value for money. Demand may fluctuate during the contract period, requiring the successful provider to adapt to evolving requirements.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are identified as particularly suitable participants.

Contract Information

• Buyer: Metropolitan Borough of Bury
• Deadline: 16 November 2026, 12:00pm
• Contract Value: £1,200,000 excluding VAT (£1,440,000 including VAT)
• Delivery Length: 4 years, from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, with a possible one-year extension to 31 March 2032, subject to review
• Tender Reference: DN832413
• Tender Link: The CHEST / Proactis E-Portal
• Award Method: Open procedure; the notice lists price at 100%. Further details are available in the tender documents.

The enquiry deadline is 23 October 2026 at 11:59pm. Access to the tender documents is stated to be available only until 23 October 2026 at 12:00 noon. Bids must be submitted through the RTX section of The CHEST portal; submissions by email or through the portal’s message section will not be accepted.

Evaluation Criteria

The notice lists price as carrying a weighting of 100%. The award criteria are identified as MAT, with further details available in the tender documents on The CHEST / Proactis portal.

Commercial Relevance

This opportunity may interest independent advocacy providers and organisations experienced in mental health, mental capacity, Care Act and NHS complaints advocacy. The contract offers an opportunity to deliver advocacy services for adults and children across Bury, with a potential term of five years, including the extension.

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