Crisis Resilience Fund – Eligibility & Resilience Services

Hampshire County Council has launched a procurement opportunity for the delivery of Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF) Eligibility and Resilience Services. The programme replaces the Household Support Fund and is intended to provide financial crisis support to households experiencing hardship while helping residents build longer-term financial resilience.

The Council is seeking a provider capable of delivering both crisis payment services and resilience support in line with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidance. The fund is designed to support a broad range of low-income households, including pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers, disabled people, families with children, single-person households and individuals experiencing unexpected financial shocks.

The commissioned service will deliver support across two key areas:

• Crisis Payments – A cash-equivalent, application-based service providing urgent support for essential living costs including food, utilities and essential household goods. The service must allow self-referral, operate throughout the year and provide person-centred, trauma-informed support.
• Resilience Services – Financial resilience initiatives including debt advice, income maximisation, savings advice, affordable credit and wider community coordination to strengthen local partnerships, referral pathways and welfare support networks.

As part of the service, the successful provider will also be required to deliver a robust digital payment solution capable of supporting multiple payment channels and delivery routes, including payments administered by trusted professional partners, internal council teams and commissioned providers. The system must support strong governance, accessibility, consistent financial controls and management reporting for both local oversight and DWP reporting requirements.

The Crisis Resilience Fund programme is scheduled to operate initially until 31 March 2029. Hampshire County Council’s allocation for 2026/27 is £11.3 million, with initial estimates indicating that up to 30% of this allocation will be used for crisis payments.

Contract Information

Buyer – Hampshire County Council

Deadline – 20 July 2026 – 2:00pm

Contract Value – £6,200,000 excluding VAT

Delivery Length – 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, with the option to extend until 30 September 2029

Tender Link: Click here

Evaluation Criteria

Tenders will be assessed using quality criteria only:

• Eligibility Assessment & Decision-Making – 25%
• Financial Resilience & Holistic Support – 20%
• Accessibility, Inclusion & Equalities – 15%
• Partnership Working & Referral Pathways – 15%
• Timeliness, Demand Management & Service Performance – 10%
• Mobilisation, Implementation & Service Continuity – 10%
• Safeguarding Public Funds & Fraud Prevention – 5%

Key Procurement Considerations

The procurement documentation identifies several key delivery risks, including:

• Failure to secure a provider capable of meeting mandatory DWP obligations.
• Delays to mobilisation impacting delivery of the scheme.
• Delays in eligibility decision-making affecting timely crisis support.
• Inadequate audit trails or record-keeping.
• Insufficient accessibility for vulnerable or digitally excluded residents.
• Failure to deliver effective resilience support, increasing repeat demand for crisis assistance.

Quarterly invoices will be submitted by the successful supplier from 1 October 2026 onwards in accordance with Hampshire County Council’s agreed payment terms.

The procurement will be conducted using the Open Procedure under the Light Touch Regime.

This opportunity represents a significant commissioning programme supporting vulnerable households across Hampshire through both immediate financial assistance and longer-term resilience services, while ensuring compliance with Department for Work and Pensions funding requirements.

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