The Provision of an Advice and Inclusion Service to Cheltenham Borough Council – 2026

Cheltenham Borough Council is seeking a provider to deliver its Advice and Inclusion Service, with an estimated contract value of £1,520,000 excluding VAT.

The service supports the council’s Housing, Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023–28, focusing on preventing homelessness, protecting tenants’ rights and helping people manage debt to reduce the risk of future financial difficulties.

Service Requirements

The successful provider will deliver advice and inclusion services to help residents maintain their housing and prevent homelessness.

Key responsibilities include:

• Housing and homelessness prevention: Protecting individuals’ rights in their homes and challenging actions by private and social housing landlords where appropriate.
• Debt advice: Helping residents manage existing debt and prevent unmanageable debt from arising.
• Tenant and landlord rights: Taking account of new rights and responsibilities under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
• Landlord compliance: Referring suspected landlord breaches to Cheltenham Borough Council’s Private Sector Housing Service, subject to the tenant’s consent.
• Direct engagement: Where a tenant does not consent to a referral, engaging directly with the landlord to highlight breaches and seek corrective action.

The service will contribute to the council’s wider efforts to support vulnerable residents, improve housing stability and reduce homelessness.

Contract Information

• Buyer: Cheltenham Borough Council
• Deadline: 25 November 2026, 5:00pm
• Contract Value: £1,520,000 excluding VAT (£1,824,000 including VAT)
• Delivery Length: Initial five-year term, from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032, with a possible two-year extension to 31 March 2034, subject to satisfactory performance and available funding
• Tender Reference: Not disclosed
• Tender Link: In-Tend – Procurement Portal
• Award Method: Open procedure

The estimated award decision date is 7 December 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

The tender will be evaluated using the following published weightings:

• Quality: 80%
• Price: 20%

The quality criteria include a pass/fail assessment for the local advice venue (Q1), the approach to the advice service (Q2, 40%), accessibility and support for vulnerable people (Q3, 14%), and case management and reporting (Q4, 4%). The remaining quality criteria are not fully visible in the supplied notice and should be checked in the tender documentation.

Commercial Relevance

This opportunity may interest advice organisations, housing support providers and charities specialising in homelessness prevention, debt advice and tenant advocacy. The initial five-year contract, with a potential extension to seven years, offers an opportunity to deliver ongoing support to residents across Cheltenham and contribute to the council’s housing and homelessness prevention priorities.

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