Best Start Family Hubs

What the buyer is asking for

The national Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme sets a refreshed direction for family and health support from April 2026 to March 2029. It builds on the learning from Sure Start, Family Hubs and Start for Life, with a clear expectation that local areas bring together health, education, early years, parenting and community support so that families can access help earlier, more easily and in places they already know and trust. The programme places strong emphasis on early identification, prevention and reducing inequalities, particularly during pregnancy and the early years when the foundations for lifelong health, learning and development are laid. Best Start Family Hubs should provide a welcoming and inclusive front door for families, supported by a wider network of linked local services and outreach locations, so that families can receive the right support at the right time and are not left to navigate services on their own. The updated national guidance describes Best Start Family Hubs as a key part of the Government’s wider Best Start in Life strategy, supporting the ambition for more children to achieve a good level of development by age five. The model remains universal and open to families from conception to age 19, or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, while prioritising support for families with babies and young children. Locally, Worcestershire already has an established Family Hubs offer across the county. This procurement will support the expansion and strengthening of the current model so that it aligns with the additional national expectations for Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies, including improved access, outreach, partnership working and support for families during pregnancy and the early years. Full details of the requirement can be found in Appendix 1a - Service Specification_Lot 1 and Appendix 1b - Service Specification_Lot 2. This procurement is split into two Lots: Lot 1 covers the districts of Bromsgrove, Redditch, Wyre Forest, as well as Great Witley and Tenbury Wells. Lot 2 covers the districts of Worcester City, Wychavon and Malvern Hills (excluding Great Witley and Tenbury Wells)

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 25%qualityQuality criterion 1 (Lot 0)Expansion of parenting and HLE interventions in line with national Best Start expectations. We are seeking a provider that can maximise the reach and impact of parenting support and home learning environment interventions, ensuring more families can access timely, evidence-based support in line with Best Start in Life and Family Hub expectations. Please describe how you will expand the delivery and uptake of parenting and home learning environment interventions to reach a greater number and wider range of families, in line with national Best Start Family Hub guidance. Your answer must include: • How you will increase awareness and access to parenting and home learning support. • How you will reach families who are less likely to engage with services. • How you will utilise a range of delivery methods, partners and settings to maximise reach. • How you will ensure interventions are evidence-based, proportionate to need, and monitored for impact. • How your approach will result in improved access, reduction in inequalities, increased engagement, and improve parenting/HLE outcomes • How you will meet and adhere to national requirements, standards and guidance (Word count: 1,500 words)
• 25%qualityQuality criterion 2 (Lot 0)Outreach and Network Sites Delivery must ensure Best Start Family Hub services are accessible within local communities and reach families who may be less likely to access support through core Best Start Family Hub buildings. Please describe how you will develop and deliver a Best Start Family Hub model that extends beyond the core hub sites and into local communities across the contract area. Your answer must include: • A practical delivery model for outreach, network sites and access. • How you will develop and maintain a network of Best Start Family Hub Network sites. • A clear proposed model showing how core hubs, outreach, network sites and partner venues will operate together. • How you will use outreach and community-based delivery to engage families who do not access Family Hub buildings, across the 0–19 age range and with a particular focus on families with children aged 0–5. • How you will provide effective family navigation by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of local services, building strong links with service providers and VCSE organisations, and enabling families to access the right support through clear in-person and digital routes. • How you will ensure families experience a smooth and coordinated transition between services for children aged 0–5 and the wider 0–19 offer. • How you will work with local partners and trusted community organisations to increase reach and accessibility. (Word count: 1,500 words)
• 20%qualityQuality criterion 3 (Lot 0)Community needs and insight Communities are at the heart of Public Health and the delivery of Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH). Therefore, understanding local communities and using data, insight, and family voice are fundamental to effective BSFH delivery Providers must demonstrate a strong understanding of the communities within the geographical area they are delivering services. How will you develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the local communities within the area, including local strengths, needs, assets, demographics and inequalities. Your answer must include: • Gathering and use of local data, insight and intelligence. • Demonstration of understanding of community strengths, needs and inequalities in local BSFH communities. • How you will deliver effective engagement with families, communities and local partners. • Approaches used to gather family voice and lived experience. Use of this community insight to shape and improve delivery. • How insight will be translated into service planning and continuous improvement, with examples of how this will be monitored, reviewed and improved • How you will ensure inclusive access and engagement for vulnerable families, rural communities, families with SEND, and those experiencing digital exclusion. (Word count: 1,300 words)
• 20%qualityQuality criterion 4 (Lot 0)Innovation, added value and quality assurance Providers must demonstrate organisational standards and suitably qualified staff as a key quality assurance measure. We also recognise that providers may be able to bring additional resources, expertise, partnerships and opportunities that enhance Best Start Family Hub delivery and improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Please describe the innovation, quality assurance and added value your organisation would bring to the delivery of this contract. Your answer must include: • How you will implement and maintain quality assurance arrangements, including clear performance indicators and processes for monitoring and improvement. • How you will recruit, deploy and retain a suitably qualified workforce to manage and deliver services across BSFH and outreach locations, including arrangements to support staff wellbeing. • How you will draw on the expertise, services and resources within your organisation’s core service offer, alongside the knowledge and expertise available through the wider Best Start network and community services, to strengthen and add value to BSFH delivery. • Access to additional funding, grants or in-kind resources that would enhance contract delivery. • How your involvement in national, regional or sector-wide networks and partnerships will add value to local delivery. • How you will identify, test and embed innovation and best practice, including learning from other areas and services. • How you will assess and address workforce development, training and skills needs to support high-quality delivery. (Word count: 1,300 words)
• 10%qualityQuality criterion 5 (Lot 0)Demonstration of Social Value Worcestershire County Council is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of Worcestershire residents in addition to supporting our local economy and environment. The Council's social value ambitions are set out in the Social Value Toolkit (appendix 1) this outlines the types of deliverables that can be offered to support your social impact as part of your bid. Describe how your organisation will deliver Social Value throughout the term of this contract. Your response should explain your organisation’s social value commitments and how you will generate additional benefits for Worcestershire beyond the delivery of the Best Start Family Hubs. As a minimum, your response should: *Clearly set out your proposed social value offer and the added value it will deliver to Worcestershire communities. *Explain what social value activities will be delivered, how they will be delivered, and when they will take place throughout the contract period, including measurable targets and outcomes where appropriate. *Demonstrate how your organisation will: • Support and strengthen the local economy. • Protect, improve and enhance the environment. • Promote and support local communities and the voluntary, community and faith sector. (Word count: 500 words)

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  Financial accounts, Insurance, GDPR, Supply Chain Payment Terms.

• technical

  Relevant experience (scored), IT Security Assessment, Data Protect, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Tackling Modern Slavery, Occupational Standards (see ITT document in tender pack).

2 lots

You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for all of them.

• Lot 1£7.1m

  Covers the districts of Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest (including Great Witley and Tenbury Wells).

• Lot 2£7.3m

  Covers the districts of Worcester City, Wychavon and Malvern Hills (excluding Great Witley and Tenbury Wells).

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published40 days ago

   12 Aug 2026, 15:52 BST
2. Clarification questions by6 days ago

   15 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
3. Submission deadlinein 7 days

   28 Sept 2026, 16:00 BST
4. Award decision expected byin 72 days

   2 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

4 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice15 May 2026, 08:36 BST044740-2026
2. Pipeline or early engagement notice15 May 2026, 09:36 BST044771-2026
3. Pipeline or early engagement notice18 May 2026, 10:39 BST045249-2026
4. Tender notice12 Aug 2026, 15:52 BST076925-2026

Payment terms

Purchase order, paid quarterly in arrears, 30 days payment terms.

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender