Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: 085325/S 000-2026
Nature of contract: Service contract
Procedure: Not specified
Regulation of procurement: Not applicable
Type of bid required: Not applicable

UKPGA UK2: Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

I) Contracting Authority/Entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Mayors Office For Policing And Crime
National registration number: PTMT-7816-YCQG

Postal address: 169 Union Street
Town: London
Region: Lewisham and Southwark
Postal code: SE1 0LL
Country: United Kingdom

Email: vruprocurement@london.gov.uk

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Public authority – sub-central government

II) Object
II.1.1) Title
London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Tertiary Redesign Service Recommission, formally known as Violence & Exploitation Support Service (VESS)
Reference number: ocds-h6vhtk-06f57b

II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
Special regime
LightTouch

II.1.4) Short description
London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Tertiary Redesign Service Recommission, formally known as Violence & Exploitation Support Service (VESS)
Indicative Contract Value: Up to £11,493,534 excl. VAT
Contract Duration: 1 June 2027 – 31 May 2029 with option to extend to 31 May 2030
This market warming session will be delivered jointly with the VRU’s forthcoming Mayoral Youth Clubs Safety Programme. The two programmes form complementary elements of the VRU’s tertiary violence reduction offer for young people affected by violence and exploitation. While the Mayoral Youth Clubs Safety Programme will provide specialist youth workers embedded across Mayoral youth club settings to identify risk, build trusted relationships and connect young people to support, the redesigned tertiary service will provide intensive, specialist and longer-term support for young people experiencing established, escalating, or entrenched violence and exploitation.
Together, these programmes aim to strengthen London’s pathway of support for vulnerable young people through earlier identification, stronger partnership working and improved access to specialist interventions.
The London Violence Reduction Unit
The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), hosted within the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), pioneers a partnership-based public health approach to tackling violence rooted in prevention and early intervention. Since 2019, the VRU has invested in over 550,000 targeted interventions for young people across London.
The VRU invests in interventions at critical moments to keep young people safe in and out of school and at the key touchpoints that influence a young person’s journey; early years and families, education, positive opportunities, youth work, and communities and place.
Project Background
The Violence and Exploitation Support Service (VESS), also known as The Safe Place, was launched in June 2024 to provide coordinated, holistic support for children, young people and families affected by violence and exploitation in London. The service provides specialist support for young people aged 11 to 25 affected by violence and exploitation through an alliance of organisations delivering housing support, advocacy, mentoring, mental health support and other specialist interventions. The current contract expires in June 2027.
Young people aged 11 to 25 living in London who are experiencing, or are at significant risk of, entrenched violence, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation and related harms. Particular consideration will be given to young adults, young people with complex safeguarding needs, and those facing barriers to engagement with mainstream services.
Following stakeholder engagement, needs analysis and review of learning from current delivery, the VRU intends to procure a redesigned tertiary service focused on young people experiencing established, escalating or entrenched violence and exploitation. The future model reflects evidence highlighting the importance of trusted relationships, trauma informed practice, specialist support, and strong local partnerships.
Key themes emerging from this work include:
•The need for a clearer focus on young people experiencing entrenched violence and exploitation.
•Greater emphasis on trusted adult relationships and long-term support.
•Stronger transitional safeguarding support for young adults aged 18 to 25.
•Improved local partnership and borough-level integration.
•Enhanced specialist provisions around housing, mental health, education, employment and family support.
•Improved referral pathways and engagement approaches for young people who are least likely to access traditional services.
•Greater recognition of sexual exploitation alongside criminal exploitation.
•Increased focus on neurodiversity, inclusion, and cultural competence.
The redesigned service is expected to become the VRU’s flagship tertiary intervention for young people at risk, and those experiencing the highest levels of vulnerability to violence and exploitation
Description of the Service
The future service will operate as a pan-London tertiary intervention with strengthened local delivery through cluster-based arrangements. It is expected to provide intensive, flexible and relationship-based support; specialist expertise in housing, mental health, education, employment and training; support for young adults aged 18 to 25; specialist responses for girls and young women; and improved pathways for criminal and sexual exploitation. A team-around-the-worker approach will support case workers with specialist advocates and navigators.
The service is expected to:
•Provide dedicated lead practitioners who build trusted relationships with young people.
•Deliver flexible, community-based support in locations that are accessible and comfortable for young people.
•Operate through a partnership model that combines core casework with specialist expertise.
•Strengthen local partnerships and referral pathways while maintaining a pan-London offer.
•Support young people through a long-term journey of engagement, stabilisation, change, and sustained outcomes.
•Embed trauma-informed practice, lived experience and cultural competence throughout service delivery.
Target Audience
Young people aged 11 to 25 living in London who are experiencing, or are at significant risk of, or currently entrenched in violence, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation.
Scope of Delivery
The provider partnership will be expected to deliver a consistent pan-London service whilst maintaining strong local relationships with boroughs, safeguarding partners, community organisations and specialist services. Core elements are expected to include targeted referrals, intensive casework, housing support, family support, education and employment pathways, mental health navigation, support for neurodiverse young people, transitional safeguarding and county lines rescue capability.
Indicative Service Model
While the final specification has not yet been developed, current thinking suggests the service may include:
Core Specialist Casework
Dedicated Violence and Exploitation Practitioners providing intensive support and care for coordination for young people.
Specialist Pathways and Expertise
Potential specialist functions may include:
•Housing and accommodation support.
•Mental health and therapeutic support.
•Education, Employment and Training (EET).
•SEND and neurodiversity expertise.
•Family support.
•Support for girls and young women.
•Transitional safeguarding for young adults aged 18-25.
County Lines Rescue Function
The recommissioned service is expected to retain a county lines rescue and relocation capability, although the final model is currently under consideration.
Timeframe: The contract is expected to commence on 1 June 2027 following a mobilisation period from March to May 2027. The initial term will be two years with an option to extend for one additional year.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:

II.1.5) Estimated Total Value
Value (including VAT)
13,792,240.80
Value (excluding VAT)
11,493,534
Currency
GBP

II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Contract/Lot No
1

II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV code
85000000

II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKI – LONDON

II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2027-06-01 00:00
End
2029-05-31 23:59
Duration
2 years
Possible extension
2030-05-31 23:59
Extended duration
3 years
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes

VI) Complementary information
Link to source/bidding documents

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
2026-09-09 11:53

VI.6) Engagement information
Engagement deadline
2026-09-16 23:59
Engagement process description
The VRU will be holding a market warming session on: Wednesday 16th September 2026, 11.00 – 12.15 pm via MS Teams.
The VRU welcomes engagement from organisations with expertise in violence reduction, safeguarding, exploitation, housing, mental health, youth work, education, employment and training, and specialist services for girls and young women. Partnership and consortium approaches are encouraged. Market engagement activity will help inform the final specification and procurement documents. The VRU is particularly interested in approaches that strengthen local partnership working, improve access for high-risk young people, and demonstrate effective methods of sustaining engagement with complex cohorts.
The Eventbrite link for the market warming session can be found here:

Please note that this exercise is in no way a call for competition and will not result in the award of a contract to any respondents to this notice.