Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Services

Description

The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F), acting as lead authority on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) and Westminster City Council (WCC), invited tenders for the recommissioning of services that form part of a Coordinated Community Response to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The procurement was divided into three Lots. Contracts will commence on 1 October 2026 for an initial term of thirty-six months, with the option of two further twelve-month extensions. Lot 1 covers the coordination of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) for high-risk domestic abuse cases. The successful provider will manage the end-to-end MARAC process, including case list preparation, meeting facilitation, timely information-sharing, and the establishment of a MARAC Steering Group to drive continuous improvement and partnership learning. Lot 2 relates to the delivery of an Integrated Support Service for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and other forms of VAWG. Lot 3 focuses on Harmful Practices Coordination, a strategic and community-facing role designed to identify and respond to harmful practices such as so-called ‘honour’-based abuse. The provider will undertake outreach and engagement activities, raise awareness, deliver professional training, and attend MARAC meetings to ensure these cases are not overlooked. The procurement was be conducted through an open procedure in compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. Each participating borough will enter into its own sovereign contract following the joint tender process. Evaluation will be based on a weighting of seventy per cent for quality and thirty per cent for price, with social value included within the quality criteria for Lots 1 and 2. Suppliers had to demonstrate relevant experience in delivering VAWG services.