Crisis and Resilience Fund - Financial Resilience and Community Coordination Service

Description

The Council has received funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support households experiencing financial crisis and to invest in longer-term preventative activities that strengthen financial resilience and reduce future reliance on crisis support. In Leicestershire, the wider Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) includes Crisis Payments administered by Leicestershire County Council and Housing Payments administered by the District and Borough Councils. This procurement relates specifically to the Financial Resilience Service and Community Coordination function that support residents to move beyond immediate crisis and improve long-term financial stability. The service is focused on improving financial resilience, increasing access to advice and support, reducing debt and repeat crisis demand, and enhancing collaboration across organisations to provide a more joined-up and person-centred system of support. This service will be divided into 8 lots. Lots 1 - 7 is split into the different locality (boroughs and districts) of Leicestershire: - Lot 1: Blaby - Blaby District has a population of 103,271 residents and is located in the south-west of Leicestershire. The area combines suburban communities close to Leicester, including Braunstone Town and Glen Parva, with larger villages and rural settlements. The service will need to respond to both urban and rural needs, ensuring that residents can access support through a range of local community settings and delivery channels - Lot 2: Charnwood - Charnwood is the largest lot by population, with 182,906 residents. The borough includes the large urban centre of Loughborough alongside a wide range of towns, villages and rural communities. Charnwood contains some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Leicestershire, alongside areas of relative affluence, creating varied levels of financial need and demand across the area. The service will need to provide accessible support across both urban and rural settings. - Lot 3: Harborough - Harborough District has a population of 98,254 residents and is predominantly rural in nature. The district includes the market town of Market Harborough together with a large number of villages and dispersed rural communities. - Lot 4: Hinckley and Bosworth - Hinckley & Bosworth has a population of 113,653 residents and contains a mixture of urban and rural communities. The borough includes the town of Hinckley, together with a number of market towns, villages and rural areas. - Lot 5: Melton - Melton Borough has a population of 51,756 residents, making it the smallest geographical lot by population. Centred on the market town of Melton Mowbray, the borough is predominantly rural, with many smaller villages and dispersed communities. - Lot 6: North West Leicestershire - North West Leicestershire has a population of 105,004 residents and includes the urban centres of Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch alongside rural villages and communities. The district contains some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the county. - Lot 7: Oadby and Wigston - Oadby & Wigston Borough has a population of 57,788 residents and is the most urbanised district within Leicestershire. Located adjacent to Leicester City, it comprises the towns of Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston and has a diverse population Lot 8 is Community Coordination. This lot requires the delivery of a countywide Community Coordination function across Leicestershire, supporting a population of approximately 712,000 residents. The service will work strategically across all seven district and borough areas to strengthen collaboration between Financial Resilience Service providers, local authorities, VCSE organisations and wider stakeholders, improving referral pathways, supporting partnership development, increasing the visibility of support services, identifying gaps and opportunities within the system, and promoting a coordinated, accessible and effective countywide financial resilience support network. This contract is for 2 years and 5 months and shall take effect from 02 November 2026 - 31 March 2029. The total allocated budget for this contract is £3,411,573. Full breakdown of each lot's value is given within the Doc 01 - Invitation to Tender (ITT).