Best Start In Life Family Hubs Services

The London Borough of Croydon is seeking to appoint suitably qualified and experienced providers to deliver a range of services under its Best Start in Life Family Hubs Programme.

The programme forms part of the Council's commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people and families through accessible, integrated, and community-based support services.

The commissioned services will contribute to the delivery of a borough-wide Family Hubs model, providing support from conception through to age 19, and up to age 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Services will focus on improving child development, school readiness, parental wellbeing, family resilience, and early intervention outcomes.

The procurement will be conducted as an Open Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 and is divided into multiple specialist lots to encourage participation from a diverse provider market, including SMEs, voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), and specialist organisations. The Council intends to appoint a single supplier to each lot, with suppliers permitted to bid for multiple lots but limited to a maximum award of three lots.

The services comprise the following lots:

1. Online Parenting Courses

2. Expectant Fathers Service

3. Child Development Parental Training

4. PEER Support Service

5. Parental Mental Health Support

6. Mild to Moderate Singing and Breathing Group

7. Antenatal Parental Training

8. Trauma Informed Baby Training

9. One-to-One Peer Maternity Support Service

10. Interactive Infant Feeding App

The total estimated contract value is approximately £905,522 excluding VAT, with contract durations ranging from two years to two years and three months, commencing on or around 1 January 2027.

The Council is seeking providers who can demonstrate expertise in delivering evidence-based family support, parenting interventions, maternal wellbeing services, digital solutions, early years development programmes, and community engagement activities. Successful providers will be expected to work collaboratively with Family Hubs, health partners, children’s services, and community organisations to ensure integrated service delivery and improved outcomes for Croydon residents.

The Council particularly welcomes innovative approaches that support inclusion, improve accessibility, strengthen local communities, and deliver measurable social value in line with the Council's priorities and Family Hubs agenda.