Support the Volunteer to Career Programme

Health Education England are putting out this notice as a PIN (Prior Information Notice) with a view to completing a Direct Award to Helpforce.

The case for direct award can be found on the tender portal.

Health Education England's (HEE) National Volunteering Unit (NVU) is part of the Directorate of Talent for Care and Nursing and Midwifery and aims to support volunteering across health and care through the design, development and promotion of education, training and development of resources and opportunities. The NVU encourages staff who want to volunteer within the NHS, by providing unique and accessible projects and programmes to do so, and harnesses and embraces the power of the new technology and digital to drive work forward.

The NVU was established in 2020 following the heightened awareness of volunteering in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and recognition of the opportunities and benefits of volunteering in terms of supporting patient care, the NHS and wider voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector. The instrumental role volunteers have in the prevention of ill-health and positive affect on wellbeing and personal development (their own, that of the patients and staff they support, and their communities) has therefore been recognised, as well as the benefits to volunteers themselves. Helpforce was established in 2017 and partners with health and care organisations across the UK to accelerate the growth and impact of volunteering. Helpforce are an independent not-for-profit innovator, focused on co-creation with NHS trusts and systems, and rapidly sharing insights and best practice. HEE has been working in partnership with Helpforce since 2018.

HEE believe that Helpforce is the only supplier who can support the Volunteer to Career programme, co-ordinate, manage and oversee the three phases (outlined in the PIN documentation on the portal), and support the requirements to complete the programme during 2022/23 with their knowledge, expertise and experience of the Volunteer to Career programme.

For the Specification, Contract and the Case for Direct Award please access the portal at: https://health-family-contract-search.secure.force.com/?SearchType=Projects All communications should be made via the messaging function on the Health Family eTendering portal. If any provider has concerns with the commissioning intentions outlined within the published documentation, please raise this via the eTendering Portal in the first instance within 30 days of the date of this Prior Information Notice.

The closing date of this PIN is midday on 8th July 2022.