Support for Communities Framework 2026-2030

Support for Communities Framework 2026-2030 is a UK public-sector framework agreement managed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It is expected to expire around November 2029. The Framework is an alternative means of providing a range of practical hands-on support (not advice, which is available through HIE’s Specialist Advice Framework) to community organisations and social enterprises that lack the capacity or a particular skill-set to timeously progress an opportunity. This is added value support and must complement the existing social enterprise support ecosystem and, therefore, must not duplicate services already available via other HIE Frameworks e.g. Board Healthcheck and Skills Training or other public sector/public sector supported organisations, e.g. Business Gateway, Just Enterprise, etc. It is expected that these services will be required from November 2026 for an initial period of 3 years, with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 year following the Initial Term. The 3 year budget currently available to deliver this service is between GBP 400,000 and GBP 450,000 (excluding VAT). The total estimated value of the framework for the full framework duration including the extension is GBP 600,000, which is the value stated in this notice.

When does it re-tender?

The current term is expected to end around November 2029. The re-tender competition typically opens in the months before that date, so the practical window to prepare a bid is roughly February 2029 onward. It was awarded November 2026 for a 3-year term.

How to prepare a bid

A re-tender asks for the same building blocks every time. Have these ready before the notice publishes, most take weeks to assemble:

• Cyber Essentials, and Cyber Essentials Plus if the framework requires it
• Up-to-date insurances (employer, public and professional indemnity)
• Financial evidence: your latest accounts and turnover figures
• Two or three case studies mapped to this framework's scope
• Core policies: equality, health and safety, data protection
• A capacity statement showing you can deliver at the required volume
• Temporary-labour compliance: IR35 status, umbrella and payroll arrangements
• Confirm the exact re-tender dates against the source notice; frameworks are frequently extended.

Start a trial to follow this framework and be alerted before the window opens.

CPV codes covered

The Common Procurement Vocabulary codes that describe this framework's scope. Match these to your business to judge relevance.