Speculative Notice – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which further information may be obtained

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Public Affairs Support Services

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

Social Care Wales is seeking to engage with the market in advance of procuring a provider of public affairs support and political intelligence services. The successful supplier will support Social Care Wales to monitor political and policy developments in Wales and, where relevant, at Westminster; provide strategic intelligence, stakeholder analysis and briefings; and support engagement with Members of the Senedd (MSs) and other key stakeholders.

The contract will include a combination of ongoing and ad hoc support, including political monitoring, horizon scanning, intelligence gathering, stakeholder mapping, production of briefings, strategic advice, and support for engagement activities and events. The supplier will be expected to provide experienced public affairs practitioners with strong knowledge of the Welsh political and policy landscape and the ability to respond flexibly to changing organisational and political priorities.

The purpose of the contract is to support Social Care Wales in building awareness and understanding of its statutory role and responsibilities, strengthening relationships with political stakeholders, increasing awareness of the social care sector in Wales, identifying emerging opportunities and risks, and ensuring access to timely political intelligence and analysis to inform organisational planning and decision-making.

Activities will be undertaken on a strictly non-partisan basis and will not include lobbying for changes to government policy. The contract is intended to provide consistent support through a period of significant political change, including the expansion of the Senedd and the next Senedd election cycle.

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=169044.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

3 Administrative Information

3.1

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

3.2

Estimated Start of the Award Procedure

4 Other Information

4.1

Additional Information

We will be holding a preliminary market engagement session via MS Teams on:

11:00, Wednesday 19 August 2026.

The session will be hosted by project lead Catrin Hallett (Assistant Director of Strategic Communications, Engagement and Partnerships), Bethan Price (Head of Marketing and Communications), and a member of the Procurement team.

The session will begin by outlining the requirements, following which there will be an opportunity for questions and answers. We are seeking feedback from suppliers with relevant experience to help test the proposed scope, contract structure, delivery model and commercial approach.

Interested suppliers are invited to review the high-level requirements and provide comments on:

The proposed scope of services, including political monitoring, intelligence gathering, stakeholder engagement support and production of a regular policy and political digest.

Appropriate delivery and resourcing models.

Contract length and extension arrangements.

Pricing and commercial models that provide flexibility and value for money.

Opportunities for added value.

Feedback gathered during the engagement period will be considered by Social Care Wales when finalising the tender documentation.

Participation in this engagement exercise will not form part of any future tender evaluation and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent procurement process.

The session will be recorded and uploaded against this notice on Sell2Wales.

If you are interested in joining this preliminary market engagement session, please email procurement@socialcare.wales advising the tender title.

Following the sessions the Sell2Wales question and answer portal will be live for a following 1 working day up until 17:00, Thursday 20 August 2026.

(WA Ref:169044)

4.2

Download Additional Documentation

4.3

Publication date of this notice