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Befriending services tenders and contracts

UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites

197 befriending services tenders and contracts, 47 this year.

Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count

  • Awarded a month£140k
  • Contracts a month1.1
  • Won by SMEs44%
  • Renewing in 6 months8
  • Frameworks and DPSs2
  • Live now3See them →
Get befriending services tenders every morning

Befriending services contracts

143102London 804111

Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.

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26 contracts across the UK, of any size

Live now

3 befriending services opportunities are open now

  1. Pre-market7 Oct 2026
    Market Engagement Sessions - Prevention Services South Gloucestershire
    South Gloucestershire Council · South West
  2. OpenCloses in 1 day
    Contract for a Befriending Network
    Hartlepool Borough Council · North East
    Est.£21k
  3. Pre-market8 Sep 2026
    CBC-2138-RFI-SK (Request for Information) Social Isolation and Loneliness
    Central Bedfordshire Council · East of England
  4. Awarded9 Sep 2026
    Befriending Services
    Calderdale Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Age Uk Calderdale & Kirklees
    £138k
  5. Awarded5 Aug 2026
    Befriending Network
    Hartlepool Borough Council · North EastWon by Cleveland Fire Authority
    £5k
  6. Awarded17 Jun 2026
    Community Connections
    Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South WestWon by Age Concern Bournemouth
    £63k
  7. Awarded2 Jun 2026
    Market Engagement Event - CPH130 Social Connectedness Service
    Derbyshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Rethink Trading Limited and 1 more
    £490k
  8. Awarded6 May 2026
    Good neighbours expansion
    Peterborough City Council · East of EnglandWon by Good Neighbours-Rural Peterborough
    £208k
  9. Awarded5 May 2026
    Wellbeing and Emotional Support Service for Live Well
    Royal Borough of Greenwich · LondonWon by Volunteer Centre Greenwich
    £50k
  10. Awarded14 Apr 2026
    AC2475 - Wiltshire Senior Games
    Wiltshire Council · South WestWon by Wiltshire and Swindon Sport CIC
    £128k

Get new befriending services tenders every morning →

Where to bid

Where befriending services tenders are run

  • ProContract2 33%
  • Atamis1 17%
  • East Midlands Tenders1 17%
  • Open (NEPO)1 17%
  • The Chest1 17%

Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.

Age UK Redbridge, Barking and Havering won the most befriending services contracts by value

Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.

,
CouncilsNHS and health
RankContractorContracts won, by buyerContractsValue wonBuyersShare
1jointAge UK Kensington and Chelsea
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
1jointAge UK Westminster
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
1jointHousing 21
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
1jointLondon Care Limited
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
1jointOctavia Housing
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
1jointOpen Age
London · SME · See every contract
2Not published1
7jointAge UK Redbridge, Barking and Havering
London · See every contract
1£1.6m1
7jointLifeLine Community Projects
London · 1 framework place · See every contract
1£723k1
7jointAge UK Barnet
London · SME · See every contract
1£633k1
7jointRoar - Connections for Life Ltd
Scotland · SME · See every contract
1£630k1

21 more befriending services contractors ranked. See the full ranking →

Win befriending services contracts? Share your ranking.

Who buys

Councils award 88% of befriending services contracts

Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.

Councils20 contractsNHS and health2 contractsUnder £100k9 contracts · median £39k£100k to £1m12 contracts · median £184k£1m or more1 contract · median £1.6m
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3 buyers bought befriending services more than once in the last 2 years

Each dot is a buyer, by how many befriending services contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.

20 buyers1 contract3 buyers2 contracts0 buyers3 or 4 contracts0 buyers5 or more contracts

See who they are and when they usually buy →

Few and big, or many and small

Each dot is a buyer: how many befriending services contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.

CouncilsNHS and health
£1k£10k£100k£1m£10m12Befriending services contracts awardedFEW AND BIGMANY AND SMALLLondon Borough of Haveri…London Borough of Waltha…London Borough of BarnetBarnsley Metropolitan Bo…

Top buyers by contracts awarded

RankBuyerContractsValue
1London Borough of Waltham Forest
See every contract
2£729k
2Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
See every contract
2£96k
3Westminster City Council
See every contract
2Not published
4London Borough of Havering
See every contract
1£1.6m
5London Borough of Barnet
See every contract
1£633k
6Renfrewshire Council
See every contract
1£630k
7Derbyshire County Council
See every contract
1£490k
8Hertfordshire County Council
See every contract
1£381k
9Peterborough City Council
See every contract
1£208k
10Sefton Council
See every contract
1£160k

85 befriending services contracts awarded since 2021

  1. 192021
  2. 182022
  3. 122023
  4. 132024
  5. 122025
  6. 112026 so far
Prices

Half of befriending services contracts are worth less than £127k

CouncilsNHS and health
£10k£100k£1m£10mMedian £127k
Embed this chart

The 10 biggest befriending services contracts

  1. London Borough of HaveringAge UK Redbridge, Barking and Havering · 22 Sep 2025£1.6m
  2. London Borough of Waltham ForestLifeLine Community Projects · 8 Jan 2025£723k
  3. London Borough of BarnetAge UK Barnet · 29 Aug 2025£633k
  4. Renfrewshire CouncilRoar - Connections for Life Ltd · 27 May 2025£630k
  5. Derbyshire County CouncilRethink Trading Limited, Citizens Advice Mid Mercia · 2 Jun 2026£490k
  6. Hertfordshire County CouncilRethink Mental Illness · 1 Dec 2025£381k
  7. Peterborough City CouncilGood Neighbours-Rural Peterborough · 6 May 2026£208k
  8. Sefton CouncilSefton Council for Voluntary Service · 1 Aug 2025£160k
  9. Calderdale CouncilAge Uk Calderdale & Kirklees · 9 Sep 2026£138k
  10. Bristol City CouncilRoyal Voluntary Service · 16 May 2025£130k
Renewing contracts

11 befriending services contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months

8 in the next 6 months. The 3 ending soonest are shown in full.

Ends in 8 weeks

Community Connections

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South West · 33-month contract
Held by Age Concern Bournemouth
£63k
Ends in 8 weeks

Befriending Network

Hartlepool Borough Council · North East · 3-month contract
Held by Cleveland Fire Authority
£5k
Ends Feb 2027

LBH - Prevention Services

London Borough of Havering · London · 5-year contract
Held by Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Carers of Barking and Dagenham
£2.4m
Befriending services contract for a councilLondon£1m or moreEnds Mar 2027
Befriending services contract for a councilWalesUnder £100kEnds Mar 2027
Befriending services contract for a councilLondon£100k to £1mEnds Mar 2027
Befriending services contract for an NHS bodyNorth West£100k to £1mEnds Mar 2027
Befriending services contract for a councilLondonUnder £100kEnds Mar 2027
Befriending services contract for a councilScotland£100k to £1mEnds Jun 2027
See all 11 renewing befriending services contracts with Predict
Where and when

London awards the most befriending services contracts. May and August are the busiest months.

Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.

143102London 804111
FewerMore contracts
NDJFMA3MJJ3ASONDJFMA2MJJ1ASON
Embed this chart
The regions as a table
RegionOpen nowContractsValueTypical contractWon the mostBought the mostRenewing in 12 months
London08£3m£633kAge UK Kensington and Chelsea, Age UK Westminster and 4 more (2 each)London Borough of Waltham Forest and Westminster City Council (2 each)4
North West04£386k£126k––2
South West14£360k£96k––1
Yorkshire and the Humber03£234k£89k–Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (2)0
East of England12£589k–––0
North East11£5k–––1
East Midlands01£490k–––0
Wales01£39k–––1
Scotland01£630k–––2
Northern Ireland01£63k–––0
West Midlands00Not published–––0
South East00Not published–––0
Often bought with befriending services
Youth clubsLocal healthwatchSuicide prevention
Related services
Community championsSocial prescribingDebt adviceDementia support
Key findings
  • £140k a month

    of befriending services contracts awarded.

    Typical contract £127k x 1.1 contracts a month, last 12 months.
  • 1.1

    befriending services contracts are awarded in a typical month.

    26 contracts in the last 2 years.
  • 8

    befriending services contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.

    Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 4 May 2027.
  • 2

    frameworks and DPSs are running for befriending services work.

    1 open to join now.
  • 44%

    of befriending services contracts are won by SMEs.

    As recorded by the buyer, on 16 award notices.

How many befriending services tenders and contracts are there?

Since November 2021Last 12 months
Notices published19747
Contracts awarded6713

15 befriending services contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 14 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 23 buyers awarded befriending services contracts to 31 suppliers.

Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count

Questions

How many befriending services contracts does the UK public sector award?

26 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 23 public buyers.

How long are befriending services tenders open for?

The median befriending services tender is open for 31 days from publication to deadline.

How much is a typical public sector befriending services contract worth?

The median is £127k, and 73% are worth less than £250k.

Which buyers award the most befriending services contracts?

Councils award 88% of them.

Which part of the UK awards the most befriending services contracts?

London: 8 of 26 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then the North West (4) and the South West (4).

How many befriending services contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?

11 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 31 December 2026. Another 1 ending is one-off work.

What is included

Volunteer befriending by visit or phone, friendship matching, welfare check-in calls and group activities to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

  • Face-to-face and telephone befriending
  • Daily telephone welfare check-in calls
  • Friendship-group matching
  • Community and social engagement groups for older people
  • Social isolation grants
  • Community exercise and activity sessions for isolated older people

What is not included

  • Community navigators and connectors (see Social prescribing, community navigators and local area coordination)
  • Day centres (see Day centres)
  • Home from hospital support (see Hospital to home)
  • Befriending and practical help for families with children (see Early help)