Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. They are able to choose where
they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead.

The Contract shall involve provision of the key services below. Further detail can be found in the Specification (Annex A).
(a) Basic support - including online resources, expert advice, and networking facilitation;
(b) Grants - provision of both basic and additional grants to Customers to fund neighbourhood planning activities;
(c) Technical Support - provision of specialist, Technical Support packages to deliver specific outputs linked to Ministerial priorities on housing, design and supporting communities to establish neighbourhood planning groups in unparished areas.

In accordance with the Specification the Contract may also include potential NDO and CIL pilots and other additional services.

The "Effective Date" of the Contract shall be 8th January 2018. Subject to any termination provisions within the Contract, the initial term of the Contract shall commence on 1st April 2018 (the "Commencement Date") and shall terminate on 31st March 2022. DCLG reserves the right to extend the term of the Contract by up to 12 months by giving the Contractor not less than 3 months written notice. DCLG cannot guarantee any extension.

The budget for the initial term of the Contract is 22.409m incl. VAT. In accordance with the Specification (Annex A), where it is considered necessary to satisfy genuine, unexpected and robustly evidenced increases or changes in demand, and/or to include the services detailed in paragraphs 3.4 and 3.5 of the Specification, DCLG reserves the right to re-profile, increase or decrease annual budgets beyond the anticipated figures stated in the Specification.

This procurement exercise was conducted under the Light Touch Regime as set out in Regulations 74 to 76 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR).