Social Mobility Commission - State of the Nation 2026 & 2027 Design
Social Mobility CommissionEstimated Value
£0 – £33,333
Deadline
1 May 2026
Published
10 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) monitors progress towards improving social mobility in the UK and promotes social mobility in England. It is an independent statutory body created by an Act of Parliament.
The SMC is looking to procure a supplier to support the design elements of the SMC's statutory and annual landmark report - State of the Nation for 2026 and 2027 reports. Our aim is to work with responsive suppliers and the Social Mobility Commission is using this process as a means of finding some people we can work with - it might be more than one team to give us resilience.
The designing of the report and is usually very time sensitive, so would mean that the final copy for the 2026 report would only be shared with the winning supplier and will be in stages from 25 May to mid- July 2026, with the final design version being completed by w/c 24 August 2026, ready for the document to be printed. The Social Mobility Commission will supply all the text for the report.
Eligibility & compliance
Suppliers must work within the current Social Mobility Commission branding guidelines (a style guide will be sent to the winning supplier).
Submission
In return all we will ask from you in tendering, is any examples of your work (both reports and videos/social media graphics) which are close to the type of product we are looking for and a quote for how much you would charge for the job.
Additional details
The Social Mobility Commission will provide all charts and graphs/visualisation of the data in image format (e.g. jpeg, png). These images are not to be amended or redrawn.
Adjustments of chart colours where appropriate, are permissible if they can be made to the original image supplied. The budget for this project is up to £40k including VAT and must cover both the 2026 and 2027 reports, for example £20k including VAT for an individual report.
AI Analysis
Powered by AI — always verify against official documents
The Social Mobility Commission (an independent government body) needs a design supplier to create the visual layout and design for their annual 'State of the Nation' reports for 2026 and 2027. They're looking for a responsive designer or design team who can work to tight deadlines and follow their brand guidelines, with a budget of up to £40,000 including VAT for both years combined.
Requirements
- Must work within Social Mobility Commission's existing branding guidelines (style guide provided after selection)
- Must be able to work to tight, time-sensitive deadlines (final 2026 design due week commencing 24 August 2026)
- Must be able to handle phased delivery of content (2026 report content delivered in stages from 25 May to mid-July 2026)
- Must not amend or redraw charts and graphs supplied by SMC (colour adjustments to original images only)
- Must accept that SMC will supply all text and data visualisations in image format (jpeg, png)
- No specific qualifications or certifications mentioned in the notice — check full tender documents
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Design and layout of the 2026 State of the Nation annual report (final version by week commencing 24 August 2026)
- Design and layout of the 2027 State of the Nation annual report
- Create accompanying video content and social media graphics related to the reports
- Integrate SMC-supplied text, charts, and data visualisations into professional report layout
- Ensure all design complies with Social Mobility Commission brand guidelines
- Prepare design files ready for printing of physical reports
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is a 'design services' contract, not a data or research contract — SMC handles the content and data, you handle making it look professional and on-brand.
- 2The timeline is critical: the 2026 report content arrives in stages between late May and mid-July, and you must deliver final design by late August. Factor in revision rounds and approval time when costing.
- 3The budget of £40k is for both years combined (likely £20k per report) — this is fixed, so calculate your hourly rate and expected hours carefully, as scope creep will eat into profit.
- 4The phrase 'we might use more than one team' signals the SMC may split the work or run parallel suppliers for resilience — don't assume you'll get both years even if selected.
- 5When preparing your tender submission, portfolio examples (reports, videos, social graphics) are more important than a formal proposal — curate examples that match the style and professionalism of a government statistical report.
Tips for Small Businesses
- This is a realistic project for a small design studio or freelancer — the budget is reasonable for layout-focused design work. If you're a one-person operation, consider whether you can handle the August deadline rush with revisions, or partner with another freelancer for resilience (which also matches SMC's stated preference for working with multiple suppliers).
- SMC are explicitly looking for 'responsive suppliers' — emphasise in your submission your ability to turn around revisions quickly and adapt to feedback. Include case studies showing how you've handled time-sensitive projects with government or large organisations.
- The social media graphics and video elements may be a revenue opportunity — if you can bundle these in efficiently (e.g. repurposing report design into social tiles), you'll improve your profit margin and make your bid more attractive.
Award Details
Creative Triangle Ltd
£32,850
Independent software, web & cloud studio. We design, build and grow digital products that quietly outlast their category.
How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
Submission Portal
Contracts Finder
Open the original notice
Click the button below to view this tender on Contracts Finder
Find the submission method
Look for "How to apply" section — most tenders link to an eSourcing platform (e.g. In-Tend, ProContract, Jaggaer)
Create an account
Register on the eSourcing platform for free — you'll need a company email and DUNS number
Download tender documents
Download the ITT (Invitation to Tender), specification, pricing schedule, and any templates
Submit your response
Upload completed documents through the portal before the deadline — late bids are automatically rejected
Most buyers do NOT accept email submissions. You must submit through their eSourcing platform. Check the notice for the exact link.
Buyer Profile
Social Mobility CommissionKey Dates
Published
10 June 2026
Submission deadline
1 May 2026
Renewal expected40% confident
April 2027
Predicted using median duration of UK contracts in the same CPV division (11 months from contract start date → renewal expected by Apr 2027).
Notice type
Contract
Source
contracts finder
Related Contracts
Clinical Lead Associate Dentist (Contract for Services)
The University of East Anglia is hiring a Clinical Lead Associate Dentist to work in their on-campus dental practice. You'll be a senior clinical dentist providing patient care, leading a small team, and helping develop their dental training programme. This is a Contract for Services role (self-employed/freelance basis), not permanent employment.
Community Wheelchair Service in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich
```json { "overview": "NHS South East London is looking for a provider to run a community wheelchair service for three London boroughs (Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich) serving children and adults. The service covers everything from assessing people's wheelchair needs through to delivering, fitting, repairing and maintaining wheelchairs and related equipment. The contract is worth £9–15 million over 5–7 years depending on the extension period.", "requirements": [ "Must be able to deliver services across all three boroughs (Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich) with equitable access and consistent service standards", "Must provide clinically safe services with robust safeguarding, risk management, incident reporting and clinical governance arrangements", "Must handle referral receipt and management, triage and prioritisation by clinical need", "Must conduct assessments, reviews and reassessments of wheelchair and mobility/postural support needs", "Must prescribe and provide appropriate wheelchairs and associated equipment", "Must fit, set up, hand over equipment and provide user/carer instruction", "Must deliver planned maintenance, urgent repairs and servicing of wheelchairs", "Must manage collection, refurbishment, reuse and replacement of equipment", "Must communicate effectively with service users, carers, referrers and partner agencies", "Must manage personal wheelchair budgets and choice-based approaches if required", "Must collect and report activity, access, quality, performance and outcome data", "Must serve diverse populations including children and young people, people with complex physical disabilities, progressive conditions, and those needing specialist seating/posture management", "Must provide accessible assessment arrangements and delivery locations, including community-based provision and support in other settings", "Must work closely with health, social care, education and community partners for coordinated care", "Must demonstrate approach to reducing waiting times for assessment, equipment provision and repairs", "Must support service sustainability, value for money, effective stock/asset management and continuous improvement", "No specific industry certifications or qualifications explicitly stated — check full procurement documents for clinical and operational accreditation requirements" ], "key_tasks": [ "Receive, triage and prioritise wheelchair service referrals for eligible residents across three boroughs", "Conduct clinical assessments and reassessments to determine wheelchair and postural support needs", "Prescribe and supply appropriate wheelchairs and associated equipment to service users", "Fit, set up and hand over wheelchairs to users and carers with instruction on use", "Deliver planned maintenance and routine servicing of all wheelchairs in use", "Respond to urgent repair requests and fix faulty equipment", "Collect used wheelchairs and manage refurbishment and reuse processes", "Manage replacement cycles for wheelchairs that cannot be repaired", "Maintain clear two-way communication with service users, carers and referring clinicians", "Manage personal wheelchair budgets or choice-based purchasing if the final model includes this", "Collect, analyse and report performance data on activity, waiting times, access, quality and outcomes", "Work with NHS, social care, education and community services to coordinate care for service users", "Reduce waiting times for assessments, equipment delivery and repairs compared to current service", "Ensure services are accessible and responsive to children, young people and adults with complex needs" ], "how_to_read": [ "This is a major NHS contract — the language is clinical and person-centred, but the core work is logistics, asset management and customer service. Don't be put off by health jargon; the service is fundamentally about managing wheelchair stock and keeping people mobile.", "The contract value is large (£9–15 million) but spread across five or seven years and three boroughs — work out what that means per borough, per year and per expected service user to understand the scale. The annual envelope is £1.8–2.2 million, so plan your staffing and operating costs accordingly.", "The 'optional extension period' means the ICB can renew for another two years, but it's their choice, not guaranteed. Plan for the five-year term as firm and the two-year extension as possible revenue.", "Watch for the phrase 'full procurement documents' — the tender notice gives you the headline requirements, but the detailed service specification, activity assumptions, performance targets and mobilisation timetable will be in documents you'll receive when you formally register. Request these early and read them thoroughly before deciding to bid.", "The ICB has done user and carer engagement already — they know what's currently wrong (slow assessments, poor communication, inconsistent repairs). Your bid should directly address these pain points with concrete actions. Look for the engagement feedback when it's published and build your solution around it.", "The contract starts 1 April 2027, which gives you planning time. This is not an emergency procurement — treat the timeline as your opportunity to design the service properly rather than rushing." ], "sme_tips": [ "Consider subcontracting or consortium partnerships: a small business may not have the geographic reach, clinical expertise or asset base to run this alone across three boroughs. Partner with a larger logistics or healthcare provider, or with local charities that have
CA18033 - Alcester Grammar School Tender for Cleaning Services
Alcester Grammar School in Warwickshire is looking for a cleaning contractor to provide regular cleaning services at their school site on Birmingham Road. This is a straightforward facilities management contract to keep the school buildings and grounds clean and maintained.
Community Tier 2 Gynaecology Service for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board
The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board is looking for a single healthcare provider to deliver routine gynaecology services (non-urgent) across four local areas in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The contract is worth approximately £10 million over 3 years, with an optional 2-year extension, and will serve patients with benign gynaecology conditions who don't need urgent or cancer-suspected care.