Best Start in Life Match Fund

Overview / requirement The Department for Education is procuring a Supplier to act as the Delivery Partner for the Best Start in Life Match Fund programme. The programme forms part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring every child has the Best Start in Life by transforming early years systems and supports Local Authorities to achieve the ambitions for early child development including through the Best Start Family Hubs programme through match-funded investment, capacity building, and learning and evaluation.

The Best Start in Life Match Fund programme enables Local Authorities to establish and sustain Collective Impact partnerships with Backbone Organisations or functions. These partnerships strengthen local delivery by providing dedicated coordination, aligning partners across the system, and building the operational infrastructure required for effective collaboration.

This approach is designed to help integrate services into a coherent system, and improve outcomes, reduce inequalities, and enhance the experience of families. A single Supplier (the Lead Supplier if acting on behalf of a Consortium) will be appointed on the basis of an initial Contract Period of three years, with the option for the Department to extend the Contract by up to two additional years on a one plus one basis.

In its capacity as Fund Manager, the Delivery Partner will administer the matched funds passed through to the Backbone Organisations, manage relationships with Local Authorities and philanthropic Funders, and ensure robust governance, financial control and reporting. The Delivery Partner will also be responsible for ensuring that Knowledge Mobilisation Management and Evaluation Partner functions are delivered, either through its own delivery model or via Consortium partners or Subcontractors.