English Indices of Deprivation - 2028 Refresh, Methods Review & Data Feasiblity

Description

This Pre-Tender Market Engagement (PTME) seeks to inform a potential procurement for Suppliers to deliver specific tranches of work relating to the English Indices of Deprivation. • Tranche 1 (T1): Direct refresh/update of the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 release (IoD25) for delivery in 2028. • Tranche 2 (T2): Review of the Indices conceptual framework, its definitions, domain weights, balance between economic and non-economic measures and broader policy alignment. • Tranche 3 (T3): Feasibility study on the challenges and opportunities in acquiring or producing data on wealth and assets. All tranches will run concurrently. T1 is independent; Suppliers delivering T1 cannot undertake T2 or T3. T2 and T3 may be delivered by the same or different Suppliers. PTME objectives: • define the requirement in clear terms; • assess the feasibility of the proposed requirement; • identify optimal delivery approach; • test market capacity to deliver, and identify potential risks involved; • enable early supplier engagement and queries; The Indices comprise a unique set of measures that assess relative deprivation at a small-area level across England, using Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs), broadly comparable to postcodes. The suite includes 10 indices measuring different dimensions of deprivation, including income, employment, health, education, skills and training, crime, barriers to housing and local services, and the living environment. The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) combines seven of these domains into a single overall measure of multiple deprivation and is the official measure of relative deprivation in England. Supplementary indices also produced include the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People (IDAOPI). The Indices are designated as Official Accredited Statistics and are managed and published by statisticians at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD25) is the latest release of these statistics (Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2025) The Indices are an important tool used by national and local organisations to measure spatial disparity across England, inform resource allocation, support policy development, and assess funding bids alongside other metrics and local insights. The IMD, and its individual domains, are area-based measures designed to identify places with a relative concentration of multiple forms of deprivation, rather than to identify individuals experiencing deprivation. Data is aggregated and published at LSOA level. LSOAs are a standard statistical geography produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the reporting of small-area statistics, designed to divide the country into areas of broadly equal population size. Each LSOA has an average population of approximately 1,00 residents, or around 650 households. At the time of the IoD25 release, there were 33,755 LSOAs in England. In 2025, the Indices drew on 55 datasets from a wide range of sources to measure deprivation at small-area level. These datasets predominantly comprise administrative data collected across government, alongside other sources including published National Statistics, modelled estimates, and Census data. Further detail on the methodology and data sources is set out in the IoD25 Technical Report (Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-indices-of-deprivation-2025-technical-report) and Research Report (Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-indices-of-deprivation-2025-research-report). BACKGROUND Historically, the Indices have been updated on a three to five-year cycle. There is an established public and policy expectation that MHCLG should consider a refresh or update (T1) ahead of the next Census in 2031. T2 builds on the IoD25 release and takes forward findings from the 2022 Indices Futures' consultation (Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/indices-futures-updating-the-english-indices-of-deprivation-iod-consultation/outcome/indices-futures-updating-the-english-indices-of-deprivation-iod-consultation-government-reponse). An independent review of the Indices conceptual framework, including its definitions, domain weights, balance between economic and non-economic measures and boarder policy alignment, will help ensure that the insights and evidence drawn from it remain grounded in the most relevant and established independent research. As comparable work has not been undertaken for some time, this review will also support the continued designation of the Indices as Official Accredited Statistics and help maintain user confidence in the quality and robustness of the outputs. T3 reflects an emerging need within MHCLG for improved data on wealth and assets. An independent feasibility study will support the department in understanding the challenges and opportunities associated with acquiring or producing such data, its conceptual links to deprivation, poverty, and related frameworks, and how it could complement existing measures and wider analytical work across MHCLG. The study will inform future development work and support evidence-based policy making HIGH LEVEL OUTLINE PROJECT OUTCOMES MHCLG's aim is to refresh and publish an updated version of the Indices, building on existing resources, guidance and tools to strengthen its analytical evidence base (T1). T2 and T3 are intended to provide independent review and recommendations on the current Indices methodologies and conceptualisation, and to explore the role of wealth and assets data to inform future policy development. MHCLG invites Potential Suppliers to consider the following Social Value aspects, and share feedback on their practicality and impact: Mission: Kick start economic growth to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off. Outcome: 2. Skills for growth: supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps. Model Award Criteria: 2a. Learning and skills development opportunities relevant to the contract to address skills gaps Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity by reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain. Outcome: 6. Employment and training for those who face barriers to employment Model Award Criteria: 6a. Create employment and training opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors. Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future that is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer. Outcome: 8. Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: in the supply chain and communities in the relevant area. Model Award Criteria: 8a. Support health and wellbeing in the contract workforce, including physical and mental health. Potential Suppliers are advised to consult the Cabinet Office Social Value Policy Note (PPN 002): Taking account of social value in the award of contracts. OUTPUTS/ DELIVERABLES Project management and handover • Undertake core project management responsibilities to ensure effective delivery of the service, including the development and maintenance of detailed and high-level project plans and risk assessments. • Provide regular summary progress reports (fortnightly, and as required) setting out progress, key actions, risks, and leads. • Ensure comprehensive documentation is maintained and participate in ongoing knowledge transfer activities to support a structured and effective project handover. Stakeholders • Maintain a strong and visible presence across all stakeholder and advisory groups and governance boards, delivering presentations, written updates, and sharing relevant resources as required. • Jointly lead targeted engagement with data-providing departments, Devolved Administrations, academic partners, and other collaborators, as required. Data and Reports • Deliver all raw and processed datasets obtained from data providers as part of the project, where permissible. For T1, specified data files must be provided in Excel format, consistent with the published format of the English indices of deprivation 2025 - GOV.UK, including relevant aggregations and summary measures to support publication. • Provide final datasets in a suitable format and structure to enable conversion and upload as linked data within MHCLG's dissemination platforms (where this differs from Excel format) (T1). • Produce detailed methodological and technical documentation in MHCLG house style, suitable for publication of GOV.UK (all tranches). • Deliver comprehensive reports, including any associated datasets, survey design materials, analytical outputs, and supporting documentation, covering the full scope of Tranches 2 and 3, as defined in the ITT. Visualisation Products • Requirements relating to the development of tools and interactive resources are to be confirmed. However, such outputs are expected to complement and build upon existing products, including the Local Deprivation Explorer 2025. Potential suppliers should factor this requirement into their response (T1) Ongoing Support • The Supplier shall be available following delivery of T1 and subsequent publication on MHCLG's website to respond to technical user queries. • MHCLG will manage queries via a designated mailbox and will liaise with the Supplier where specialist input is required. • Ad-hoc support is expected to be most intensive immediately following publication, with a reduced volume of queries requiring Supplier input over time (T1).

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