At Think Active, we work with partners to support people to move more and live well. We commission work that helps tackle inequalities, decrease physical inactivity and strengthen local systems. We aim to keep our processes simple, transparent and proportionate, making it easier for organisations of all sizes to get involved.
Our Approach
Our approach to procurement reflects how we work more broadly: collaborative, focused on impact, and grounded in local need. We aim to:
- Keep processes proportionate to the size and scale of the opportunity
- Use clear, plain English in all documentation
- Be open and transparent about how decisions are made
- Ensure all decisions are documented and can be clearly explained
- Focus on outcomes and impact, not just activity
- Achieve value for money by balancing cost, quality and impact
- Work in partnership, valuing local knowledge and expertise
- Encourage applications from a diverse range of organisations, including local voluntary and community sector partners
- Keep requirements simple and relevant, avoiding unnecessary complexity while ensuring we meet our responsibilities for good governance, compliance and responsible use of public funding.
How We Commission Work
We use different approaches depending on the nature of the work. This may include:
- Inviting quotations (Invitation to Quote – ITQ) for smaller or more targeted pieces of work
- Open tender processes for larger opportunities
- Direct awards where appropriate and justified
Each opportunity will clearly set out:
- The purpose and scope of the work
- The available budget and timescales
- What we are looking for from applicants
- How proposals will be assessed
- How to apply and key deadlines
- Answers to any questions asked by interested parties
We aim to keep application processes clear and focused, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Working With Think Active
We are particularly interested in working with organisations that:
- Understand local communities and inequalities
- Have experience working in partnership and co-production
- Can deliver high-quality approaches
- Share our commitment to inclusion, social value and environmental sustainability
All procurement opportunities will be subject to our Supply of Services Terms and Conditions.
Questions
For each opportunity, details on how to ask clarification questions will be included in the relevant document.
For general enquiries, please email hello@thinkactive.org.
Current Opportunities
We are currently inviting proposals for the following:
Mapping the Solihull Health System
Think Active is seeking an experienced individual or organisation to undertake a mapping exercise of the Solihull Health System. This will build on the information available via Solihull’s Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2024-2032) and generate a clearer picture of how health partners function, both across the borough and at place-based level, providing an accessible overview of key stakeholders, governance arrangements, partnerships and strategic priorities.
- Contract value: Up to £4,000
- Contract length: 3 months
- Location: Solihull
- Deadline: 23:00, 14 September 2026 (extended from 21 August)
Any questions submitted by interested parties will be answered here.
Solihull Place - Research, Evaluation and Learning Partner
Think Active is seeking to commission an experienced Research, Evaluation and Learning Partner to produce and implement a Solihull Place Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plan. This will strengthen research, evaluation and learning practice, while enabling an understanding of the impact the investment from Sport England has had locally. Our approach is rooted in place-based working and systems thinking, recognising the complexity of behaviour change and the wider determinants of physical activity.
- Contract value: Up to £24,000
- Contract length: Until 30 September 2027
- Location: Across Solihull – office based in Leamington Spa
- Deadline: 23:00, 16 October 2026
Any questions submitted by interested parties will be answered here.
Coventry Place Expansion Physical Activity and Health Integrator Provider
Think Active is seeking to appoint a local health provider in Coventry to recruit, manage and deploy a 1.0 FTE Physical Activity and Health Integrator (“the Integrator) to enable more people with early indicators of ill-health and/or long-term health conditions in priority communities to be active. The Integrator will support the routine integration of physical activity and movement within clinical and care practice, while strengthening and developing connections and referral pathways between healthcare teams and community-based physical activity provision.
- Issued by: Think Active (on behalf of the Coventry Physical Activity Partnership)
- Contact for queries and submission: hello@thinkactive.org by 23 September 2026
- Contract value: Up to £110,000 for 1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Physical Activity and Health Integrator for 24 months. There will be an additional delivery budget of £25,000 held centrally by Think Active.
- Contract length: 24 months
- Location: Coventry
- Deadline: 4 October 2026
Any questions submitted by interested parties will be answered here.
Sport England Coventry Place Expansion | Community Coordinators – Radford, St Michael’s & Henley
Think Active is seeking to appoint a locally connected organisation to recruit, manage and deploy three full-time Community Coordinators to enable more people in priority communities to be active. The Community Coordinator will support local engagement, partnership working and programme delivery.
Funding is available for three Community Coordinator roles, one in each of the following areas: Radford, St Michael’s and Henley. There are three separate opportunities and organisations are welcome to apply for one, two or all three.
- Issued by: Think Active (on behalf of the Coventry Physical Activity Partnership)
- Contact for queries and submission: hello@thinkactive.org by 23 September 2026
- Contract values (per place): Up to £80,000 for 1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Community Coordinator for 24 months
- Contract lengths: 24 months
- Locations: Coventry – Radford Ward, St Michael’s Ward (Hillfields), Henley Ward (Wood End and Moat House)
- Reporting to: Think Active, via Coventry City Council Programme Lead
- Deadline: 4 October 2026
We provided an opportunity for interested organisations to join online and in person drop-in sessions to provide an opportunity to discuss the application process, answer questions, and offer support – a link to a recording of the online drop-in session can be found here.
Any questions submitted by interested parties will be answered here.
West Midlands Regional Cluster Learning and Development Needs Analysis
Help shape the future of place-based leadership across the West Midlands
Think Active, on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Cluster, is inviting quotations from experienced consultants, organisations and partnerships to undertake a Learning and Development Needs Analysis (LDNA) and Regional Priorities Mapping exercise across the region’s six Active Partnerships.
This is an exciting opportunity to influence how people, partnerships and systems develop over the next three years.
Working with colleagues from across the West Midlands, the successful provider will help identify the workforce strengths, skills, leadership capabilities and development needs required to deliver effective place-based systems change. The work will culminate in a practical three-year Workforce Development Framework and Toolkit that will strengthen collaboration, leadership and learning across the region.
About the commission
The West Midlands Regional Cluster brings together six Active Partnership geographical areas and wider partners:
- Active Black Country
- Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire
- Think Active
- Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin
- Sport Birmingham
- Together Active
Collectively, these organisations support more than 6 million people across the West Midlands and are working alongside communities and partners to tackle inactivity, reduce inequalities and improve health and wellbeing through place-based approaches.
We are looking for a provider with experience in workforce development, organisational development and systems leadership who can bring fresh thinking, practical recommendations and learning from beyond the sport and physical activity sector.
Contract summary
Contract value: Up to £10,000 (inclusive of VAT and expenses)
Duration: July – October 2026
Submission deadline: Friday 17 July 2026
We are particularly interested in providers with experience of:
- Learning Needs Analyses and workforce development
- Organisational development and systems leadership
- Facilitating engagement across multiple organisations
- Place-based partnership working
- Developing practical implementation plans and recommendations
- Public sector, health, voluntary sector or community development
How to apply
Please read the full Invitation to Quote before submitting your proposal.
Questions should be submitted by 10 July 2026.
Completed quotations should be submitted by Friday 17 July 2026.
For enquiries and submissions, please contact: hello@thinkactive.org
Questions and Answers
Question 1
The Invitation to Tender scopes the mid-September interim findings workshop to the Cluster Steering Group. We are considering proposing an expanded version within our methodology, bringing together all six Active Partnerships and invited regional partners as a value-added enhancement. Would this expanded format be welcomed, or would the Cluster prefer the interim workshop to remain Steering Group-only (or both), potentially using an existing Steering Group meeting rather than organising a separate event?
Answer
An expanded workshop would be welcomed. The final format will be agreed with the Cluster Steering Group once the commission is underway.
Our intention is for the regional cluster to be representative and accessible, engaging the widest possible range of partners who are contributing to this agenda. We are therefore open to approaches that support wider collaboration and learning, while ensuring the workshop remains focused and delivers the intended outcomes.
Question 2
Do the six Active Partnerships hold any existing HR, volunteer or previous workforce survey data relevant to workforce capability that would be made available to the successful provider, or should the Learning and Development Needs Analysis rely solely on primary engagement undertaken during the commission?
Answer
The successful provider should assume that the Learning and Development Needs Analysis will be based primarily on engagement undertaken as part of this commission.
While individual Active Partnerships may hold some workforce or volunteer information, this is not consistent across organisations. Roles, responsibilities and organisational structures differ, meaning that any existing data would vary significantly in both scope and relevance. As such, providers should not rely on existing datasets when developing their methodology.
Question 3
If successful, could you confirm your preferred invoicing schedule for this contract (for example, on contract signature, at draft report stage and on final completion), or would you prefer an alternative arrangement?
Answer
Our intended payment schedule is:
| Milestone | Payment |
|---|---|
| Contract signature and exchange | £4,000 |
| Submission of the draft report | £3,000 |
| Submission and acceptance of the final report | £3,000 |
This payment schedule may be refined by mutual agreement during contract finalisation if required.
We look forward to hearing from organisations who share our ambition to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and workforce development across the West Midlands.
We do not currently have any procurement opportunities.
