Official UK procurement notice
Open Framework - Residential Care for children with multiple presenting needs (Phase 2b)
Authority: Nottinghamshire County Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNottinghamshire County Council (the Council) is seeking to establish an Open Framework of suitable Providers to deliver residential care for children with multiple presenting needs, which includes those children displaying sexualised behaviours, on a planned and emergency basis.
Ideally the support offered within this Framework will be delivered in Nottinghamshire for both emergency and planned packages of care. This will enable children to be supported by the Health and Education offer. In some cases, there may be a reason for the child to be supported outside of the county. For Providers delivering care outside of Nottinghamshire we will consider homes that are within a 30-mile radius of the county border. Providers of services for children displaying harmful sexual behaviours are exempt from this.
A multi-provider framework agreement will be put in place which means that during the framework term the Council may re-open the Residential Care for children with multiple presenting needs (Phase 2b) tender exercise to run further competitive processes to allow new providers to be appointed to the Framework.
The initial framework agreement will be in place for 2 years, from 1st September 2026 to 31st August 2028.
Further framework agreements may then be in place for a maximum of 8 years in total (2+2+2), until 31st August 2034.
Bidders should ensure they have fully reviewed all supporting tender documents before submitting their application.
Please note that this framework is not for the provision of supported accommodation.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 12 Feb 2028, 23:59 GMT.
- How the procedure runs: Tenderers are required to complete all three stages of the procurement during publication of the tender before the published deadline. This includes the Procurement Selection Questionnaire, quality submission and price submissions. The evaluation process to appoint potential Providers to the Framework will involve three stages: • Stage 1 - Procurement Specific Questionnaire and Conditions of participation • Stage 2 - Quality submission • Stage 3 - Price Tenderers who fail Stage 1 will not have their tender evaluated under Stage 2 (Quality); and tenderers who fail Stage 2 (Quality) will not have their Tender evaluated under Stage 3 (Price). Tenderers who pass all three stages of the evaluation process and meet all of the published minimum requirements set out in the tender pack, will be appointed on to the Framework.
CPV: Social work services with accommodation
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework · open framework scheme (admission reopens)
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Bids received
- 15 bids received · 11 suppliers appointed
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 1 Sept 2026
- Scheme runs until
- 31 Aug 2034
Published description of the framework
The evaluation process to appoint potential Providers to the Framework will involve three stages:
- Stage 1 - Procurement Specific Questionnaire and Conditions of participation
- Stage 2 - Quality submission
- Stage 3 - Price
Tenderers who fail Stage 1 (PSQ and CoP) will not have their tender evaluated under Stage 2 (Quality); and tenderers who fail Stage 2 will not have their Tender evaluated under Stage 3 (Price).
Tenderers who pass all three stages of the evaluation process and meet all of the published minimum requirements set out in the tender pack, will be appointed on to the Framework.
Upon award to the Framework the Council will enter into a call-off contract by directly placing an order with the provider for the provision of services.
Placement requests for planned and emergency residential care will be commissioned on an individual basis and will be made as and when required by the Council to those successful Providers using a referral system as detailed in section 3.7 of the Service Specification
Please note, the Council provides no guarantee of any work to any successful Framework provider.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£250,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
- Legal and financial capacity to perform the contract.
Third party credit checks (if available) will also be undertaken as part of a financial assessment. A poor credit rating which scores 3 or more in a Dun & Bradstreet check will lead to a further request for supporting documentation, for example, accounts, profit & loss, cash flow forecast, or alternative evidence you will be required to provide if successful.
- Insurance
Upon award, successful Providers will be required to evidence the following insurance cover:
a) public liability insurance with a limit of indemnity of not less than £5,000,000 in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
b) employer's liability insurance with a limit of indemnity of not less than £10,000,000 OR in accordance with any legal requirement for the time being in force in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
c) Residents Effects cover for each and every claim for each child of not less than £500;
d) It is desirable but not essential for providers to have Malpractice Insurance for each and every claim of not less than £1,000,000 in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
e) Vehicle Insurance cover. The Service Provider and its Staff shall have in place motor vehicle insurance commensurate with the actual and potential liabilities of the Service Provider relating to the operation of vehicles used for the transport of Children and their visitors.
All polices must be placed with an Insurer who has a Standards and Poor's rating of at least -A
- Technical & professional ability
- Technical ability
Bidders must demonstrate recent experience of providing goods / services similar to those required in this contract, ideally in the public sector. You may include previous contracts to other public sector contracts.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality
- Price
- Economic & financial standing
- Legal and financial capacity to perform the contract.
Third party credit checks (if available) will also be undertaken as part of a financial assessment. A poor credit rating which scores 3 or more in a Dun & Bradstreet check will lead to a further request for supporting documentation, for example, accounts, profit & loss, cash flow forecast, or alternative evidence you will be required to provide if successful.
- Insurance
Upon award, successful Providers will be required to evidence the following insurance cover:
a) public liability insurance with a limit of indemnity of not less than £5,000,000 in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
b) employer's liability insurance with a limit of indemnity of not less than £10,000,000 OR in accordance with any legal requirement for the time being in force in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
c) Residents Effects cover for each and every claim for each child of not less than £500;
d) It is desirable but not essential for providers to have Malpractice Insurance for each and every claim of not less than £1,000,000 in relation to any one claim or series of claims;
e) Vehicle Insurance cover. The Service Provider and its Staff shall have in place motor vehicle insurance commensurate with the actual and potential liabilities of the Service Provider relating to the operation of vehicles used for the transport of Children and their visitors.
All polices must be placed with an Insurer who has a Standards and P…
- Technical & professional ability
- Technical ability
Bidders must demonstrate recent experience of providing goods / services similar to those required in this contract, ideally in the public sector. You may include previous contracts to other public sector contracts.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Open Framework - Residential Care for children with multiple…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Open framework scheme
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 12 Feb 2028
- First published
- 17 Dec 2025, 15:02 GMT
- Last source update
- 16 Jun 2026, 11:38 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 May 2026
- Authority reference
DN805421- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-012721- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f814Find a Tender
- How it runs
Tenderers are required to complete all three stages of the procurement during publication of the tender before the published deadline. This includes the Procurement Selection Questionnaire, quality submission and price submissions.
The evaluation process to appoint potential Providers to the Framework will involve three stages:
- Stage 1 - Procurement Specific Questionnaire and Conditions of participation
- Stage 2 - Quality submission
- Stage 3 - Price
Tenderers who fail Stage 1 will not have their tender evaluated under Stage 2 (Quality); and tenderers who fail Stage 2 (Quality) will not have their Tender evaluated under Stage 3 (Price).
Tenderers who pass all three stages of the evaluation process and meet all of the published minimum requirements set out in the tender pack, will be appointed on to the Framework.
- Risks
Contract Value - The contract value is subject to demand and is based on current spend and projections. We anticipate the estimated value of the Framework to be £250,000,000.00
Local Government Reorganisation - Bidders are advised that, following the UK Government's publication of the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024, a programme of Local Government Reorganisation ("LGR") is anticipated which may affect the governance, boundaries and/or legal status of the Council during the term of any Framework or Call Off awarded pursuant to this procurement.
As a consequence of LGR, any resulting Framework or Call Off may be required to be transferred, assigned or novated (in whole or in part) to one or more successor authorities or other public bodies established as part of LGR, in accordance with applicable legislation.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 26 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 19 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
17 Dec 2025 → 1 Sept 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published313 days ago17 Dec 2025, 15:02 GMT
- Market engagement294 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
A pre-market engagement exercise is being carried out on www.eastmidstenders.org ↗
Direct link: procontract.due-north.com/Advert ↗
We invite Providers to submit their responses via the Portal.
- Tender notice published257 days ago12 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMT
- Clarification questions by222 days ago19 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends215 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown26 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by157 days ago22 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent133 days ago16 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published133 days ago16 Jun 2026, 11:38 BST
- Standstill ends123 days ago25 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts56 days ago1 Sept 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
9 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 17 Dec 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published17 Dec 2025, 15:02 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published12 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMTUK4
- Published value published: £250,000,00012 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMT
- Status changed to active12 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMT
- Procurement method changed12 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMT
- Deadline published: 26 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT12 Feb 2026, 10:23 GMT
- Contract award notice published16 Jun 2026, 11:38 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete16 Jun 2026, 11:38 BST
- Contract signature expected24 Jul 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 313 CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD, AMBERLEIGH CARE LIMITED, ELMDALE CARE LTD, ENNOOR LIMITED, Keys PCE Limited, SKYLIGHT HOMES GROUP LIMITED +5 more1 Sept 2026 – 31 Aug 2028 · up to 31 Aug 2034Extensions: The initial framework agreement will be in place for 2 years, from 1st September 2026 to 31st August 2028. A multi-provider Framework Agreement will be put in place which means that during the Framework Term, the Council may re-open the Residential Care for children with multiple presenting needs (Phase 2b) tender exercise to run further competitive processes to allow new providers to be appointed to the Framework. Further framework agreements may then be in place for a maximum of 8 years in total (2+2+2), until 31st August 2034. | £250,000,000 | 16 Jun 2026standstill to 25 Jun 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15final-stage tenders | 13 | 1 | — |
Who bid
- wonAMBERLEIGH CARE LIMITED · Wales (Cymru)
- won313 CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD · East Midlands
- did not winCRYSTAL CARE SOLUTIONS LIMITEDSME · North West England
- wonELMDALE CARE LTD · East Midlands
- wonKEYS PCE LIMITED · West Midlands
- wonENNOOR LIMITED · East Midlands
- did not winPOSITIVE INDEPENDENCE LTDSME · East Midlands
- wonSKYLIGHT HOMES GROUP LIMITED · East Midlands
- wonTOPVIEW HEALTHCARE LTD · East Midlands
- wonTOTAL CARE MATTERS LTD · East Midlands
- did not winYMCA ROBIN HOOD GROUPSMEVCSE · East Midlands
- did not winACH HEALTHCARE LTDSME · East of England
- did not winBE CARE LIMITEDSME · West Midlands
- did not winCOLLECTIVE PATHWAYS LIMITED · East Midlands
- did not winSAFE HAVEN ADOLESCENT CARE GROUP LIMITED · Yorkshire and the Humber
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
15 commercial parties on the notice · 11 awarded- 313 CAPITAL PARTNERS LTDFramework contractor
- ACH HEALTHCARE LTDBidder / tenderer
- AMBERLEIGH CARE LIMITEDFramework contractor
- BE CARE LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- COLLECTIVE PATHWAYS LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- CRYSTAL CARE SOLUTIONS LIMITEDFramework contractor
- ELMDALE CARE LTDFramework contractor
- ENNOOR LIMITEDFramework contractor
- KEYS PCE LIMITEDFramework contractor
- POSITIVE INDEPENDENCE LTDFramework contractor
Show 5 more suppliers
- SAFE HAVEN ADOLESCENT CARE GROUP LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- SKYLIGHT HOMES GROUP LIMITEDFramework contractor
- TOPVIEW HEALTHCARE LTDFramework contractor
- TOTAL CARE MATTERS LTDFramework contractor
- YMCA ROBIN HOOD GROUPFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Bidders must submit their tenders through the e-tendering system below before the deadline shown in the e-tendering system.
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender