Official UK procurement notice
Proposed Short Breaks Framework for Children with Disabilities (2026-2029)
Authority: Somerset Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis request for expressions of interest is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market engagement and does not constitute any commitment by the Authority to undertake any procurement exercise in the future. This exercise includes no element of supplier evaluation. No parties will be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this by the deadline, there is no commitment of any kind involved on either side. This request does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services, and the Authority is not bound by any proposal offered.
If you are interested in this potential opportunity, then please express an interest by 10.07.2026 at 12:00pm by email to: jesse.eveleigh@somerset.gov.uk
CPV: Health and social work services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Framework period
- 4 yrs from 1 Apr 2027
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedWhat 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).
- “Proposed Short Breaks Framework for Children with Disabilities…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How Somerset Council buys Health and social work services (CPV 85), and who usually turns up
Somerset Council’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Health and social work services (CPV 85) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in South West England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered. 529 known-location awards sit across 48 procurements, so one procurement can dominate this percentage.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 69 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid1%
2–38%
4–626%
7+65%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 85Estimate not published
This lot lists more than one class in CPV 85. The comparison uses that group.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 92 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid1%
2–38%
4–626%
7+65%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 18 Jun 2026, 14:27 BST
- Last source update
- 18 Jun 2026, 14:27 BST
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-057625- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b836Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- —
Timeline
18 Jun 2026 → 1 Apr 2027 · 3 dates- Planning notice published132 days ago18 Jun 2026, 14:27 BST
- Market engagement109 days ago10 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
This is not a call for competition and is not yet a contract opportunity.
Background
Somerset Council is seeking to engage with the market to understand provider capacity, capability, and interest in delivering a multi-year/multi-lot Framework for Short Breaks for Children and Young People with Disabilities.
Short breaks are a statutory service that provide planned, time-limited support for disabled children and young people while offering essential respite to families and carers.
The Council is committed to developing a diverse, flexible, and sustainable market that delivers high-quality, inclusive services across Somerset, supporting:
- Children to access enjoyable, meaningful experiences
- Families to maintain resilience and wellbeing
- Reduction in crisis interventions and family breakdown
The Framework will support delivery across a predominantly rural geography, ensuring equitable access regardless of location or level of need.
Service Overview
The proposed Framework will commission providers across a range of Short Break service types (Lots), including:
- Lot 1: Community-based daytime short breaks
- Lot 2: Evening and weekend activities
- Lot 3: Overnight short breaks (residential and foster care)
- Lot 4: Domiciliary care (in-home support)
- Lot 5: Holiday schemes
- Lot 6: Emergency / unplanned short breaks
Services will aim to:
- Promote independence, wellbeing, and social inclusion
- Provide safe, stimulating, and inclusive environments
- Offer flexible, needs-led support tailored to children's needs
- Deliver consistent, high-quality care across all settings
The Framework is expected to operate as a multi-lot, open framework, enabling providers to join over time and respond to evolving need.
Key Objectives
The Council is seeking a model that:
- Ensures high-quality, safe, and inclusive short break provision
- Provides choice and flexibility for families and carers
- Supports equitable access across Somerset, including rural areas
- Enables early intervention and prevention of crisis
- Delivers value for money with sustainable provider rates
- Encourages innovation and co-production with families
Delivery Expectations
Providers are asked to consider how they would deliver the following:
- Service Delivery Model
- Which Lots you would be interested in delivering
- How your model supports different levels of disability need
- Approaches to delivery across a rural geography
- Group vs 1:1 provision models
- Workforce
- Staffing structure across service types
- Recruitment, retention, and training approaches
- Experience supporting children with disabilities and complex needs
- Ability to meet required staffing ratios and specialist needs
- Safeguarding & Quality
- Safeguarding policies and governance
- Incident management and reporting processes
- Quality assurance, inspection ratings (Ofsted/CQC where applicable)
- Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements
- Accessibility & Inclusion
- How services are accessible and inclusive (e.g. communication needs, cultural needs, sensory needs)
- Ability to support a wide range of disabilities and complex needs
- Reasonable adjustments and personalised care approaches
- Partnership Working
- Working with Somerset Council and Children with Disabilities Service
- Engagement with families, carers, and co-production approaches
- Collaboration with education, health, and community services
- Mobilisation & Capacity
- Capacity to deliver services across Somerset
- Timescales for mobilisation
- Ability to scale provision up/down in response to demand
Service Models Under Consideration
The Council is interested in feedback on the feasibility of different delivery approaches:
Full Framework Delivery
- Providers delivering multiple Lots across the Framework
- Comprehensive, multi-service offer
Specialist / Lot-Based Delivery
- Providers focusing on specific Lots (e.g. overnight or emergency provision)
Flexible & Innovative Models
- Hybrid group/1:1 provision
- Community partnerships
- Digital tools for scheduling/engagement
- New models of respite or outreach support
Procurement Context
The Council is proposing:
- A multi-year open framework (2026-2029) with extension options
- Providers able to join the framework over time
- Call-off via mini-competition or direct award, depending on need
Indicative Cost Parameters
The Council is seeking market feedback on the deliverability of services within indicative rate ceilings:
Lot Service Type Indicative Rate
Lot 1 Community-based Daytime ~£22/hour
Lot 2 Evening/Weekend ~£24/hour
Lot 3a Residential Overnight ~£350/night
Lot 3b Foster Overnight ~£120/night
Lot 4 Domiciliary Care ~£26/hour
Lot 5 Holiday Schemes ~£22/hour
Lot 6 Emergency Provision ~£30/hour+
Providers are encouraged to propose:
- Sustainable pricing models
- Innovative and cost-effective approaches
- Any pressures or risks affecting viability
Market Engagement Purpose
This engagement is intended to:
- Assess market capacity, capability, and appetite
- Inform final service specification and lot design
- Test pricing assumptions and affordability
- Shape the procurement approach and timelines
- Identify innovation and partnership opportunities
Anticipated Timeline
- Market engagement: Summer 2026
- Procurement launch: Late 2026
- Framework award: Early 2027
- Service commencement: 2027
If you would like to express an interest in this opportunity, please respond to the following questions by emailing: jesse.eveleigh@somerset.gov.uk
Deadline for responding: 10.07.2026 - Thank you.
Preliminary market engagement questions:
- Please outline which Lots you would be interested in delivering and your experience in providing similar short break services.
- Please describe your proposed delivery model(s), including how and where you would operate across Somerset (please include specific locations you can cover e.g. Taunton where required, or just state general areas e.g. Mendip, South Somerset)
- Please set out your staffing model, including recruitment, training, supervision, and experience supporting children with disabilities and complex needs.
- Please outline your safeguarding, quality assurance, and compliance arrangements, including inspection ratings where applicable.
- Please describe how you ensure accessibility, inclusion, and personalised support for a wide range of needs.
- Please outline your capacity and ability to mobilise services within required timescales.
- Please provide indicative pricing for your proposed services and key cost drivers.
- Please identify any risks, constraints, or dependencies associated with delivering these services and how they could be mitigated.
- Please set out any innovative or alternative delivery models that could improve outcomes or value for money.
- Today28 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 154 days1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published18 Jun 2026, 14:27 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender