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Lancashire Carers Assessment and Support Service

Lancashire County Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

20 Jul 2026 at 16:20

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

23 Mar 2026 at 10:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

15 May 2025 at 09:40

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Lancashire County Council is considering a county-wide Carers Assessment and Support Service for Lancashire. The service would support unpaid carers, including people balancing caring with employment, education, family responsibilities or their own health needs. It is intended to improve identification and access to support for carers who are not currently known to services, particularly working-age carers, people in rural communities and communities facing barriers to support. The procurement is for health and social work services. Lancashire has more than 112,000 unpaid carers, and the council is assessing options for commissioning a future service. Social Value Portal Ltd will provide evaluation and ongoing contract-management support for the social value deliverables under the future contract.

This process is at the planning stage: the council has stated an intention to consider a competitive procurement and is undertaking preliminary market engagement, rather than inviting tenders. The proposed procedure is a competitive flexible procedure under the light-touch regime, with one planned lot and an indicative gross value of £12 million. The planned contract period is 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2030. The council expects the next notice to be published by 1 October 2025. It has scheduled market engagement for responses by 3 August 2026, with information available through its engagement arrangements and procurement opportunities page. The procurement is above the relevant threshold, and the planned lot is marked as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs.

The work will suit organisations delivering carers’ assessments, information, advice, advocacy, support planning and wider health or social care services for unpaid carers. Strong candidates are likely to understand the varied pressures on carers and have practical methods for finding and engaging people who are hidden from existing services. Relevant reach may include working-age carers, rural communities and groups that face barriers to support across Lancashire. Experience working with councils, community partners, health services and voluntary organisations would help suppliers deliver a county-wide model. Organisations with established referral, safeguarding, assessment and outcome-monitoring arrangements should prepare to demonstrate how they would make support accessible and effective. The planned lot is expressly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises, making collaboration and partnership models potentially relevant when the procurement reaches the market.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Lancashire Carers Assessment and Support Service

Notice Description

Lancashire is home to more than 112,000 unpaid carers, representing approximately 9.6% of the population aged five years and over. This is higher than the national average of 8.8%. The estimated value of unpaid care provided by carers across Lancashire is approximately PS3.7 billion per year. The number of carers is expected to increase as the population ages, people live longer with complex conditions and more care continues to be delivered within family and community settings. Many carers balance caring responsibilities alongside employment, education, family commitments and their own health needs. The Council recognises that while thousands of carers are currently known to services, many more remain unidentified and are therefore unable to benefit from available support. Hidden carers remain a significant challenge across Lancashire, particularly within working-age populations, rural communities and communities that traditionally experience barriers to accessing support. Lancashire County Council (LCC) is in the process of undertaking an exercise to commission the Lancashire Carers Service. As part of an options appraisal, we wish to engage with key stakeholders in relation to a potential competitive procurement of the services.

Planning Information

The Market Engagement for this tender can be found via the link below and it will be also advertised on our tendering opportunities page, the link to that page is also below : https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/RJ4tUyWa0n https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/tenders-and-procurement/tenders/

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0513e3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068412-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Oct 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Lancashire County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PRESTON
Postcode
PR1 0LD
Postcode Area
Preston
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD45 Mid Lancashire
Delivery Location
TLD4 Lancashire
Local Authority
Preston
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Preston

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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