Planning

Dual placement (2-bed) residential children's home for Suffolk children in care aged 12 yrs-17yrs including those aged 17 yrs.

SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

06 May 2026 at 11:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

05 May 2026 at 08:55

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

05 May 2026 at 08:31

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

16 May 2025 at 11:48

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council is currently in the planning stage of a tender process for a dual placement (2-bed) residential children's home catering to children in care aged 12 to 17 years, including those who are 17. The procurement falls within the 'Health and social work services' industry category, with a focus on providing a nurturing and trauma-informed care environment. The home, set on the outskirts of Ipswich, is part of a planned procurement scheduled to commence on 1st March 2027 and run until 28th February 2029, with the possibility of renewal. An online market engagement event is due on 14th May 2026, with comments or questions welcomed until 22nd May 2026. The total contract value is projected at £4.2 million, delivered under a 'light touch' regime in accordance with the UK Public Contracts Regulations.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) capable of providing specialised residential care services. The successful bidder will manage the residential home, handling registration, staffing, and compliance with Ofsted standards, thus requiring expertise in managing small, high-needs residential settings. Given the project's focus on therapeutic and nurturing care models, organisations proficient in evidence-based therapeutic care may find this opportunity particularly well-suited to their capabilities. The market engagement process provides avenues for collaboration and innovation in addressing the placement sufficiency needs of Suffolk County Council.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Dual placement (2-bed) residential children's home for Suffolk children in care aged 12 yrs-17yrs including those aged 17 yrs.

Notice Description

Suffolk County Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to help develop our plans to tender for a dual placement (2-bed) residential children's home for Suffolk children in care aged 12-17 years (including those aged 17 years). The home will be delivered from a Council owned property located on the outskirts of Ipswich currently operating as a 2-bed, mixed gender children's home. The successful provider will be responsible for the registration, staffing, compliance with Ofsted requirements and all functions required as part of running a children's home. The home will provide a nurturing and safe environment for children who may have experienced frequent placement breakdowns or whose current needs present a challenge to living in larger homes due to the complexities of their needs profile and/or potential risks to themselves or others. It is expected that the provider will deliver a trauma-informed, nurturing care environment based on evidenced-based therapeutic models of care.

Planning Information

An online market engagement event will be held on Thursday 14th May at 1pm via Microsoft Teams. The aims of the engagement event will be to: • provide a general update on Suffolk's placement sufficiency needs • test the market for operating a Council owned dual placement home • provide information on contract length, lease and commercial arrangements • explore workforce requirements for small, high needs homes • Identify the procurement timeline For further information, and to be added to our distribution list, please contact cypcontractsmailbox@suffolk.gov.uk We would welcome any other comments, questions or feedback following the market engagement event, provided they are submitted by 5pm on Friday 22nd May 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0515c5
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041477-2026
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
Not specified
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
£3,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Jun 20263 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 28 Feb 2029 2-3 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
SUFFOLK 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
IPSWICH
Postcode
IP1 2BX
Post Town
Ipswich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC
Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

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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