Planning

A007PA-Additional Reablement Capacity 2027

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

02 Jun 2026 at 10:56

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

23 May 2025 at 10:08

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "A007PA-Additional Reablement Capacity 2027", which targets the health and social care services sector. The project is set in Chelmsford, UK, and involves the public authority at a sub-central government level. The procurement method outlined is a competitive flexible procedure. Key dates include the submission deadline for the soft market test set for 17th June 2026 and a related market engagement event scheduled for 29th June 2026. The contract period is planned to commence on 11th September 2027 and extend through to 10th September 2030, with a potential extension to 2032, subject to governance approval.

This procurement initiative offers substantial opportunities for growth for businesses in the health and social care service industry, particularly those that can provide reablement and intermediate care services. Organisations that are experienced in collaborating with NHS partners and are capable of providing comprehensive, integrated care solutions will find the opportunity particularly beneficial. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to apply, as the procurement process is suitable for them and aligns with the Council's objectives of enhancing homecare across the county. Interested parties should be prepared for engagement in both planned face-to-face events and potential virtual meetings aimed at refining service specifications and ensuring best value outcomes for those requiring care.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

A007PA-Additional Reablement Capacity 2027

Notice Description

Essex County Council ("the Council") is inviting prospective providers to participate in a market engagement exercise to inform the Council's commissioning considerations regarding the provision of Additional Reablement Capacity in 2027. Please find below a summary of the key national guidance which informs the provision of this service alongside an overview of the Council's commissioning intentions. The Department of Health and Social Care and Support Statutory Guidance states that "The core purpose of adult care and support is to help people to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their life". The Council also aims to establish a strategic approach to health, wellbeing and independence for all ages, and it is the Council's ambition to help people with care needs to live independently and safely in their own homes and ensure that they have the support needed to promote their wellbeing and quality of life. The Council is also committed to the comprehensive implementation of the requirements of the Care Act 2014. The approach will encompass, and be consistent with, the Department's Care Statutory Care and Support Guidance. The Council will take an integrated approach to work in partnership with the experts within the care market to pursue a diverse range of mechanisms to assist adults requiring care and support funded by the Council and its partners and will aim to adopt systems and approaches designed to ensure that it consistently achieves best value for both adults and the residents/taxpayers of Essex. Reablement is a component of the wider system Intermediate Care offer and a key enabler of the Council's aspirations for homecare across the county. Intermediate Care Services provide support for a short time to help an adult recover and increase their independence. This is usually provided by a mix of health and social care professionals with a range of different skills. The team might include nurses, social workers, specialist community workers, doctors, and a range of therapists e.g., Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Care Home staff and homecare staff. The Council works with NHS Partners to jointly commission a number of services which make up the Intermediate Care pathway following hospital admission or community referral. These services currently include a range of contract and uncontracted reablement and domiciliary care provisions. Intermediate Care services in Essex continue to be developed in collaboration with system partners and informed by people accessing support. It aims for people to experience an integrated and collaborative model that provides improved outcomes and better value for the individual to promote independence. This means delivering improved and more seamless pathways, inclusivity and coordination between suppliers, to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved for each individual. Please note that the Council reserves the right to refine the scope of this proposed procurement following the market engagement process. In addition, please note that this procurement remains subject to governance approval. Therefore, the Council will confirm the final scope of the procurement, including but not limited to, the contract duration and confirmed procurement timetable in the corresponding Tender Notice following the conclusion of the requisite governance process. In addition, please note that the contracting authority for this service is Essex County Council and any Successor Body meaning one or more entities which assumes any of the Council's functions (as applicable) as a result of Local Government Reform (LGR). Such successor body or bodies may be, without limitation, a local authority, a combined authority, a combined county authority, a strategic authority or any other status determined pursuant to the Devolution and LGR Legislation. In addition, please note that a briefing document containing further details of the Council's commissioning intentions for this service and a suite of soft market test questions can be located via: https://www.open-uk.org/opportunities Please note that you will need to undertake a registration process to secure a user account to access the aforementioned briefing document via OPEN. However, please be advised that the registration process is free of charge and will also provide access to any forthcoming procurement opportunities which Essex County Council issues in due course. In addition, please be advised that this deadline for responding to the questions within the briefing document will be 17:00 on Wednesday 17th June 2026 and all responses must be submitted via the online questionnaire functionality within OPEN. Likewise, if you require any clarification regarding the briefing document, please use the messaging functionality within OPEN. Following the analysis of the responses, all participants (and any expressing interest in this procurement) may attend a face-to-face Market Engagement event scheduled for Monday 29th June 2026, at: Central Baptist Church Victoria Street South Chelmsford Essex CM1 1LN Full details of this event will be published to the market 14 days prior to the event. Due to the limited capacity at the venue, it is anticipated that the day will consist of two discrete morning and afternoon sessions. Interested parties will be required to indicate which is their preferred session. Please e-mail: ict@essex.gov.uk to express an interest in attending this market engagement event. Essex County Council may also seek to engage directly with any participant to this process in order to further clarify information provided and to ensure any tender/contract specification is optimised in accordance with service provider input. If required, it is planned that this element of provider engagement and specification development may take place through virtual market engagement events during July 2026, and participants are requested to indicate whether or not they are interested in attending these meetings to support the development of the Council's future requirements. Any queries in respect to this latter aspect of the market engagement process can be addressed to: Mr. Barry Messenger - Procurement Specialist, at barry.messenger@essex.gov.uk

Planning Information

Please note that a briefing document containing further details of the Council's commissioning intentions for this service and a suite of soft market test questions can be located via: https://www.open-uk.org/opportunities If you filter the list of contracting authorities to select "Essex County Council" and use the project title as the search term "A007PA-Additional Reablement Capacity 2027", you should be able to locate and access the soft market test opportunity, noting that the briefing document which includes the market feedback questions has been attached within the online questionnaire. Alternatively, if you would like to search via the project reference number, please use: "# OPEN20261182". If you experience any technical system issues regarding this soft market test, please contact NEPO's helpdesk via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of OPEN's homepage: https://open-uk.org/ Please note that you will need to undertake a registration process to secure a user account to access the aforementioned briefing document via OPEN. However, please be advised that the registration process is free of charge and will also provide access to any forthcoming procurement opportunities which Essex County Council issues in due course. In addition, please be advised that this deadline for responding to the questions within the briefing document will be 17:00 on Wednesday 17th June 2026 and all responses must be submitted via the online questionnaire functionality within OPEN. Likewise, if you require any clarification regarding the briefing document, please use the messaging functionality within OPEN. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please note that OPEN uses ProClass to classify procurement opportunities instead of Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) contrary to the functionality in this notice. Therefore, the opportunity within OPEN has been prepared using the following ProClass codes which represent the closest matches to the CPV code which this notice is based on: 410000 - Social Community Care Supplies and Services 321600 - Reablement Finally, please note that the specified engagement deadline within this notice relates to the submission deadline regarding responses to the soft market test questions within the briefing document only. Please refer to section 8 of the briefing document for further information regarding the booking arrangements for the associated market engagement event.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-052161
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051814-2026
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
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
£20,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Jun 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Feb 20278 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
10 Sep 2027 - 10 Sep 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
ESSEX 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
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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In addition, please be advised that this deadline for responding to the questions within the briefing document will be 17:00 on Wednesday 17th June 2026 and all responses must be submitted via the online questionnaire functionality within OPEN. Likewise, if you require any clarification regarding the briefing document, please use the messaging functionality within OPEN. Following the analysis of the responses, all participants (and any expressing interest in this procurement) may attend a face-to-face Market Engagement event scheduled for Monday 29th June 2026, at: Central Baptist Church Victoria Street South Chelmsford Essex CM1 1LN Full details of this event will be published to the market 14 days prior to the event. Due to the limited capacity at the venue, it is anticipated that the day will consist of two discrete morning and afternoon sessions. Interested parties will be required to indicate which is their preferred session. 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