Planning

Preliminary Market Engagement - Intercountry Adoption Services

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

02 Jul 2025 at 11:08

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

18 Jun 2025 at 15:13

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Oxfordshire County Council is initiating a public procurement process for providing comprehensive intercountry adoption services, entitled "Preliminary Market Engagement - Intercountry Adoption Services". The procurement process is currently in the planning stage and aims to engage interested parties through a brief questionnaire. This engagement intends to inform the Council’s requirements and the design of any future procurement related to these services, primarily targeting residents in the administrative areas where Adopt Thames Valley is active. The services fall under the industry category of welfare and counselling services for children and young people. The engagement questionnaire is scheduled to be due by 8 August 2025, with the expected contract period starting from 1 April 2026. While this is not a formal tender, responses will be influential in shaping future procurement expressions. The entire initiative will be governed by UK adoption policy and legal requirements, creating potential opportunities for partnering businesses.

This procurement opens significant opportunities for SMEs and VCSEs interested in expanding their services within the public sector, particularly those with expertise in counselling and welfare services for children and young people. Businesses with the capability to provide comprehensive adoption services and those interested in entering or strengthening their presence in the child welfare industry within the UK are well-positioned to benefit from this procurement process. Engaging early at this planning stage allows businesses the opportunity to influence procurement design and ensure alignment with their service offerings and expertise. Participation in the questionnaire will enhance visibility and allow potential suppliers to position themselves strategically for future procurement opportunities with Oxfordshire County Council.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo
All Features Pricing

Notice Information

Notice Title

Preliminary Market Engagement - Intercountry Adoption Services

Notice Description

Adopt Thames Valley requires a comprehensive service for people considering intercountry adoption. The provider will make their services available to residents within the administrative areas of those Councils who are party to ATV (Oxfordshire, Reading, Swindon, Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead, West Berkshire and Wokingham) and who are interested in learning about and proceeding with intercountry adoption. The provider will enable a full intercountry adoption service which will ensure that the ATV meets its priorities and duties as regards intercountry adoption, in line with UK adoption policy and legislative requirements. Interested parties are invited to respond to a brief questionnaire to help the Council to establish the identify of interested parties and potential suppliers of the services, to inform the authority's requirements and approach to the procurement, and to inform the design of any future procurement. You do not need to answer all the questions to submit this engagement questionnaire. Any information that you can provide is of value to us. This is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. Your feedback as a provider will not have a bearing on any future Tender submissions. You will not be disadvantaged if you choose not to respond to this engagement questionnaire, however it will be helpful to understand your views early in the design process, so we encourage you to respond as fully as you able to.

Planning Information

Interested parties are invited to respond to a brief questionnaire to help the Council to establish the identify of interested parties and potential suppliers of the services, to inform the authority's requirements and approach to the procurement, and to inform the design of any future procurement. You do not need to answer all the questions to submit this engagement questionnaire. Any information that you can provide is of value to us. This is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. Your feedback as a provider will not have a bearing on any future Tender submissions. You will not be disadvantaged if you choose not to respond to this engagement questionnaire, however it will be helpful to understand your views early in the design process, so we encourage you to respond as fully as you able to.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-054f57
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036751-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£110,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£22,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Jul 20257 months ago
Submission Deadline
23 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
8 Aug 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 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
OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Priscilla Opare Mintah
Contact Email
startwetlprocurement@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Contact Phone
+44 10000000

Buyer Location

Locality
OXFORD
Postcode
OX1 1ND
Post Town
Oxford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Local Authority
Oxford
Electoral Ward
Osney & St Thomas
Westminster Constituency
Oxford West and Abingdon

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. 

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-054f57-2025-07-02T12:08:46+01:00",
    "date": "2025-07-02T12:08:46+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-054f57",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "planning": {
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "033457-2025",
                "documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK3",
                "description": "Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033457-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-06-18T16:13:55+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            },
            {
                "id": "036751-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036751-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-07-02T12:08:46+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ],
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "Interested parties are invited to respond to a brief questionnaire to help the Council to establish the identify of interested parties and potential suppliers of the services, to inform the authority's requirements and approach to the procurement, and to inform the design of any future procurement. You do not need to answer all the questions to submit this engagement questionnaire. Any information that you can provide is of value to us. This is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. Your feedback as a provider will not have a bearing on any future Tender submissions. You will not be disadvantaged if you choose not to respond to this engagement questionnaire, however it will be helpful to understand your views early in the design process, so we encourage you to respond as fully as you able to.",
                "dueDate": "2025-08-08T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ]
    },
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PZNW-8281-MHNM",
            "name": "Oxfordshire County Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PZNW-8281-MHNM"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "County Hall",
                "locality": "Oxford",
                "postalCode": "OX1 1ND",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKJ14"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Priscilla Opare Mintah",
                "email": "Startwetlprocurement@oxfordshire.gov.uk",
                "telephone": "+44 10000000"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PZNW-8281-MHNM",
        "name": "Oxfordshire County Council"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "I-4458",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Preliminary Market Engagement - Intercountry Adoption Services",
        "description": "Adopt Thames Valley requires a comprehensive service for people considering intercountry adoption. The provider will make their services available to residents within the administrative areas of those Councils who are party to ATV (Oxfordshire, Reading, Swindon, Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead, West Berkshire and Wokingham) and who are interested in learning about and proceeding with intercountry adoption. The provider will enable a full intercountry adoption service which will ensure that the ATV meets its priorities and duties as regards intercountry adoption, in line with UK adoption policy and legislative requirements. Interested parties are invited to respond to a brief questionnaire to help the Council to establish the identify of interested parties and potential suppliers of the services, to inform the authority's requirements and approach to the procurement, and to inform the design of any future procurement. You do not need to answer all the questions to submit this engagement questionnaire. Any information that you can provide is of value to us. This is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. Your feedback as a provider will not have a bearing on any future Tender submissions. You will not be disadvantaged if you choose not to respond to this engagement questionnaire, however it will be helpful to understand your views early in the design process, so we encourage you to respond as fully as you able to.",
        "status": "planned",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85311300",
                        "description": "Welfare services for children and young people"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1",
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ14",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 132000,
            "amount": 110000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Below threshold - open competition",
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": false,
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed"
        },
        "expressionOfInterestDeadline": "2025-09-23T08:00:00Z",
        "enquiryPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2025-09-23T08:00:00Z"
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "planned",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 132000,
                    "amount": 22000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2028-03-31T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2029-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2025-08-08T23:59:59+01:00"
        }
    },
    "language": "en"
}