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Strategic Partnership Framework for Commissioning of Children's Services

Liverpool City Council

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

24 Sep 2026 at 14:45

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

26 May 2026 at 15:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

30 Apr 2026 at 13:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

16 Dec 2025 at 09:43

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

19 Sep 2025 at 15:36

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

19 Sep 2025 at 15:28

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Liverpool City Council is developing plans for up to three strategic partnership frameworks to commission children’s services in Liverpool. The intended aim is to support high-quality, inclusive services focused on outcomes for children and young people. The proposed service areas span children’s social care, including fostering, residential care, supported accommodation and lodgings, and specialist provision such as complex health needs, personal care, behavioural support, short breaks, crisis response, therapy and assessment. The work falls within social work and related services. The Council is considering a framework model, with the proposed scope and lot structure still indicative and subject to change after engagement with providers.

This procurement is at planning stage: Liverpool City Council is gathering market feedback, not inviting tenders. It expects to establish up to three frameworks, arranged around service clusters, and anticipates a future procurement notice in November 2026. The anticipated contract term runs from April 2027 to March 2037. Indicative annual values are approximately £56.1 million for Cluster 1, £18.05 million for Cluster 2 and £5.865 million for Cluster 3; the stated potential total is up to £800.575 million over a maximum term of ten years, all excluding VAT. The Council has held earlier engagement and plans a further Cluster 3 session on 14 October 2026; the engagement period is extended to 31 October 2026. Proposed framework arrangements and requirements remain subject to change.

The plans may suit providers able to deliver children’s social care and specialist support, from accommodation and placements through to community-based, crisis and therapeutic services. Cluster 1 covers fostering placements, residential children’s homes, semi-independent accommodation and supported lodgings. Cluster 3 includes complex health needs, care and personal support, behavioural support, short breaks, emergency response, therapeutic interventions and specialist assessments. The proposed lots create scope for providers with focused expertise as well as organisations able to support a broader range of services. The Council has said it wants services that promote quality, inclusion and outcomes, and its Cluster 1 plans emphasise independence, choice and control, value and a sustainable local care market. The Council is seeking provider feedback on requirements, framework operation and social value to help shape the future approach. SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Strategic Partnership Framework for Commissioning of Children's Services

Notice Description

The Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement in respect of a potential future procurement to establish up to three Strategic Partnership Frameworks for the commissioning of Children's Services. These frameworks would aim to support the development and delivery of high-quality, inclusive and outcomes-focused services for children and young people. At this stage, the proposed approach, structure and scope of the Frameworks are indicative only and subject to change following market feedback. The Council is considering a model comprising three service clusters, with initial indicative annual values as follows: Cluster 1: approximately PS56,142,500 per annum (exclusive of VAT) Cluster 2: approximately PS18,050,000 per annum (exclusive of VAT) Cluster 3: approximately PS5,865,000 per annum (exclusive of VAT) This equates to a combined indicative annual value of approximately PS80,057,500, and a potential total value of up to PS800,575,000 (exclusive of VAT) over an anticipated maximum term of up to 10 years. This notice is issued for information and engagement purposes only and does not constitute a call for competition. The Council is seeking feedback from the market to help inform its future commissioning strategy and procurement approach. The Cluster 3 market engagement event will be held on 7 May, 11:00-12:00 via Microsoft Teams. The session will provide an overview of the proposed scope for Cluster 3 and will cover the following indicative Lots: Lot 1 - Complex Health Needs Including medical and mental health services Lot 2 - Care and Personal Support Day-to-day support provided in the home and community Lot 3 - Behavioural Support Support to manage and reduce behaviours that challenge Lot 4 - Short Breaks Wraparound support, day services and overnight respite Lot 5 - Emergency / Crisis Support Rapid response provision to support crisis situations Lot 6 - Therapeutic Support Services Psychological, emotional and therapeutic interventions Lot 7 - Specialist Assessment Service Multi-disciplinary and specialist assessment provision Suppliers interested in attending are requested to complete and return the following form: Strategic Partnership Framework for the Commissioning of Children's Services - Fill in form via link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=s2IPJ6SMY02KgP_LH2H-BDWFlU-oeiBOpkkTSNnn5wRUNDVEUkJaRjczSVJENUZSMDRRR0pVSDU5VC4u Cluster 1: Children's Social Care Services - Market Engagement Event Liverpool City Council is preparing to commission a new Strategic Partnership Framework for Children's Services, which includes Children's Social Care Services (Cluster 1). The framework will provide a continuum of care and accommodation, supporting children and young people from fostering and residential care through to independence. Its purpose is to ensure that future provision maximises independence, choice and control, best value, and long-term sustainability within the local care market. This procurement will be undertaken in line with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. We are inviting providers to attend a Market Engagement Event, where we will outline our commissioning intentions, proposed lot structure, and anticipated procurement approach. This session will also provide an opportunity for providers to share early feedback and help shape the final specification and framework design. The proposed indicative Lots are: Lot 1 - Independent Fostering Agency Placements Including respite placements and parent and child foster placements Lot 2 - Residential Children's Homes Including solo placements, parenting assessment units, and short-term crisis provision Lot 3 - Semi-Independent Accommodation and Supported Living For care-experienced young people and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) aged 16-18 and beyond age 18 where their asylum claim remains pending Lot 4 - Supported Lodgings The engagement event will be held on 11 June, 11:00-12:30 via Microsoft Teams. Please complete the following form to register your interest: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=s2IPJ6SMY02KgP_LH2H-BDWFlU-oeiBOpkkTSNnn5wRUOTNTNzBaTFJMRDU3MzhJNkMyREdYVFFPRS4u The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 10 June at 11:00am. The event link will be issued via email on 10 June between 15:00-17:00. Please note that your details will be captured and stored by Liverpool City Council for the purposes of this event and to gather feedback only.

Planning Information

Strategic Partnership Framework for the Commissioning of Children's Services Follow-Up Market Engagement Session for Strategic Partnership Framework (Cluster 3) Date: 14 October 2026 Time: 10am to 11:30am Location: Microsoft Teams Following the initial market engagement event held on 7 May 2026, Liverpool City Council is pleased to invite interested providers to attend a further engagement session focused on Cluster 3. This session will provide a more detailed overview of the proposed Framework, including: • The indicative scope and requirements of each Lot • Proposed admission requirements for joining the Framework • How the Framework is expected to operate in practice • An overview of the procurement process and tendering requirements • Liverpool City Council's approach to social value and how this may be reflected within future procurement and contract arrangements There will also be opportunities throughout the session for providers to ask questions, share feedback and help inform the ongoing development of the Council's commissioning and procurement approach. Register Your Interest Providers wishing to attend should register by completing the form below: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=s2IPJ6SMY02KgP_LH2H-BDWFlU-oeiBOpkkTSNnn5wRUMlo5UzIyWURFRlhHV0NTUlZNQU1DNkpGRC4u Registration deadline: 10:00am on 13 October 2026 Microsoft Teams joining details will be sent to registered attendees following the deadline on 13 October 2026. Additional Opportunity for Providers Providers may also be interested in attending the free supplier workshop: How to Bid for Liverpool City Council Contracts

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059e4f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/090636-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
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

85300000 - Social work and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Nov 20265 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2037 Over 5 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
Liverpool City 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
LIVERPOOL
Postcode
L3 1DS
Postcode Area
Liverpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD7 Merseyside
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD72 Liverpool
Delivery Location
TLD72 Liverpool
Local Authority
Liverpool
Electoral Ward
Waterfront South
Westminster Constituency
Liverpool Riverside

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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