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Direct Payment Support Service

Peterborough City Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

30 Jul 2026 at 13:21

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

27 Feb 2026 at 10:15

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

05 Dec 2025 at 09:44

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Peterborough City Council procured a Direct Payment Support Service for people receiving council-funded direct payments, including their representatives, parents and carers. The service supports individuals to manage payments safely, lawfully and in line with statutory requirements, helping them arrange their own care with greater choice and control. Its scope includes information, advice and guidance on being an employer; management of a Personal Assistant Register; and financial services such as managed accounts, payment of care and support workers, monthly statements and a fully auditable payroll. The service covers both adult and children’s social care and is intended to provide a consistent, accessible experience for individuals, families and professionals. Delivery is for Peterborough City Council in Peterborough, under health and social work services.

The procurement has reached award stage: Peterborough City Council selected Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service, with the award recorded on 21 July 2026. The award value is £1.8 million excluding VAT (£2.16 million including VAT). The contract is scheduled to run from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029, with extensions of up to three further years: one two-year extension and one one-year extension, giving a possible end date of 30 September 2032. It used an above-threshold open procedure under the light-touch regime. Evaluation was weighted 70% quality and 30% cost. Four bids reached the final stage, including four from SMEs and two from VCSEs. The award remained pending during the standstill period, ending 11 August 2026.

This requirement suits organisations able to combine social-care advice with practical administration of direct payments. A credible competitor would need experience supporting people who employ personal assistants, including guidance on employer responsibilities, recruitment or maintenance of a personal-assistant register, payroll and related financial transactions. Capability to operate managed accounts, make payments on recipients’ instructions and produce accurate monthly statements is central, as is a fully auditable financial control environment. The service also calls for person-centred practice that promotes independence, choice and control, with the accessibility and consistency needed across adult and children’s social care. The buyer considered the opportunity suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, and final-stage participation shows that smaller and community-focused providers can compete when they can evidence these combined service, safeguarding, payroll and financial-management capabilities.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Direct Payment Support Service

Notice Description

The Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) will ensure that individuals who choose to receive their care via a Direct Payment are enabled, empowered and supported to manage them safely, legally and in line with statutory requirements.The service will provide high-quality, person-centred support that promotes independence, choice, and control. The service will provide information, advice and guidance to the Direct Payment Recipient on being an employer, be responsible for managing the Personal Assistant (PA) Register, and offer financial services including managed accounts and a fully auditable payroll. The DPSS will operate as part of the wider Children and Adult's Social Care offer in Peterborough, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and a seamless experience for individuals, families, and professionals. The Authority is conducting the procurement using the open procedure in accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 for the purpose of procuring the services. The Authority reserves the right to deviate from the formalities of the open procedure given the flexibilities permitted by Regulation 9 of the Procurement Act 2023 in the conduct of procurements for "wholly or mainly for the supply of services of a kind specified in regulations under subsection (2)", otherwise referred to as "Light Touch Regime" procurement. The Authority proposes to enter into one Contract for a maximum period of 6 years, being an initial term of 3 years and extensions of up to 3 years (1 x 24 month extension and 1 x 12 month extension), with the successful Bidder. The anticipated service commencement date is 1st October 2026 which may be subject to change dependent on the Authority's governance and requirements.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 1 x 24 month extension (2 years) 1 x 12 month extension (1 year)

Planning Information

THIS IS NOT A CALL TO COMPETITION. This is a Preliminary Market Engagement event in relation to the Direct Payment Support Service. This preliminary market engagement event does not form any part of any invitation to tender. Peterborough City Council is issuing this request for information only. Any supplier invited to present to the Authority is doing so to support market research only and to help make any potential procurement process more focused and efficient. No supplier selection or supplier preference is implied. Peterborough City Council's Direct Payment Support Service provides essential information and advice to people who receive a direct payment from the Council and/or their representatives, parents or carers. The service helps people to find, recruit and pay for the types of care and support they wish to receive. This enables people with care needs to have greater choice and control over the care they receive. The service under the proposed contract has been mainly used by adults but is also available for children/young people with a direct payment. For a monthly fee, direct payment recipients can also arrange to have their direct payment paid into a third party supported account managed by the provider. The provider carries out financial transactions on their instructions, pays wages directly into their care or support workers' bank accounts and provides them with a monthly statement of their account. The current offer is due to end at the end of September 2026, so the Council is reviewing the contract to make plans for the future. The preliminary market engagement event can be accessed via ProContract at this link: https://procontract.due-north.com/Supplier/Advert/View?advertId=ec0cd459-bad1-f011-813a-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=False&fromRfxSummary=False&selectWorkgroup=False&fromAdvertEvent=False&fromActivityDashboard=False&restrictedPortalId=fa9a9b42-8212-ed11-8117-005056b64545 If you do not already have an account with ProContract you can register and create an account for free. Once you have accessed the advert, please click on the green "Register interest in this opportunity". Doing this will allow you to access the Preliminary Market Engagement event and associated document. Once the questions within the document have been completed, please upload your response via ProContract. The event will remain open until 23:30 on 19th December 2025. If you have any questions whilst this event is live and you have already registered your interest, please use the ProContract messaging facility.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072174-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

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
£1,680,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,680,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£1,800,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jul 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
27 Mar 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
26 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
21 Jul 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
2032-02-26

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Peterborough 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
PETERBOROUGH
Postcode
PE2 8TY
Postcode Area
Peterborough
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH4 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH41 Peterborough
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Peterborough
Electoral Ward
Fletton and Stanground
Westminster Constituency
North West Cambridgeshire

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

PETERBOROUGH COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

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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