Planning

Educational Placements and Support Services for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Independent and Non-Maintained Special School (INMSS)

LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

13 Mar 2026 at 10:19

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
PlanningUpdate

11 Feb 2026 at 09:43

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

22 Jan 2026 at 15:26

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Lancashire County Council is initiating a procurement process to offer educational placements and support services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), specifically focusing on Post 16/19 Provision and Independent Non-Maintained Special School (INMSS) provision. The procurement stage is currently in planning, with a recent milestone set for a market engagement event scheduled at County Hall, Preston, on 24th March 2026. Interested providers are encouraged to register by 19th March 2026 to participate. This procurement falls under the services category with a special regime and aims to establish a framework agreement. Key dates include a contract commencement from 1st February 2027 to 31st January 2033. The opportunity is well-suited for SMEs and VCSEs, offering educational services focused in the region of the United Kingdom, specifically within UKD4.

The tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in special education services. It invites providers to influence the future offerings for young people in Lancashire by partnering with the council to meet diverse educational needs. INMSS providers with experience in managing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) can benefit from a long-term contract and collaboration with Social Value Portal Ltd, which is involved in evaluating and managing social value deliverables. The emphasis on collaboration and shaping young people's aspirations makes this procurement ideal for organisations focused on innovation in special education, capable of fulfilling the educational requirements of Lancashire’s young population. With conducive market engagement sessions and framework agreements, businesses have the potential to expand their services by engaging with Lancashire County Council's procurement initiatives.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Educational Placements and Support Services for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Independent and Non-Maintained Special School (INMSS)

Notice Description

Lancashire County Council (the Council) is engaging with the market for the provision of Post 16/19 Provision and Independent Non-Maintained Special School Provision. Please note, this engagement does not include Alternative Provision.

Planning Information

The Council are inviting Post 16/19 and Independent Non-Maintained Special School providers to a follow-up session where we will share updates on our procurement plans and seek your invaluable input as we begin shaping how we will meet the needs of young people across Lancashire. This represents an exciting opportunity to work in genuine partnership with us, helping to influence the future offer for young people and support them in achieving their aspirations. Your involvement will play a key role in shaping the direction of this important work, and we would very much welcome your continued contribution. This will be a facetoface event held at County Hall in Preston, PR1 8XJ from 1:30pm to 4:30pm on Tuesday 24th March. To secure your place at the event, you must complete the registration form by no later than Thursday 19th March. The registration form can be found here: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/tenders-and-procurement/tenders/lps-caph-market-engagement-for-post-1619-provision-and-independent-non-maintained-special-school-provision/ For anyone unable to attend the face to face event, we will be holding an online event in April, details of which will be published following the face to face event. Please continue to check Lancashire County Council's Tendering Opportunities webpage (link above) for updates and additional market engagement materials, which will be shared following the event.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060c83
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022758-2026
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

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80340000 - Special education services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
30 Apr 20266 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2033 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Additional Buyers

SOCIAL VALUE PORTAL LTD

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PRESTON
Postcode
PR1 0LD
Post Town
Preston
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
TLD4 Lancashire
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Vauxhall
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

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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