Planning

Let's Get Growing

LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

11 Feb 2026 at 14:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicester City Council is currently in the planning phase of a procurement process for the Let's Get Growing service, aimed at fostering community food growing initiatives in Leicester. The council is conducting a soft market test, scheduled to conclude on 25th February 2026, to gather input from potential providers about the service model. This feedback is intended to shape the tender, expected to be announced in 2026, with the new contract commencing on 1st April 2027. The potential service, classified under community health services, plans to provide free gardening training and support out of various community venues across Leicester, including public and voluntary sector sites. The procurement process is anticipatory with an estimated contract value of 360,000 GBP and falls under the ‘services’ category.

The Let's Get Growing service presents significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in horticulture, community health services, and training programmes. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly well-suited to bid for this tender. The project will offer these businesses a platform to showcase their expertise in community engagement and horticultural training while bolstering community resilience and cohesion. Companies with experience in organising and delivering outreach sessions in community settings are likely to thrive given the service’s emphasis on developing spaces through collaboration with local residents.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Let's Get Growing

Notice Description

Leicester City Council (LCC) is considering commissioning a Let's Get Growing service (LGG) for Leicester. It is anticipated, dependent upon an engagement exercise, that tenders for this service would be sought in 2026, to enable a new contract to begin from 01/04/2027, immediately after the end of our current contract providing 31/03/2027 services to Leicester. The LGG service will be to incentivise and develop community food growing groups and opportunities for residents, to create greater community cohesion, enabling groups to come together to develop their green spaces and bring nature to their local area. The proposed LGG service will provide free gardening training through courses and workshops to ultimately develop community gardening groups. The service delivery will be through outreach sessions at any community venues such as LCC owned community assets e.g. community centres, libraries, museums, leisure centres, schools or through VCSE organisations across the city e.g. faith groups, food hubs, or other accessible local spaces. The service will empower individuals, strengthen their resilience, give them the tools to increase their confidence, knowledge, and their skills to improve the green spaces around them. Sessions will be led by trained accredited horticultural staff with experience of developing community groups and delivering training programmes in the community.

Planning Information

Leicester City Council (LCC) is is carrying out a Soft Market Test to gather feedback from potential providers on the proposed Let’s Get Growing service (LGG) for Leicester. It is anticipated, dependent upon an engagement exercise, that tenders for this service would be sought in 2026, to enable a new contract to begin from 01/04/2027, immediately after the end of our current contract providing 31/03/2027 services to Leicester. As part of the commissioning process, the authority is undertaking a soft market test. This gives potential providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to express their interests and feed in their views about the potential service model and specification principles. The commissioners will use the information to appraise options and further develop the specification. This process does not constitute a formal tender or other competitive bidding process and will not result in the letting of a Contract. The authority is using this process solely to test the market to gather information and ascertain the level of interest in this particular service. There are therefore no formal criteria which we will use to judge your responses and it is not our intention to provide any feedback.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-064e00
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012462-2026
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
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Feb 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Apr 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 30 Mar 2030 3-4 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
LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Robert Ingram
Contact Email
robbie.ingram@leicester.gov.uk
Contact Phone
+44 0

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE1 1FZ
Post Town
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF21 Leicester
Delivery Location
TLF21 Leicester
Local Authority
Leicester
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Leicester South

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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