Planning

Agency Care Workers in Cumberland Care Services

CUMBERLAND COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

25 Mar 2026 at 13:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

04 Mar 2026 at 10:48

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Cumberland Council is undertaking a procurement process for "Agency Care Workers in Cumberland Care Services," aiming to support adult social care services across the region. The council, located in Carlisle, UK, is seeking to engage providers capable of supplying agency staff to ensure safe staffing levels and uphold regulatory obligations. This procurement falls under the services category, explicitly focusing on personnel supply services, including temporary staff. Currently in the planning stage, the procurement endeavours to commence on 1st June 2026 and conclude on 31st December 2028. The contract carries a maximum value of £4,750,000, inclusive of VAT. Providers interested in participating should note the scheduled market engagement session on 16th March 2026, accessible via the online procurement portal, The Chest.

This tender offers significant opportunities for agencies specialising in temporary or flexible staffing solutions, particularly those with experience in care sectors. Businesses with the capability to swiftly adapt to fluctuating demands while maintaining high standards of care will find this contract particularly advantageous. Cumberland Council's commitment to agency staffing underscores the importance of agility and responsiveness in meeting short-term workforce gaps, making it well-suited for businesses that can ensure continuity of service and regulatory compliance.

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

Notice Information

Notice Title

Agency Care Workers in Cumberland Care Services

Notice Description

Cumberland Council are looking to procure a contract for the Provision of Care Agency Staff to support the delivery of adult social care services across the region The contract term will be for 30 months commencing from 01st June 2026 with a maximum total contract value of PS4,7500,00. including VAT.

Planning Information

Cumberland Council is looking to engage with providers with capacity and the required skills to engage agency staff to maintain safe staffing levels, ensure continuity of care, and uphold regulatory obligations. Agency staffing provides flexibility to respond quickly to short-term gaps and helps safeguard the wellbeing of customers when internal resources cannot meet demand. The session will be held via Teams. For further details and to access the joining information use our online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.the-chest.org.uk

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0661d4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027320-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,958,333 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
16 Mar 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 31 Dec 2028 2-3 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
CUMBERLAND 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
CARLISLE
Postcode
CA1 1RD
Post Town
Carlisle
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
TLD1 Cumbria
Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Carlisle

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-0661d4-2026-03-25T13:09:43Z",
    "date": "2026-03-25T13:09:43Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0661d4",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PJGX-9191-DYLV",
            "name": "Cumberland Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PJGX-9191-DYLV"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Cumbria House, 107-117 Botchergate",
                "locality": "Carlisle",
                "postalCode": "CA1 1RD",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKD12"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "peopleprocurement@cumberland.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PJGX-9191-DYLV",
        "name": "Cumberland Council"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "Cumberland Council is looking to engage with providers with capacity and the required skills to engage agency staff to maintain safe staffing levels, ensure continuity of care, and uphold regulatory obligations. Agency staffing provides flexibility to respond quickly to short-term gaps and helps safeguard the wellbeing of customers when internal resources cannot meet demand. The session will be held via Teams. For further details and to access the joining information use our online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.the-chest.org.uk",
                "dueDate": "2026-03-16T23:59:59Z",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "019357-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019357-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-04T10:48:17Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            },
            {
                "id": "027320-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027320-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-25T13:09:43Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0661d4",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Agency Care Workers in Cumberland Care Services",
        "description": "Cumberland Council are looking to procure a contract for the Provision of Care Agency Staff to support the delivery of adult social care services across the region The contract term will be for 30 months commencing from 01st June 2026 with a maximum total contract value of PS4,7500,00. including VAT.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "79620000",
                        "description": "Supply services of personnel including temporary staff"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKD1",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD1",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 4750000,
            "amount": 3958333,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-06-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2028-12-31T23:59:59Z"
                },
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "status": "planning",
        "amendments": [
            {
                "id": "027320-2026",
                "description": "Further Market Engagement including a supplier questionnaire and feedback on the draft specification plus a copy of the Pre-market engagement slides and questions and answers from the online session. For further details and to access the questionnaire, use our online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.the-chest.org.uk"
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}