Planning

Family Time Service in Milton Keynes - Market Engagement

MILTON KEYNES CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

25 Mar 2026 at 14:29

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Milton Keynes City Council is currently in the planning stage of procuring services under the title "Family Time Service in Milton Keynes - Market Engagement." This procurement concerns the provision of supervised contact services for children, falling under the health and social work services industry category. Located in Milton Keynes, UK, the council seeks to gather information on market capability and interest in partnership opportunities. Interested organisations are encouraged to respond to the market engagement questions by 12 noon on 8th April 2026. The council anticipates future service development or commissioning activities to commence, with the future procurement notice expected by 1st February 2027.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in social work services to participate in a vital community-support initiative under a "light touch" regime. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), would find themselves well-positioned to compete, given the suitability requirements outlined in the tender's procurement plan. Companies with expertise in providing structured, safe, and legally compliant environments for supervised child-family interactions are likely candidates for partnership with Milton Keynes City Council. Engaging in this collaboration could enable businesses to expand their service offerings and establish robust community relationships.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Family Time Service in Milton Keynes - Market Engagement

Notice Description

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) wish to request information regarding the provision of supervised contact for children, known as 'Family Time'. This is a preliminary market testing exercise to establish provider appetite and capacity, identify potential opportunities for partnership working, and ensure that future service development or commissioning activity is guided by evidence and an informed understanding of the market. The Family Time Service offers secure and structured opportunities for children to spend time with their parents or family members when unsupervised contact is not appropriate. Its primary objective is to preserve and strengthen family relationships while prioritizing the child's best interests. Main functions include: * Supervised and Supported Contact: Facilitating visits in a safe and positive setting * Observation and Reporting: Documenting interactions to inform care planning and judicial decisions * Parental Support: Assisting parents in developing effective and positive parenting skills during contact * Safeguarding: Ensuring compliance with all legal and multi-agency child protection standards. The entirety of the Family Time service is delivered internally. Please refer to the Process Map contained within the documents section on In-Tend which illustrates the various elements of service delivery. We would like to hear from organisations interested in working in partnership to deliver some of, or all these elements. We are keen to hear from providers on the questions published contained within the market engagement document on our e-tendering portal In-Tend . Please respond to the questions latest by 12 noon on Wednesday 8th April 2026 via In-Tend Correspondence section/market engagement stage. The Market Engagement document can be accessed on our e-tendering portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes/aspx/Home

Planning Information

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) wish to request information regarding the provision of supervised contact for children, known as ‘Family Time’. This is a preliminary market testing exercise to establish provider appetite and capacity, identify potential opportunities for partnership working, and ensure that future service development or commissioning activity is guided by evidence and an informed understanding of the market. The Family Time Service offers secure and structured opportunities for children to spend time with their parents or family members when unsupervised contact is not appropriate. Its primary objective is to preserve and strengthen family relationships while prioritizing the child's best interests. Main functions include: • Supervised and Supported Contact: Facilitating visits in a safe and positive setting • Observation and Reporting: Documenting interactions to inform care planning and judicial decisions • Parental Support: Assisting parents in developing effective and positive parenting skills during contact • Safeguarding: Ensuring compliance with all legal and multi-agency child protection standards. The entirety of the Family Time service is delivered internally. Please refer to the Process Map contained within the documents section on In-Tend which illustrates the various elements of service delivery. We would like to hear from organisations interested in working in partnership to deliver some of, or all these elements. We are keen to hear from providers on the questions published contained within the market engagement document on our e-tendering portal In-Tend . Please respond to the questions latest by 12 noon on Wednesday 8th April 2026 via In-Tend Correspondence section/market engagement stage. The Market Engagement document can be accessed on our e-tendering portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes/aspx/Home

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0673fa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027387-2026
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

85000000 - Health and social work services

85300000 - Social work and related services

85310000 - Social work services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
25 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Feb 202711 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 May 2027 - 31 May 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
MILTON KEYNES 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
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK9 3EJ
Post Town
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Central Milton Keynes
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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