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Temporary Accommodation - Property Management Direct Award

Westminster City Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

21 Jul 2026 at 12:31

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

26 Mar 2026 at 14:05

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Westminster City Council procured temporary accommodation property management services for its Council-owned and leased temporary accommodation portfolio in London. The scope covers more than 2,000 properties and includes statutory compliance and safety checks, maintenance and repairs, property inspections, tenant and void management, and out-of-hours support for residents. The procurement is primarily accommodation management, with housing services also included. The service is intended to maintain continuity of legally compliant housing, safety and safeguarding functions while the Council moves from its existing arrangement to a longer-term service. The appointed provider is responsible for managing the operational portfolio and associated resident-facing support.

The procurement has been awarded and the contract has been signed. Westminster City Council used a direct award procedure, relying on technical reasons and compatibility or exclusivity requirements: the incumbent held the relevant safety data, compliance records, systems and operational processes. Places for People Group Limited was selected on 26 March 2026, with an awarded value of £1,889,730 excluding VAT (£2,267,676 including VAT). The contract covers one completed lot and runs from 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026. It was signed on 1 April 2026 and is recorded as active. The Council stated that the short interim period and mobilisation risks meant an alternative provider could not safely and compliantly take over.

This requirement indicates demand for large-scale temporary accommodation management combining property compliance, safety assurance, repairs, inspections, tenancy and void administration, and resident support outside normal hours. A credible future competitor would need an established operational footprint, robust compliance and safety systems, reliable data management and the ability to manage a complex portfolio of more than 2,000 properties. Experience coordinating repairs and specialist supply chains, maintaining accurate statutory records, handling access and safeguarding issues, and supporting residents would be important. The procurement also shows that continuity, incumbent-level knowledge, systems compatibility and rapid mobilisation are decisive factors for this buyer when temporary accommodation services are required.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Temporary Accommodation - Property Management Direct Award

Notice Description

Westminster City Council intends to put in place a six-month interim contract for the management of its Temporary Accommodation (TA) property portfolio to ensure continuity of statutory housing, safety and compliance obligations while the competitive procurement for the long-term contract is completed. The service includes compliance and safety checks, maintenance and repairs, inspections, tenant and void management, and out-of-hours support for residents in Council-owned and leased temporary accommodation. The existing contract expires on 31 March 2026, while the newly tendered service is scheduled to commence on 1 October 2026, creating a required interim period. Regulation 26(h) - Direct award to a supplier that is not an excluded supplier The contract is being awarded directly to Places for People Group Ltd, which is not an excluded supplier, because a direct award justification applies under section 41(1)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023. Regulation 26(i) - Applicable direct award justification and explanation The Council relies on the following direct award justifications set out in Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023: Paragraph 6 - Technical reasons Paragraph 7 - Exclusivity due to compatibility requirements Explanation: The incumbent provider holds all relevant statutory safety data, compliance records, operational processes, and systems fully embedded across a portfolio of over 2,000 properties. Replacing the incumbent for a short six-month period would create technical incompatibility, disproportionate operational difficulty, and material risk to compliance with statutory housing and safety duties. No alternative provider could mobilise safely or compliantly within the available timeframe before 1 April 2026, and market interest in a contract of this duration is highly unlikely. An interim arrangement with the incumbent is therefore required to ensure continuity of legally compliant housing services during the transition to the new long-term contract. Regulation 26(r): Assessment of suitability for SMEs and VCSEs The contracting authority does not consider that this contract is particularly suitable to be awarded to: (i) a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), or (ii) a non-governmental, value-driven organisation that principally reinvests its surpluses (VCSE), because: The service requires an incumbent-level operational footprint, including embedded compliance systems, established data management processes, and detailed knowledge of a large and complex Temporary Accommodation portfolio of over 2,000 properties. Delivering the required statutory functions safely and compliantly within the six-month period requires continuity of existing operational systems, supply chain arrangements, and staff knowledge, which SMEs and VCSEs are unlikely to be able to mobilise within the extremely limited timeframe. Market engagement and prior contract history indicate that the service model, scale, and mobilisation demands are such that the contract is not well-suited to smaller or value-driven organisations for this interim period. Therefore, the Council does not consider the contract to be particularly suitable for SMEs or VCSEs under Regulation 26(r). Regulation 26(s): Description of risks The contracting authority has identified the following risks which: (aa) could jeopardise the satisfactory performance of the contract, but (bb) because of their nature, may not be fully addressed in the contract as awarded, and (ii) may require a subsequent modification under Schedule 8, paragraph 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 if these risks materialise. Identified Known Risks 1. Data reconciliation and systems-integration risk The interim contract relies on transferring and aligning existing compliance data, safety records, and asset information from legacy systems. Variations or gaps detected after service commencement may require technical adjustments not foreseen at award. Such technical risks may necessitate amendments to data-handling processes or reporting requirements under Schedule 8(5). 2. Supply-chain continuity and contractor availability risk The incumbent's subcontractor and specialist supply chain may be subject to unforeseen capacity pressures or market constraints. If supply-chain instability occurs, the Council may need to vary elements of the service delivery model or response times. This risk cannot be fully mitigated at award due to external factors and may require modification to maintain service continuity. 3. Volume and demand fluctuation risk within the TA portfolio Unexpected increases in the number of properties managed, or spikes in repairs and safety-check demand, could exceed the forecast workloads assumed in the six-month period. If this occurs, additional service capacity or varied service volume may need to be added via lawful modification. 4. Statutory compliance and safety regime changes Changes in safety regulations (gas, electrical, fire safety) or urgent compliance directives issued during the contract term could require additional inspections, revised timeframes or expanded duties not fully captured in the initial scope. As compliance obligations externally change, the awarded contract may need modification to remain legally compliant. 5. Access and safeguarding-related risks Where tenants refuse access, or where safeguarding issues escalate, additional interventions or specialised support may be required. These risks cannot be fully addressed in the contract at award and may require operational adjustments if they escalate.

Procurement Information

The existing Temporary Accommodation Property Management contract expires on 31 March 2026 and contains no extension option, requiring the Council to put a new contract in place to ensure continuity of service. Operational delays linked to service insourcing decisions, growth of the TA portfolio, and the impact of the WCC/RBKC Cyber Incident meant that the full competitive procurement could not be mobilised in time for an April 2026 start. A short interim contract is therefore necessary to prevent a gap in the delivery of statutory housing, safety and safeguarding functions for households in temporary accommodation. Market engagement indicates that supplier interest in a six-month contract is highly unlikely, and no alternative provider could mobilise safely or compliantly within the limited timeframe available. Any interruption to these services would expose the Council to significant legal, health and safety, financial, and safeguarding risks

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06753e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068672-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

70 - Real estate services

98 - Other community, social and personal services

CPV Codes

70333000 - Housing services

98341100 - Accommodation management services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,889,730 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£1,889,730 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Westminster 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
LONDON
Postcode
SW1E 6QP
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Places for People Group Limited

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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