Award

East Suffolk Housing Pathway ;Lots 1, 2 and 5

EAST SUFFOLK COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

01 Jun 2026 at 09:50

Award

01 Jun 2026 at 09:38

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for the "East Suffolk Housing Pathway Lots 1, 2, and 5" involves East Suffolk Council as the buying organisation, with Orwell Housing Association Ltd. appointed as the supplier. This contract, categorised under services, focuses on providing supported accommodation in East Suffolk. The procurement was conducted through a direct award due to the urgent need to continue services following the insolvency of the previous provider, Access Community Trust. The procurement process reached the award stage on 1st June 2026, with the contract period starting on 12th June 2026 and ending on 10th March 2028. This project operates within a public authority framework and targets the accommodation and housing services industry, with its location specified in the UKH region.

This tender presents significant opportunities for large organisations with the capability to manage housing services, particularly those that can mobilise quickly and ensure continuity of support for vulnerable individuals. Given the circumstances under which the contract was directly awarded, businesses with established infrastructure and proven expertise in dealing with emergency situations will find this contract within their scope. Despite the existing direct award, this overview underscores the importance for similar businesses to maintain operational readiness and adaptability, which can position them for future opportunities in supporting public service missions. The procurement's approach, justified by the need for immediate service continuity, highlights a favourable environment for businesses poised to offer uninterrupted, critical housing services.

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Notice Title

East Suffolk Housing Pathway ;Lots 1, 2 and 5

Notice Description

East Suffolk Housing Pathway Lot 1, 2 and 5 Commissioning bed spaces in East Suffolk that will provide supported accommodation to people with identified housing and support needs but not ready to live independently.

Procurement Information

Due to the immediate insolvency of Access Community trust who previously awarded Lots 1, 2 and 5, this has created an absence of competition for technical and operational reasons. The requirement relates to the continued provision of accommodation and associated services to vulnerable individuals and households already placed within the service. This includes continuity of occupation, property management arrangements, safeguarding provisions, and established support mechanisms. Only Orwell Housing Association is currently able to deliver the requirement because: They have immediate operational capacity to take over and manage the existing accommodation portfolio at short notice; They are able to mobilise without disruption to residents places in the Lots 1, 2 and 5 , ensuring continuity of housing and support arrangements; They possess the necessary infrastructure, and management capability to absorb the service seamlessly. There are no reasonable alternative suppliers who could assume delivery within the required timeframe without significant disruption; A new procurement exercise would result in unavoidable delays, during which accommodation provision could not be guaranteed; Transitioning to a new supplier without continuity would create significant operational and safeguarding risks, including loss of placements and breakdown of support arrangements. Critically, any delay or failure to secure immediate provision would lead to: Eviction of individuals and households currently housed under the contract, and A direct and immediate risk of homelessness, in breach of the Council's statutory duties under the Housing Act 1996 (as amended), including duties to prevent and relieve homelessness. Insolvency The direct award arises directly from the insolvency of Access Community Trust in February 2026. This constitutes a qualifying circumstance under Schedule 5, as the previous provider became subject to insolvency proceedings, resulting in the loss of commissioned supported accommodation bedspaces. This created an immediate requirement to secure alternative provision to maintain service delivery and protect vulnerable residents. The award of the contract to Orwell Housing ensures continued provision of services on terms advantageous to the Council, as it enables continuity within the existing East Suffolk Housing Pathway model without the disruption, delay, or additional cost of re-procuring services in a destabilised market. Extreme and unavoidable urgency The circumstances also meet the test of extreme and unavoidable urgency: The services are strictly necessary, as they relate to the provision of supported accommodation for individuals at risk of homelessness. The urgency was not attributable to the Council, as it resulted from the unforeseen collapse of an external provider. The situation could not reasonably have been foreseen, despite appropriate procurement and contract management arrangements being in place. There is insufficient time to undertake a competitive procurement process without creating a significant risk to service continuity and resident welfare. The direct award to Orwell Housing is therefore justified under Schedule 5 as a special case, as it is both necessary due to supplier insolvency and required to address extreme and unavoidable urgency. The approach is proportionate and ensures continuity of critical services while maintaining compliance with the Procurement Act 2023.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a9fa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051258-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

70 - Real estate services


CPV Codes

45212400 - Accommodation and restaurant buildings

70333000 - Housing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£660,434 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Jun 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
31 May 20263 days ago
Contract Period
11 Jun 2026 - 10 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
EAST SUFFOLK 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
WOODBRIDGE
Postcode
IP12 1RT
Post Town
Ipswich
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH63 East Suffolk
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
East Suffolk
Electoral Ward
Melton
Westminster Constituency
Suffolk Coastal

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ORWELL HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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