Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Children's Short Breaks Services

METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

17 Jul 2026 at 14:59

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is in the planning stage of its tender process to recommission SEND Short Breaks services under the project titled "Children's Short Breaks Services." This procurement falls under the services category and is part of a broader strategy to engage market participants in shaping the procurement strategy and service design. The borough is located in the UK, specifically in the regions UKD36 and UKD37, with the tender process scheduled to officially commence on 1st November 2026. A live market engagement presentation is planned for 31st July 2026, with responses due by 18th June 2026. The procurement process employs a framework agreement approach and includes planning to unbundle services by townships within Bury, allowing for targeted service delivery across six townships.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for business growth, particularly for those engaged in community-based service provision or specialist care. Qualified entities, such as VCSE organisations, local specialists, and Ofsted-registered children's homes, are encouraged to participate. The approach allows for a refreshable provider list, fostering an environment conducive to SMEs entering the market. The tender’s structure, which includes a sub-lotted design by service type, promises flexibility and further opportunities to tailor services to specific local needs. Businesses with a track record in providing social work services, children's holiday camps, and daycare services would be particularly well-suited to compete in this procurement process.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Children's Short Breaks Services

Notice Description

Bury Council (the Authority) is preparing to recommission its SEND Short Breaks service. Ahead of any procurement, we are seeking expressions of interest and market intelligence from suitably experienced and accredited providers through preliminary market engagement (PME). The PME will share our emerging thinking, test it with providers, and understand the capacity, appetite, local reach and pricing realities of the market. We want to hear from a wide range of organisations, including current providers, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, faith-based providers, youth, play and activity providers, specialist care and overnight providers, Ofsted-registered children's homes, personal assistants and micro-providers, and locally-based provision of all sizes across the six townships of Bury (Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield). This notice is issued pursuant to Section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023 to invite the market to participate in a structured pre-market engagement process ahead of a formal competitive procurement. The purpose of this engagement is to inform the Council's procurement strategy, service model and lot structure ahead of publication of the tender notice. In particular, the Council is seeking market views on: * The proposed unbundling of the current anchor-provider lot into a sub-lotted structure by service type and township, and alternative packaging options considered; * The deliverability of an open, refreshable provider list / framework model with periodic re-opening for new entrants; * Market capacity and appetite across specialist/complex (including overnight residential), targeted and universal/community short breaks provision; * The proposed conditions of participation, including Ofsted and CQC "Good" minimum ratings for specialist and complex service lots; * The proposed Mid-Tier Contract form (zero guaranteed volume, work-order call-off, collective performance management); and * The design of a Direct Payments / Personal Assistant route sitting alongside the commissioned framework.

Planning Information

The Authority will hold a live market engagement presentation event on Friday 31st July 2026. Organisations wishing to participate should register using the link below: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/44ce40e6-649c-4e41-9818-17003632497d@b3b731d0-98c0-440b-8765-8d6464a8ed82 Following the presentation, market engagement questions will be issued to all registered participants via Microsoft Forms. The deadline for responses is Thursday 18th June 2026. Responses will be used solely to inform the Authority's procurement strategy and Scope of Works. All responses will be treated in confidence and anonymised in any published summary. In advance of the live event, supporting information can be made available on request. This will include an outline Pre-Market Engagement (PME) document, together with a draft outline service specification. To request this, please contact: Comfort Ndigwe on e: C.Ndigwe@bury.gov.uk. This is engagement only: it is not an invitation to tender and does not commit the Council to any particular procurement route or outcome.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067947-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
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

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

55241000 - Holiday centre services

55242000 - Holiday home services

55243000 - Children's holiday-camp services

85311000 - Social work services with accommodation

85312100 - Daycare services

85312110 - Child daycare services

85312120 - Daycare services for handicapped children and young people

85312200 - Homedelivery of provisions

85312310 - Guidance services

85312400 - Welfare services not delivered through residential institutions

85322000 - Community action programme

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£13,322,176 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Jul 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Nov 20264 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2031 4-5 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
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BURY
Postcode
BL9 0SW
Post Town
Bolton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD37 Greater Manchester North East
Delivery Location
TLD36 Greater Manchester North West, TLD37 Greater Manchester North East
Local Authority
Bury
Electoral Ward
Bury East
Westminster Constituency
Bury North

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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-06ce30-2026-07-17T15:59:37+01:00",
    "date": "2026-07-17T15:59:37+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PVVT-2483-WWMH",
            "name": "Metropolitan borough of Bury",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PVVT-2483-WWMH"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Town Hall, Knowsley Street",
                "locality": "Bury",
                "postalCode": "BL9 0SW",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKD37"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "corporateprocurement@bury.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PVVT-2483-WWMH",
        "name": "Metropolitan borough of Bury"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "The Authority will hold a live market engagement presentation event on Friday 31st July 2026. Organisations wishing to participate should register using the link below: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/44ce40e6-649c-4e41-9818-17003632497d@b3b731d0-98c0-440b-8765-8d6464a8ed82 Following the presentation, market engagement questions will be issued to all registered participants via Microsoft Forms. The deadline for responses is Thursday 18th June 2026. Responses will be used solely to inform the Authority's procurement strategy and Scope of Works. All responses will be treated in confidence and anonymised in any published summary. In advance of the live event, supporting information can be made available on request. This will include an outline Pre-Market Engagement (PME) document, together with a draft outline service specification. To request this, please contact: Comfort Ndigwe on e: C.Ndigwe@bury.gov.uk. This is engagement only: it is not an invitation to tender and does not commit the Council to any particular procurement route or outcome.",
                "dueDate": "2026-08-14T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "067947-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067947-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-07-17T15:59:37+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Children's Short Breaks Services",
        "description": "Bury Council (the Authority) is preparing to recommission its SEND Short Breaks service. Ahead of any procurement, we are seeking expressions of interest and market intelligence from suitably experienced and accredited providers through preliminary market engagement (PME). The PME will share our emerging thinking, test it with providers, and understand the capacity, appetite, local reach and pricing realities of the market. We want to hear from a wide range of organisations, including current providers, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, faith-based providers, youth, play and activity providers, specialist care and overnight providers, Ofsted-registered children's homes, personal assistants and micro-providers, and locally-based provision of all sizes across the six townships of Bury (Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield). This notice is issued pursuant to Section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023 to invite the market to participate in a structured pre-market engagement process ahead of a formal competitive procurement. The purpose of this engagement is to inform the Council's procurement strategy, service model and lot structure ahead of publication of the tender notice. In particular, the Council is seeking market views on: * The proposed unbundling of the current anchor-provider lot into a sub-lotted structure by service type and township, and alternative packaging options considered; * The deliverability of an open, refreshable provider list / framework model with periodic re-opening for new entrants; * Market capacity and appetite across specialist/complex (including overnight residential), targeted and universal/community short breaks provision; * The proposed conditions of participation, including Ofsted and CQC \"Good\" minimum ratings for specialist and complex service lots; * The proposed Mid-Tier Contract form (zero guaranteed volume, work-order call-off, collective performance management); and * The design of a Direct Payments / Personal Assistant route sitting alongside the commissioned framework.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "55241000",
                        "description": "Holiday centre services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "55242000",
                        "description": "Holiday home services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "55243000",
                        "description": "Children's holiday-camp services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85311000",
                        "description": "Social work services with accommodation"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312100",
                        "description": "Daycare services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312110",
                        "description": "Child daycare services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312120",
                        "description": "Daycare services for disabled children and young people"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312200",
                        "description": "Homedelivery of provisions"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312310",
                        "description": "Guidance services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85312400",
                        "description": "Welfare services not delivered through residential institutions"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "85322000",
                        "description": "Community action programme"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKD36",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD37",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 15986611,
            "amount": 13322176,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "specialRegime": [
            "lightTouch"
        ],
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "techniques": {
            "hasFrameworkAgreement": true
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z",
                    "endDate": "2031-01-31T23:59:59Z",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2035-01-31T23:59:59Z"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-11-01T23:59:59Z"
        },
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}