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Expression of Interest (EOI): Soft Block Contract for Independent Fostering

Bristol City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Sep 2026 at 13:56

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bristol City Council is exploring an independent fostering agency service to increase the supply of foster carers for children in care. The intended soft block arrangement would support the council’s Home Finding Team in identifying suitable carers and enable children’s commissioning to fund foster placements through the council’s financial delegation arrangements. Its purpose is to prevent children moving into residential care where that is not appropriate. The service would cover Bristol and the surrounding areas of Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire and North Somerset. This is a health and social work service, classified under CPV 85000000, delivered through fostering placements and carer provision across the stated areas.

This procurement is at the planning and preliminary market-engagement stage. Bristol City Council is testing market interest through an expression of interest process for a planned soft block contract; it is not yet an invitation to tender. The council expects expressions of interest to be submitted by 9 October 2026 via an EOI form, with the specification included on that form and clarification questions handled through the portal’s messaging function. The anticipated contract period is 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028, with a possible extension to 31 December 2029. The estimated value is £3,000,000 excluding VAT, or £3,600,000 including VAT. The service is above the relevant threshold and subject to the light-touch regime.

The engagement is likely to suit an established independent fostering agency able to recruit, assess, manage and support foster carers, and to provide placements for children in care across Bristol and the surrounding authorities. Suppliers should be able to work in partnership with a council Home Finding Team, identify carers whose location and circumstances meet placement needs, and support priority use of carers managed by the agency who live outside Bristol. Relevant organisations will need the operational capacity to sustain a substantial, multi-area fostering service and coordinate with children’s commissioning and council funding arrangements. Agencies with experience of preventing unsuitable moves into residential care and developing innovative partnership models should be well placed to prepare for the future competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Expression of Interest (EOI): Soft Block Contract for Independent Fostering

Notice Description

Expression of Interest (EOI) Bristol City Council wishes to test the level of market interest in providing a service o increase the sufficiency of foster carers for our children in care in Bristol and the surrounding areas (BANES / Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire and North Somerset). Simultaneously this will create an innovative partnership with an independent fostering agency (IFA) offering priority utilisation in regard to foster carers managed by the same IFA that reside outside of Bristol. Our overall aim of this soft block contract is to prevent children moving into residential care, where not appropriate. Once carers have been identified by our Home Finding Team (HFT) in partnership with the IFA, BCC children's commissioning can utilise the agreed and current financial scheme of delegation to put funding for foster placements into place.

Planning Information

Expressions of interest via an Expression Of Interest (EOI) form to be uploaded via ProContract portal. Specification can be found on the EOI form. Clarification questions can be asked via the messages tab.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077681
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089177-2026
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

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 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
Bristol 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
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS1 5TR
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK51 Bristol, City of
Delivery Location
TLK1 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Local Authority
Bristol, City of
Electoral Ward
Hotwells and Harbourside
Westminster Constituency
Bristol Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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