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Hotel and other nightly paid accommodation for use as emergency accommodation for homeless households

NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

06 Oct 2026 at 15:09

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

01 Oct 2026 at 15:19

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North Hertfordshire District Council is planning to buy hotel and other short-stay accommodation for homeless households needing emergency or temporary housing. The service would arrange nightly-paid placements, with demand that can vary and bookings potentially needed at short notice, including the same day and outside normal working hours. Accommodation may include hotels, bed-and-breakfast establishments and furnished short-stay properties. The service is intended to provide accommodation when households need an urgent placement. Delivery is for households supported by the Council in North Hertfordshire. The Council is seeking market input on the accommodation types and geographical coverage that suppliers could offer, household requirements, booking arrangements and how placements currently operate. It proposes using several providers rather than relying on one supplier.

The process is at planning: the Council has not issued an invitation to tender. It intends to use a two-year, non-exclusive arrangement with multiple suppliers. The estimated contract period is 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2029. The stated estimated value is £500,000 excluding VAT (£600,000 including VAT); the planning description assumes expenditure of about £250,000 a year across the arrangement, with no guaranteed volume or spend for any individual provider. The Council plans to publish a tender notice around 1 December 2026. Before then, it is inviting voluntary market feedback through a supplier questionnaire and two online engagement sessions; written responses are due by 6 November 2026. Feedback will help shape the specification, pricing mechanism, contract terms and booking process, and will not be scored or used to pre-qualify suppliers.

This arrangement is likely to suit hotels, bed-and-breakfast businesses and providers of furnished short-stay accommodation able to accept placements for homeless households. Providers should consider whether they can offer suitable accommodation across the required geographical coverage, meet differing household needs and respond to variable demand, including same-day bookings and requests outside normal working hours. The Council is seeking practical input on availability, accommodation types, rates and pricing mechanisms, booking and cancellation processes, contractual risks and barriers to supplier participation. Smaller, independent and non-traditional public-sector suppliers are specifically invited to raise concerns and suggest workable alternatives. Providers can contribute through the questionnaire, the online sessions or both; taking part will not give them preference or an advantage in the later tender.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Hotel and other nightly paid accommodation for use as emergency accommodation for homeless households

Notice Description

North Hertfordshire District Council is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement in relation to a proposed two-year, non-exclusive, multi-supplier arrangement for nightly-paid emergency and temporary accommodation for homeless households. Demand is variable and placements may be required on the same day or outside normal working hours. The current planning assumption is approximately PS250,000 aggregate expenditure per year for two years, with no guaranteed volume or spend for any supplier. This exercise is not a tender and responses will not be scored or used to pre-qualify suppliers. The Council is seeking practical feedback to inform the final specification, pricing mechanism, contractual terms and booking process. All responses must be submitted via the Council's e-tendering portal, 'In-Tend,' accessible at https://supplier.in-tend.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/home. For technical assistance, contact the In-Tend Helpdesk at 0845 557 8079 or email support@in-tend.com.

Planning Information

North Herts Council will undertake Preliminary Market Engagement through a combination of a written supplier questionnaire and two online supplier engagement sessions. 1. Supplier questionnaire Interested suppliers are invited to review the Preliminary Market Engagement document and complete the questionnaire available through the Supply Hertfordshire/In-Tend portal under procurement reference NHDC01131137. The questionnaire seeks practical feedback on matters including accommodation type and geographical coverage, same-day availability, household requirements, pricing and rate mechanisms, booking and cancellation arrangements, contractual risks, supplier participation barriers and the proposed two-year multi-supplier arrangement. Brief and practical responses are welcomed. This is not a tender and responses will not be scored or used to pre-qualify suppliers. 2. Online supplier engagement sessions The Council will also hold two online engagement sessions for existing and prospective accommodation providers. These sessions will: - explain the Council's emergency and temporary accommodation requirement and how placements currently operate; - explain the proposed commercial/procurement approach and the issues on which the Council is seeking market feedback; - provide suppliers with an opportunity to comment on the proposed arrangements, raise concerns and suggest alternative or improved approaches; - provide practical guidance on registering on the Supply Hertfordshire/In-Tend portal, locating the opportunity and participating in the subsequent procurement process; and - include a short legal and governance overview explaining the relevant statutory homelessness and procurement context and the principal contractual considerations for the proposed arrangement. The sessions will be interactive and the Council particularly welcomes feedback on anything that may make participation difficult for smaller, independent or non-traditional public-sector suppliers. Details of the online sessions, including joining instructions, will be provided through the Supply Hertfordshire/In-Tend portal. Suppliers may participate in the questionnaire, the online sessions, or both. Participation in the PME is voluntary and will not confer any preference or advantage in the subsequent tender. Material non-confidential information arising from the engagement that is relevant to the future procurement will be reflected appropriately in the final procurement documents. The deadline for written PME responses is 6 November 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077ed7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094352-2026
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

55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services

CPV Codes

55100000 - Hotel services

55110000 - Hotel accommodation services

55250000 - Letting services of short-stay furnished accommodation

55270000 - Services provided by bed and breakfast establishments

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Dec 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 28 Feb 2029 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
NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT 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
LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY
Postcode
SG6 3JF
Postcode Area
Stevenage
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH26 North and East Hertfordshire
Delivery Location
TLH23 Hertfordshire CC
Local Authority
North Hertfordshire
Electoral Ward
Letchworth South West
Westminster Constituency
North East Hertfordshire

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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