Planning

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Alternative Provision (AP) services for children and young people with SEND

Metropolitan borough of Bury

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

08 Oct 2026 at 12:48

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council intends to commission alternative provision services for children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, at risk of exclusion, or unable to access mainstream or specialist education. The service is intended to provide a graduated range of education and support: mainstream in-reach and early intervention, full-time alternative provision, specialist bespoke provision, vocational and employability pathways, preparation for adulthood after age 16, and tutoring. Its central purpose is to help young people return to mainstream education or move to suitable longer-term provision. The council proposes a two-tier directory of Core Providers and Approved Providers. Delivery is in Bury, within the wider Greater Manchester area.

The process is at planning stage: the council has announced its intention to procure and is undertaking preliminary market engagement, not inviting tenders. It expects to use a commissioning arrangement, with the procurement route and final service specification to be shaped by engagement. A live market-engagement event is planned for 19 October 2026, followed by a questionnaire for attendees and interested providers; individual follow-up meetings may also be arranged. The intended service period is 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2031, with a possible extension to 30 June 2032. The procurement is divided into one lot. The lot is marked as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. No evaluation basis or estimated contract value is stated here.

This planned arrangement may suit education and training providers able to deliver flexible support across different levels of need, rather than a single narrow service. Relevant capabilities include early intervention and work within mainstream settings, full-time alternative education, specialist provision for children and young people with SEND, tutoring, vocational and employability programmes, and post-16 preparation for adulthood. Providers with experience supporting young people at risk of exclusion and helping them reintegrate into mainstream education or progress to suitable longer-term provision will be well placed to contribute. The council is explicitly seeking views from SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises, as well as providers able to identify gaps in specialist and therapeutic provision. Market engagement is intended to test service design, provider capacity and appetite, the proposed provider-directory structure, pricing and the eventual procurement approach.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Alternative Provision (AP) services for children and young people with SEND

Notice Description

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council ("the Council") intends to establish a new commissioning arrangement for the delivery of Alternative Provision (AP) to children and young people, with a particular focus on those with SEND, those at risk of exclusion, and those unable to access mainstream or specialist education. The service will deliver a graduated continuum of support from mainstream in-reach and early intervention through to full-time AP, specialist bespoke provision, vocational and employability pathways, Post-16 preparation for adulthood, and tutoring with the primary aim of supporting reintegration into mainstream education or transition to the most appropriate longer-term provision. The arrangement is proposed to operate a two-tier directory (Core Providers and Approved Providers). This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is published to inform the market of the Council's intentions and to invite providers, partners and stakeholders to participate in a live PME event and post-event questionnaire. The outputs of PME will inform the final service specification and procurement strategy.

Planning Information

The Council is undertaking PME to: test the proposed service model, lotting structure and market management approach; assess market capacity, appetite and capability (including SMEs and VCSE organisations); identify gaps in specialist and therapeutic provision; and inform the final service specification, pricing mechanism and procurement route. • Live PME event on 19 October 2026 at 16:30 (UK time). • Post-event feedback questionnaire hosted on Microsoft Forms, circulated to all registered attendees and interested parties. • Bilateral follow-up meetings may be arranged with individual providers on request, subject to equal-treatment safeguards. Please use register for the live event using the following link: Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/f644851a-ebb1-4cbf-a370-b79a0d479943@b3b731d0-98c0-440b-8765-8d6464a8ed82?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0783b0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095177-2026
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

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jul 2027 - 1 Jul 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
Postcode Area
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
TLD North West (England)
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.

Loading OCDS record...