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Northamptonshire Children's Trust Pre-Market Engagement Event for the Reopening of the Independent Fostering Arrangements and Children's Homes DPS

Northamptonshire Children's Trust

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

15 Oct 2026 at 11:50

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Northamptonshire Children's Trust plans to reopen its Dynamic Purchasing System for placements with independent fostering agencies and children's homes. The services are intended to provide children in care with safe, suitable homes and support tailored to their needs, wellbeing and development into adulthood. Fostering placements cover standard, enhanced, complex-needs and emergency care, transitions from children's homes to family care, and parent-and-child placements. Children's home placements cover standard, specialist, complex-needs and emergency provision. Delivery is in Northamptonshire, including Northampton and surrounding areas. The Trust is holding a pre-market engagement event to explain its plans and hear from providers; it is aimed at residential children's home providers and independent fostering agencies not already on the system.

This is at the planning stage: the Trust has announced an intention to reopen its existing Dynamic Purchasing System, not issued an invitation to tender. The system began on 1 February 2024, with an initial term stated as running to 31 March 2028 and an option to extend to 31 March 2031. The published overall estimated value is £36 million. The Trust expects to publish a further notice on 28 October 2026. Its engagement event is scheduled for 23 October, 2–3pm, online via Microsoft Teams; the Trust plans to discuss the reopening process and commissioning intentions and invite questions and feedback. Providers may apply for one or more service categories when the system reopens. The Light Touch Regime applies. No award criteria or assessment method is stated here.

The planned system is relevant to independent fostering agencies and residential children's home providers seeking future placement work for children in care in Northamptonshire. Providers can consider applying for one or more categories, so organisations focused on particular placement types may be able to take part without covering the full range. The breadth of provision includes routine placements as well as enhanced, specialist, complex-needs and emergency support, transitions from children's homes to family care, and parent-and-child placements. Suppliers will need to be able to provide safe, suitable homes and support responsive to children's individual needs, wellbeing and development. The Trust is seeking market input on its future commissioning plans, so providers with experience delivering these services can use the engagement session to share views and understand the intended reopening before the procurement reaches tender.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Northamptonshire Children's Trust Pre-Market Engagement Event for the Reopening of the Independent Fostering Arrangements and Children's Homes DPS

Notice Description

Northamptonshire Children's Trust (hereafter referred to as the "Children's Trust") is re-opening the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Independent Fostering Arrangements and Children's Homes. Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) would like to invite Residential Children's Home Providers and Independent Fostering Agencies who are not currently part of the framework to attend the forthcoming Pre-Market Engagement Event. As part of the preparations to re-open the Children's Services Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), we are keen to engage with providers, share our future plans, and gain valuable insight from the market. Event Details: Date: Friday 23 October Time: 2:00pm to 3:00pm Venue: Microsoft Teams The session will include: - An overview of the DPS re-opening process. - Future commissioning intentions. - Opportunities for providers to ask questions and provide feedback. - Information on how organisations can participate in future procurement opportunities. To reserve your place, please complete the registration form below: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ioNHCy6kBCYGYBwHZfm0sxUIIV?domain=forms.cloud.microsoft Following registration, a Teams meeting link will be sent directly to the email address provided. We encourage any provider interested in future opportunities to attend and look forward to hearing your views The primary role of Independent Fostering Arrangements and Children's Homes is to provide homes to ensure children in our care have a place that is safe and suitable for their individual needs, where they are supported by people who care for them and about them to achieve their full potential, develop resilience, enjoy good health and wellbeing and develop into adulthood. The Children's Trust previously set up the DPS which commenced on 1st February 2024 with an initial term of 4 years and 2 months (i.e. to 31st March 2028), with an option to extend for up to an additional 3 years (until 31st March 2031). Services will be categorised by the following lots that are described further in the specification: Lot 1: Independent Fostering Agency placements for Children in Care Category 1.1 - Standard Category 1.2 - Enhanced Category 1.3 - Complex Needs Category 1.4 - Emergency Category 1.5 - Transition to Family Care from Children's Homes Category 1.6 - Parent and Child Lot 2: Children's Homes placements for Children in Care Category 2.1 - Standard Homes Category 2.2 - Specialist Homes Category 2.3 - Complex Needs Category 2.4 - Emergency Potential Providers can apply for one or more Lots and Categories. Please note: this contract originally started on 1st February 2024. The Light Touch Regime (LTR) applies to the Services under this DPS, as per Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Lot Information

Lot 1: Independent Fostering Arrangements

The primary role of Independent Fostering Arrangements and Children's Homes is to provide homes to ensure children in our care have a place that is safe and suitable for their individual needs, where they are supported by people who care for them and about them to achieve their full potential, develop resilience, enjoy good health and wellbeing and develop into adulthood. The Children's Trust previously set up the DPS which commenced on 1st February 2024 with an initial term of 4 years and 2 months (i.e. to 31st March 2028), with an option to extend for up to an additional 3 years (until 31st March 2031). Services will be categorised by the following lots that are described further in the specification: Lot 1: Independent Fostering Agency placements for Children in Care Category 1.1 - Standard Category 1.2 - Enhanced Category 1.3 - Complex Needs Category 1.4 - Emergency Category 1.5 - Transition to Family Care from Children's Homes Category 1.6 - Parent and Child

Lot 2 - Children's Homes

Potential Providers can apply for one or more Lots and Categories. Please note: this contract originally started on 1st February 2024. The Light Touch Regime (LTR) applies to the Services under this DPS, as per Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07885f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097398-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
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
£36,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
28 Oct 2026Today
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Northamptonshire Children's Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
NORTHAMPTON
Postcode
NN1 1ED
Postcode Area
Northampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF24 West Northamptonshire
Delivery Location
TLF24 West Northamptonshire, TLF25 North Northamptonshire
Local Authority
West Northamptonshire
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Northampton North

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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