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Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework

Plymouth City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

23 Oct 2026 at 12:31

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Plymouth City Council is seeking providers for homecare services for adults aged 18 and over who have been assessed as needing support at home. The service covers regulated personal care and related support, including help with washing, dressing, toileting, meals and medication, delivered in line with each person’s care and support plan. Providers must respond to changing needs and risks, maintain essential care during disruption, and support independence, wellbeing and community connections. The service may also cover young people moving into adult services and people needing end-of-life care when agreed through assessment and commissioning. Delivery is across Plymouth City Council’s administrative boundaries, in a predominantly urban area with some rural and coastal terrain. Plymouth City Council is the named buyer; NHS Devon Integrated Care Board is also a buyer in the process. The service is classified as social work and related services.

The buyer invited tenders through an open procedure for a light-touch framework. The tender submission deadline was 20 November 2026 at 12:00 UTC; the deadline for questions was 5 November 2026 at 17:00 UTC. The initial contract term is 10 May 2027 to 9 May 2030, with the framework potentially continuing for up to nine years, to 9 May 2036. Its stated value is £312,138,968. There is one lot. The framework is intended to be reopened at three-year intervals to admit new providers and refresh the market. The framework can award call-off contracts with or without reopening competition. Evaluation is weighted 95% for quality method statements and 5% for social value method statements.

This opportunity suits homecare providers able to deliver CQC-regulated personal care across Plymouth, with operational capacity and local arrangements covering the full geographic area. Suppliers need to recruit, vet, train, supervise and maintain competent staff able to provide personal care, nutrition and hydration support, and medication prompting, assistance or administration safely and in accordance with care plans and provider policies. The service calls for an enabling, person-centred approach that promotes dignity, choice and independence, including reablement where appropriate. Providers also need effective business-continuity, emergency prioritisation, escalation and safeguarding practices, and the ability to coordinate with the Council, health and community partners and other framework providers. Experience responding to changes in people’s needs and risks, supporting continuity of care and working with community services will be relevant. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework

Notice Description

Competitive tender exercise for the procurement of Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework. The Council is carrying out this tender process in line with the Procurement Act 2023 ("the Act") under a Light Touch contract. The Service is for adults aged 18 and over who have been assessed as requiring care and support in their own home and for whom Homecare has been identified as the appropriate service response. The relevant Commissioner will determine the support required through assessment, care and support planning, care coordination, brokerage and review. The Provider shall deliver support in accordance with the agreed plan, respond to changes in need or risk and escalate concerns appropriately. The Service may also support young people transitioning to adult services and people with end-of-life care needs, where agreed through the appropriate assessment and commissioning pathway. The Service will operate within the specified boundary zones of Plymouth City Council and subject to ordinary residence. Providers must have the operational capacity and local arrangements required to deliver Homecare across the agreed geographic scope. * Geographic Coverage: Providers must be able to deliver across the agreed Plymouth geographic scope; administrative boundaries of Plymouth City Council. * Volume Profile: Predominantly urban with low density rural and coastal terrain The Provider shall provide CQC-regulated personal care and associated support to meet assessed eligible needs under the Care Act 2014 and achieve the outcomes set out in the person's Care and Support Plan. Support shall be person-centred, strengths-based and proportionate, promoting independence, choice, dignity and wellbeing. The Provider shall ensure staff are appropriately vetted, trained, supervised and competent to safely deliver the support required. Core activities may include: * Personal Care: Support with washing, dressing, grooming, toileting and continence, promoting dignity and independence. * Nutrition and Hydration: Support with meals, eating and drinking, including specialist requirements where identified and staff are appropriately trained and competent. * Medication: Prompting, assisting with or administering medication in accordance with the Care and Support Plan, relevant guidance and Provider policies, with appropriate recording and escalation. * Emergency Prioritisation: Maintaining essential care during disruption through effective business continuity, prioritisation and escalation arrangements. Reablement Providers must adopt an enabling approach, supporting people to retain, regain or develop skills where safe and appropriate and to reduce reliance on commissioned support where this aligns with their assessed needs, strengths and outcomes while recognising where ongoing support is required. Community Networks The Provider shall support people to maintain relationships and access community, voluntary and universal services where this contributes to their agreed outcomes. Providers shall work collaboratively with the Council, health and community partners and other Homecare Framework Providers to support coordinated care, information sharing, continuity and effective responses to changing needs or risks. The anticipated duration of the Light Touch Open Framework is nine (9) years, comprising an initial term of three (3) years. The Framework will be reopened at three-year intervals thereafter (3 + 3 + 3) to allow the admission of new Providers and to refresh the market. Subject to ongoing service requirements and the Authority's discretion, the Framework may continue for the full nine-year period. To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk/

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. Potential Future Modifications: The Authority reserves the right, as its sole discretion to to make modifications during the term of the Framework, including: the procurement of additional Homecare services; the transition from provider returns to a provider portal; and the introduction or expansion of a Trusted Assessor model. Exercising any option is subject to availability of budget, satisfactory performance by the Supplier, and demonstrable continued need for the additional services or resources.

Renewal: The anticipated duration of the Light Touch Open Framework is nine (9) years, comprising an initial term of three (3) years. The Framework will be reopened at three-year intervals thereafter (3 + 3 + 3) to allow the admission of new Providers and to refresh the market. Subject to ongoing service requirements and the Authority's discretion, the Framework may continue for the full nine-year period.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078ee3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100435-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85300000 - Social work and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£312,138,968 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£312,138,968 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
20 Nov 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
10 May 2027 - 9 May 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
2029-10-01

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Plymouth City Council
Additional Buyers

NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PLYMOUTH
Postcode
PL1 3BJ
Postcode Area
Plymouth
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK41 Plymouth
Delivery Location
TLK41 Plymouth
Local Authority
Plymouth
Electoral Ward
St Peter and the Waterfront
Westminster Constituency
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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