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Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Support Services

Reading Borough Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

26 Oct 2026 at 09:27

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Reading Borough Council plans to commission rough sleeping and homelessness support services in Reading. The programme is intended to support the council’s Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, with a focus on preventing homelessness early, breaking cycles of homelessness and rough sleeping, and helping people access safe, settled and affordable housing. Services are being reviewed to make them prevention-focused and housing-led, and able to support people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage. The council recognises that these needs can be driven by housing affordability, health inequalities, trauma, financial hardship and social exclusion, and expects a coordinated response spanning housing, health, social care and community services. This is social work and related support services.

The process is at the planning and preliminary market engagement stage; the council has stated that this engagement is not part of a formal procurement. It expects to procure the services in early 2027 and currently anticipates a contract period from September 2027 to August 2029, with possible extension to August 2033. The estimated value is £3.7 million excluding VAT (£4.44 million including VAT). The service is presented as a single lot. The council is seeking feedback on proposed service design, how services connect, delivery models and indicative funding envelopes to inform future specifications, procurement documents and commissioning arrangements. It has planned a questionnaire and a Teams question-and-answer session for interested organisations as part of this market engagement.

The work is likely to suit providers with experience delivering homelessness and rough sleeping support, particularly housing-led and prevention-focused services for people facing multiple disadvantage. Organisations able to coordinate effectively with housing, health, social care and community services will be well placed to contribute to the intended model. The council’s stated priorities suggest it is looking for services that can intervene early, help people move away from repeated homelessness, and support access to safe, settled and affordable housing. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable participants. At this stage, suppliers can help shape the service design, interfaces between services, delivery models and funding assumptions through the planned market engagement, ahead of the formal procurement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Support Services

Notice Description

Reading Borough Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of a planned procurement of rough sleeping and homelessness support services in early 2027. The future commissioning programme will support delivery of the Council's Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2031, which sets out a vision for homelessness and rough sleeping to be rare, brief and non-recurring. The strategy recognises that homelessness is driven by a range of factors, including housing affordability, health inequalities, trauma, financial hardship and social exclusion, and requires a coordinated response across housing, health, social care and community services. The Council's priorities in the strategy are to: * Intervene early to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping * Break the cycle of homelessness and rough sleeping * Make sure everyone can access safe, settled and affordable housing The Council is reviewing its current homelessness support services to ensure future services are prevention-focused, housing-led and capable of meeting the needs of people experiencing rough sleeping, homelessness and multiple disadvantage. Through this market engagement exercise, the Council is seeking feedback on the proposed service design, interfaces between services, delivery models, and the indicative funding envelopes. This engagement is intended to inform the development of service specifications, procurement documents and commissioning arrangements and does not form part of any formal procurement process.

Planning Information

Questionnaire Teams Q&A session – scheduled for 25 November 2026 at 10am. Please register interest using the below email. Please state your name, your role and your organisation. Interested organisations are invited to review the proposed service models and complete the market engagement questionnaire by contacting housing.commissioning@reading.gov.uk

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078fc3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100824-2026
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

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85300000 - Social work and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,700,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 1 Sep 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
Reading Borough 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
READING
Postcode
RG1 2LU
Postcode Area
Reading
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
TLJ11 Berkshire
Local Authority
Reading
Electoral Ward
Abbey
Westminster Constituency
Reading Central

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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