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Supported Living Services

Argyll and Bute Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

20 Oct 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Argyll and Bute Council buys supported living services for adults with complex care needs across Argyll and Bute. Support is intended for adults with learning or intellectual disabilities, neurodevelopmental conditions, complex mental health conditions and other lifelong health conditions. The service combines care and support at home, personal care and housing support with help to build life skills, improve wellbeing and social inclusion, and take part in community activities, education, training and paid work. Providers are expected to help people access ordinary community life and spend meaningful time with people who are not receiving complex care or working as paid carers. This is a social care service requirement (CPV 85300000), rather than a purchase of goods or construction work.

The procurement is complete and contracts are active. Argyll and Bute Council used a limited procedure without a prior competition, making direct awards to existing providers to maintain continuity and quality for service users. Six providers were selected: Key Community Supports, Mariner Support Associates Ltd, Scottish Autism, Affinity Trust, Cornerstone Community Care, and Care No1 Ltd trading as The No1 Care Agency. Each contract is recorded at £1 and signed on 20 October 2026; these are separate figures, not a combined contract value. The planned contract duration is two years. The arrangement covers one lot and operates as a framework. Providers must meet the Council’s pre-qualification requirements; economic operators subject to the exclusion situations in regulation 58 may be excluded. The Council’s stated basis for the direct awards was continuity and individual outcomes.

This award shows demand for providers able to deliver person-centred supported living for adults with complex needs in Argyll and Bute. A credible provider needs to combine reliable support at home, personal care and housing support with practical work on independence, life skills, health, wellbeing and social inclusion. Community participation is central: services should help people access everyday activities, education, training and paid employment, and spend time with the wider community rather than mainly with other service users or paid carers. The Council’s approach favours continuity for existing service users and requires providers to satisfy its pre-qualification requirements. Organisations with the capacity to sustain consistent, individualised support and demonstrate positive outcomes are therefore best placed to compete if this requirement returns to market.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Supported Living Services

Notice Description

The Council has a requirement to enter into contract with a number of care Providers for the provision of Supported Living Services for Adults living with Complex Care needs For the purpose of this contract Complex Care may include: Adults living with a Learning/Intellectual Disability; Adults living with a Neurodevelopmental conditions; Adults living with a spectrum of complex Mental Health conditions; Adults living with other lifelong health conditions

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Council has a requirement to enter into contract with a number of care Providers for the provision of Supported Living Services for Adults living with Complex Care needs For the purpose of this contract Complex Care may include: Adults living with a Learning/Intellectual Disability; Adults living with a Neurodevelopmental conditions; Adults living with a spectrum of complex Mental Health conditions; Adults living with other lifelong health conditions The models of support being deployed reflect the national policy of promoting independence and responsibility, enabling people to feel safe, improving health, wellbeing and social inclusion, improving skills and confidence. This will be achieved through supporting adults with Complex Care needs to have a say, listening, respecting and responding to them in a reliable and positive way, by helping them develop life skills and by providing opportunities to access a range of activities that promote this. Supported Living services not only include care and support at home, personal care and housing support services but include as key features; improving community involvement, access to education, training and paid employment opportunities. The Provider must demonstrate that individuals spend a significant part of their time with people who do not have Complex Care needs or are paid carers i.e. access to services in the wider community, the same as anyone else would do, either with or without support, thus enabling individuals to lead a full life.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Procurement Information

The contract concerns services subject to the Light Touch Regime under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. In accordance with Regulation 76, the Council has determined the procedure to be applied having regard to the specific nature of the services and the needs of service users, including the importance of continuity and quality of service. The Council considers direct awards to existing providers appropriate and proportionate to maintain continuity for existing service users and support the achievement of their individual outcomes. Providers must satisfy the Council's pre-qualification requirements and will form part of its resource of qualified providers. The resource remains open to new providers who meet those requirements.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000846079
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT566995
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

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
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Argyll and Bute 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
LOCHGILPHEAD
Postcode
PA31 8RT
Postcode Area
Paisley
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM2 Highlands and Islands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM20 Highlands and Islands
Delivery Location
TLM63 Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae, and Argyll and Bute, TLM81 East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, and Helensburgh and Lomond
Local Authority
Argyll and Bute
Electoral Ward
Mid Argyll
Westminster Constituency
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
6
Supplier Names

Key Community Supports

Mariner Support Associates Ltd

Scottish Autism

Affinity Trust

Cornerstone

Care No1 Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT566995
    Supported Living Services - The Council has a requirement to enter into contract with a number of care Providers for the provision of Supported Living Services for Adults living with Complex Care needs For the purpose of this contract Complex Care may include: Adults living with a Learning/Intellectual Disability; Adults living with a Neurodevelopmental conditions; Adults living with a spectrum of complex Mental Health conditions; Adults living with other lifelong health conditions

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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