--- title: "Market Engagement Notice for The Provision of Foster Care Placements from the Independent Sector for Looked After Children in Northern Ireland" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02998a" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02998a" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02998a.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02998a.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS SERVICE ON BEHALF OF HSC TRUSTS NORTHERN IRELAND" published: "2021-03-08" --- # Market Engagement Notice for The Provision of Foster Care Placements from the Independent Sector for Looked After Children in Northern Ireland Buyer: PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS SERVICE ON BEHALF OF HSC TRUSTS NORTHERN IRELAND Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02998a [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02998a) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02998a.json) ## Summary The Procurement and Logistics Service, representing the Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts in Northern Ireland, is planning a procurement process for the provision of foster care placements from the independent sector for looked after children. This initiative, titled "Market Engagement Notice for The Provision of Foster Care Placements," falls under the health and social work services category. The engagement aims to gauge market interest and prepare suppliers for upcoming tender opportunities, with an expression of interest deadline set for 22nd March 2021. The procurement is currently in the planning stage, with further developments expected to be communicated by 1st July 2021. This tender offers significant growth opportunities for businesses in the social care sector, particularly those specialising in foster care services. Companies that provide independent foster placement services or related social work activities would be well-suited to participate in this market engagement. By expressing interest, organisations can position themselves for potential contracts, contributing to the welfare of looked after children in Northern Ireland while expanding their market reach. The new light touch regime introduced by the Public Contract Regulations 2015 also invites specialised entities to engage more flexibly with public sector needs. ## Notice HSC wish to inform the market that they are planning to procure the provision of independent sector foster placements for looked after children in Northern Ireland. The vast majority of looked after children are cared for in foster care placements and this is consistent with the strategic direction of looked after children services in Northern Ireland. In the main these foster care placements are delivered via the health and social care (HSC) Trust's fostering services and this is set to continue. Within Northern Ireland there are also fostering placements delivered via the independent sector. The purpose of this market engagement is to prepare for this procurement, gauge the level of interest in the provision of such services and discuss the procurement plan and envisaged timelines in advance of any formal tender process. HSC considers engagement with interested providers as an important step in this procurement. To make an expression of interest please email PaLSSocialcare.Sourcing@hscni.net providing the following information: -- organisation name, -- brief description of services you provide, -- web address if applicable, Please email by close of play Monday 22nd March 2021. How HSC plan to hold market engagement is still to be determined but all interested providers will be included. Note: A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was previously dispatched on 25 October 2019 - 2019/S 210-514297. Any providers who expressed interest to the previous PIN need not express interest again since they will be included in market engagement. Note: This is not a call for tender. Market engagement is for information purposes only. Any interest shown does not constitute a commitment to participate in a procurement exercise. Failure to show interest does not restrict providers from participating in any procurement exercise. There is no guarantee a procurement process will run. Any procurement opportunity will be advertised on eTendersni.gov.uk website. Note: The Public Contract Regulations (PCR 2015) have changed the way HSC are required to procure social and other specific services 'to the person' with the introduction of the light touch regime (LTR) -- (Regulation 74- 77 applies). A decision with regards to lots is close to being finalised. ### Lot Information Lot 1 HSC wish to inform the market that they are planning to procure the provision of independent sector foster placements for looked after children in Northern Ireland. The vast majority of looked after children are cared for in foster care placements and this is consistent with the strategic direction of looked after children services in Northern Ireland. In the main these foster care placements are delivered via the health and social care (HSC) Trust's fostering services and this is set to continue. Within Northern Ireland there are also fostering placements delivered via the independent sector. The purpose of this market engagement is to prepare for this procurement, gauge the level of interest in the provision of such services and discuss the procurement plan and envisaged timelines in advance of any formal tender process. HSC considers engagement with interested providers as an important step in this procurement. To make an expression of interest please email PaLSSocialcare.Sourcing@hscni.net providing the following information: -- organisation name, -- brief description of services you provide, -- web address if applicable, Please email by close of play Monday 22nd March 2021. How HSC plan to hold market engagement is still to be determined but all interested providers will be included. Note: A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was previously dispatched on 25 October 2019 - 2019/S 210-514297. Any providers who expressed interest to the previous PIN need not express interest again since they will be included in market engagement. Note: This is not a call for tender. Market engagement is for information purposes only. Any interest shown does not constitute a commitment to participate in a procurement exercise. Failure to show interest does not restrict providers from participating in any procurement exercise. There is no guarantee a procurement process will run. Any procurement opportunity will be advertised on eTendersni.gov.uk website. Note: The Public Contract Regulations (PCR 2015) have changed the way HSC are required to procure social and other specific services 'to the person' with the introduction of the light touch regime (LTR) -- (Regulation 74- 77 applies). A decision with regards to lots is close to being finalised. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004633-2021 | | Notice type | Planning Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Mar 2021 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 30 Jun 2021 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS SERVICE ON BEHALF OF HSC TRUSTS NORTHERN IRELAND | | Locality | ARMAGH | | Post town | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT61 7PR | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN07 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | | Local authority | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | | Electoral ward | Cathedral | | Westminster constituency | Newry and Armagh | | Delivery location | TLN Northern Ireland | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services - 85300000 - Social work and related services - 85311000 - Social work services with accommodation ## Release History - 8 Mar 2021 at 16:16 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/004633-2021 ## Notice URLs - https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02998a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02998a.json.