--- title: "Sensory Services SOFT MARKET TEST" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-056062" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056062" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056062.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056062.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "KNOWSLEY COUNCIL" published: "2025-07-16" --- # Sensory Services SOFT MARKET TEST Buyer: KNOWSLEY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-056062 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056062) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056062.json) ## Summary Knowsley Council is planning a public procurement process for Sensory Services under its latest engagement initiative. This process involves exploring possibilities for future tenders addressing services for individuals with visual or hearing impairments. The procurement falls within the industry category of health services, classified under CPV code 85100000, and is located in Sale, United Kingdom. Currently in the planning stage, the procurement includes a Soft Market Test with a scheduled completion date for market engagement set on 27 August 2025. This preparation phase is expected to pave the way for a tender opportunity spanning a period from 30 September 2026 to 29 September 2036 under a special light-touch regime. This tender spearheaded by Knowsley Council offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in health services, particularly those providing support for sensory impairments. Companies with expertise in maintaining visual impairment registers, conducting home assessments, offering habilitation or rehabilitation services, as well as organisations skilled in British Sign Language instruction up to Level 2, will find this tender particularly suited for their expansion interests. Moreover, businesses offering advocacy or preventative awareness services in reducing sensory impairments are well positioned to support Knowsley Council's objectives, thereby facilitating further business growth in the field of health and social care. ## Notice THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION, THIS IS A SOFT MARKET TEST ONLY. Knowsley Council is exploring options to retender services for Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. * A contract to support Children and Adults with visual impairments. This is expected to include: o Maintaining the Council's register of people who have a Certification of Visual Impairment for both Children and Adults, o Home assessments, ordering, storage and installation of equipment and technology to help people with a certified visual impairment live independently at home, o Habilitation and rehabilitation to help people with a certified visual impairment regain or develop the skills they need to live independently at home, o Prevention - raising awareness in the general population of how to reduce the risk of sight loss, o Signposting - helping people navigate the various services that can support them to live well, o Advocacy to support people with a registered visual impairment to exercise their rights to fair treatment. * A contract to support Children and Adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. This is expected to include: o Home assessment, ordering, storage and installation of equipment and technology to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing live independently at home, o Habilitation and rehabilitation to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing regain or develop the skills they need to live independently at home, o Teaching British Sign Language up to Level 2 to people who are deaf or hard of hearing and their immediate carers, including family sign language lesson for children, o Interpretation at British Sign Language (BSL) Level 6 standard to facilitate assessments for deaf individuals, o Prevention - raising awareness in the general population of how to reduce the risk of hearing loss, o Signposting - helping people navigate the various services that can support them to live well. o Advocacy to support people with a registered visual impairment to exercise their rights to fair treatment ### Planning Information Soft Market Test for Sensory Services for Knowsley Council. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040570-2025 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement 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 | 16 Jul 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 27 Aug 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 29 Sep 2026 - 29 Sep 2036 | | 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 | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | KNOWSLEY COUNCIL | | Locality | SALE | | Post town | Manchester | | Postcode | M33 7ZF | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester | | ITL 3 | TLD34 Greater Manchester South West | | Local authority | Trafford | | Electoral ward | Sale Central | | Westminster constituency | Wythenshawe and Sale East | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85100000 - Health services ## Release History - 16 Jul 2025 at 13:58 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040570-2025 - 16 Jul 2025 at 13:35 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040551-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040570-2025 16th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040551-2025 16th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.star-procurement.gov.uk - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-056062. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056062.json.