--- title: "Direct Payment Support Service" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL" published: "2026-02-27" --- # Direct Payment Support Service Buyer: PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53.json) ## Summary Peterborough City Council is undertaking a procurement process for the "Direct Payment Support Service," aimed at providing support to individuals receiving their care via Direct Payments. This tender falls under the health and social services category, with a focus on person-centred support promoting independence, choice, and control. The procurement is currently at the tender stage, employing an open procedure under the Light Touch Regime, following the Procurement Act 2023. The anticipated value of the services is approximately £1,680,000 over a six-year contract period, with service mobilisation expected to commence on 1st July 2026 and the full service starting on 1st October 2026. Interested bidders must submit responses by 27th March 2026. The procurement activity is centred in Peterborough, UK, and facilitated via the ProContract procurement portal. This tender offers substantial opportunities for growth and collaboration, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs). The successful bidder will manage a comprehensive service that includes financial services like payroll and account management, alongside maintaining a Personal Assistant Register. This contract is well-suited for organisations experienced in health and social work services and capable of providing high-quality, accessible support whilst ensuring compliance with legal and statutory requirements. The competitive nature of the bidding process, weighted on quality (70%) and cost (30%), presents a promising opening for businesses aspiring to expand their presence in the public sector service delivery landscape. ## Notice The Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) will ensure that individuals who choose to receive their care via a Direct Payment are enabled, empowered and supported to manage them safely, legally and in line with statutory requirements.The service will provide high-quality, person-centred support that promotes independence, choice, and control. The service will provide information, advice and guidance to the Direct Payment Recipient on being an employer, be responsible for managing the Personal Assistant (PA) Register, and offer financial services including managed accounts and a fully auditable payroll. The DPSS will operate as part of the wider Children and Adult's Social Care offer in Peterborough, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and a seamless experience for individuals, families, and professionals. The Authority is conducting the procurement using the open procedure in accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 for the purpose of procuring the services. The Authority reserves the right to deviate from the formalities of the open procedure given the flexibilities permitted by Regulation 9 of the Procurement Act 2023 in the conduct of procurements for "wholly or mainly for the supply of services of a kind specified in regulations under subsection (2)", otherwise referred to as "Light Touch Regime" procurement. The Authority proposes to enter into one Contract for a maximum period of 6 years, being an initial term of 3 years and extensions of up to 3 years (1 x 24 month extension and 1 x 12 month extension), with the successful Bidder. The anticipated service commencement date is 1st October 2026 which may be subject to change dependent on the Authority's governance and requirements. The Authority expects the mobilisation of services to commence three months prior to the services commencement date; therefore, mobilisation is anticipated to commence from 1st July 2026. The anticipated value of the Services is approximately PS1,680,000 over the full contract term of six years. ### Lot Information Lot 1 Renewal: 1 x 24 month extension (2 years) 1 x 12 month extension (1 year) ### Planning Information THIS IS NOT A CALL TO COMPETITION. This is a Preliminary Market Engagement event in relation to the Direct Payment Support Service. This preliminary market engagement event does not form any part of any invitation to tender. Peterborough City Council is issuing this request for information only. Any supplier invited to present to the Authority is doing so to support market research only and to help make any potential procurement process more focused and efficient. No supplier selection or supplier preference is implied. Peterborough City Council's Direct Payment Support Service provides essential information and advice to people who receive a direct payment from the Council and/or their representatives, parents or carers. The service helps people to find, recruit and pay for the types of care and support they wish to receive. This enables people with care needs to have greater choice and control over the care they receive. The service under the proposed contract has been mainly used by adults but is also available for children/young people with a direct payment. For a monthly fee, direct payment recipients can also arrange to have their direct payment paid into a third party supported account managed by the provider. The provider carries out financial transactions on their instructions, pays wages directly into their care or support workers' bank accounts and provides them with a monthly statement of their account. The current offer is due to end at the end of September 2026, so the Council is reviewing the contract to make plans for the future. The preliminary market engagement event can be accessed via ProContract at this link: https://procontract.due-north.com/Supplier/Advert/View?advertId=ec0cd459-bad1-f011-813a-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=False&fromRfxSummary=False&selectWorkgroup=False&fromAdvertEvent=False&fromActivityDashboard=False&restrictedPortalId=fa9a9b42-8212-ed11-8117-005056b64545 If you do not already have an account with ProContract you can register and create an account for free. Once you have accessed the advert, please click on the green "Register interest in this opportunity". Doing this will allow you to access the Preliminary Market Engagement event and associated document. Once the questions within the document have been completed, please upload your response via ProContract. The event will remain open until 23:30 on 19th December 2025. If you have any questions whilst this event is live and you have already registered your interest, please use the ProContract messaging facility. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017733-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning, Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 27 Feb 2026 | | Submission deadline | 27 Mar 2026 | | Future notice date | 26 Feb 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2029 | | Recurrence | 2032-02-26 | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1,680,000 | | Lots value | £1,680,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL | | Locality | PETERBOROUGH | | Post town | Peterborough | | Postcode | PE2 8TY | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH4 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | | ITL 3 | TLH41 Peterborough | | Local authority | Peterborough | | Electoral ward | Fletton and Stanground | | Westminster constituency | North West Cambridgeshire | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 27 Feb 2026 at 10:15 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017733-2026 - 5 Dec 2025 at 09:44 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079988-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017733-2026 27th February 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079988-2025 5th December 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/Supplier/Advert/View?advertId=c3565eb7-2312-f111-813c-005056b64545 - https://procontract.due-north.com/Supplier/Advert/View?advertId=c3565eb7-2312-f111-813c-005056b64545OnceyouhaveregisteredforanaccountonProContractpleaseclickontheabovelinkandsubmitanExpressionofInterest,thiswillgrantyouaccesstothetenderpack.PleaseindicateviatheProcurementPortalwhetheryouintendtosubmitaBidinresponsetothisinvitationbyselectingthegreen"Accept"buttonorthewhite"Decline"buttonintheright-handcorner.Allquestionsanditemsinthe'Content'sectionarenotactivateduntiltheRequestInvitationisaccepted.ThismeansthatBidderscannotstartRespondingtotheRequestbeforeAcceptingtheInvitationbutcanreviewquestionsanditemstodecidewhethertoAcceptorDecline.InordertocompleteyourelectronicBid,therequiredareasmustbecompletedwithintheProContractsystemand,whererequired,documentsdownloadedtoyoursystem,completedanduploadedtothecorrectareaoftheProcurementPortalinaccordancewiththereturninstructionsandthestateddeadlineforsubmissionofresponses.Ifyouhaveanyquestionswhilstthiseventisliveandyouhavealreadyregisteredyourinterest,pleaseusetheProContractmessagingfacility. - https://procontract.due-north.com/Supplier/Advert/View?advertId=ec0cd459-bad1-f011-813a-005056b64545&fromProjectDashboard=False&fromRfxSummary=False&selectWorkgroup=False&fromAdvertEvent=False&fromActivityDashboard=False&restrictedPortalId=fa9a9b42-8212-ed11-8117-005056b64545 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/business/supplying-the-council/supply-opportunities ## 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-05ef53. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ef53.json.