---
title: "Direct Payment Support Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-064ead"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064ead"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064ead.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064ead.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2026-02-12"
---

# Direct Payment Support Service

Buyer: DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-064ead

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064ead)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064ead.json)

## Summary

Darlington Borough Council is currently in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Direct Payment Support Service." This service aims to provide information, advice, and support to individuals in Darlington with unmet eligible needs under The Care Act 2014 who can benefit from Direct Payments. The industry category for this procurement is health and social work services, and it falls under the services procurement classification. The procurement process includes pre-market engagement, involving a survey to gather feedback from providers, with the milestone due by 27th February 2026. The council is planning to publish the future notice by 2nd April 2026. The contract is expected to begin on 1st September 2026, with a maximum contract period extending until 31st August 2030.

This tender presents a strong opportunity for businesses specialising in health and social work services, particularly those interested in providing direct support services and advice within local communities. It is especially suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) due to its light-touch procurement regime. Businesses that can effectively engage with the pre-market engagement process and demonstrate expertise in supporting clients to navigate direct payments and fulfil their support needs can establish significant growth potential by securing this contract. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to influence how services are delivered, fostering innovation and tailored support pathways within the Darlington region.

## Notice

Darlington Borough Council wishes to appoint a single Contractor for the provision of a Direct Payment Support Service to meet the information, advice and support needs of individuals living within the Borough of Darlington who have been assessed to have unmet eligible needs under The Care Act 2014, or are transferring from commissioned support and identified needs can be met with a Direct Payment.

### Planning Information

The pre-market engagement include a survey to gather feedback from providers.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012741-2026 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 2 Apr 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2027 |
| 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 | DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | DARLINGTON |
| Post town | Darlington |
| Postcode | DL1 5QT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Electoral ward | Park East |
| Westminster constituency | Darlington |
| Delivery location | TLC13 Darlington |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 12 Feb 2026 at 10:40 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012741-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012741-2026
  12th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-064ead. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064ead.json.