---
title: "Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the re-procurement of an Appropriate Adult Service"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06966e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06966e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06966e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06966e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-05-12"
---

# Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the re-procurement of an Appropriate Adult Service

Buyer: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06966e

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## Summary

The procurement process initiated by Durham County Council involves a preliminary market engagement for the re-procurement of an Appropriate Adult Service, which falls under the health and social work services industry category. The process is currently in the planning stage with an important key date being the deadline for the preliminary market engagement questionnaire on 26th May 2026. The service is intended to be delivered from a central custody suite in Spennymoor, County Durham, and covers the UKC14 region. The procurement falls under the 'light touch' regime with a special focus on safeguarding vulnerable individuals during police interactions. The future notice date for this process is set for 1st June 2026.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in health and social work services, particularly those with expertise in safeguarding and supporting vulnerable individuals. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) should consider competing, as the procurement is designed to be suitable for such organisations. Participating in this procurement can help businesses expand their service portfolios and establish a strong presence in the regional public sector by contributing to a crucial community service. With the contract running from October 2026 to September 2028, this opportunity not only promises stability but also the potential for longer-term public sector engagement.

## Notice

The council are inviting suppliers to participate in preliminary engagement to gain insight from the market with the purpose of making any potential future exercise, well framed, feasible, focused and of likely interest to the market. This preliminary market engagement questionnaire is to seek potential providers views for key areas of service provision: An Appropriate Adult (AA) service is a safeguarding service used in the criminal justice system to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable people when they are involved with the police. It exists because some people may not fully understand police procedures or be able to communicate effectively without support. The Service is delivered from a central custody suite in Spennymoor, County Durham, however on occasions Appropriate Adults may be required to attend alternative locations when a voluntary attendance interview is undertaken. The AA service currently assists custody for vulnerable adults and children on a call out basis as and when required. For adults this service is 24/7 and for children this is out of hours including bank holidays.

### Planning Information

A preliminary market engagement questionnaire has been published at www.open.org-uk and documents can be accessed free of charge using reference OPEN20261027

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043345-2026 |
| 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 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 1 Jun 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 |
| 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 | DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | DURHAM |
| Post town | Durham |
| Postcode | DH1 5WB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC41 Durham |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| Electoral ward | Framwellgate and Newton Hall |
| Westminster constituency | City of Durham |
| Delivery location | TLC14 Durham |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 12 May 2026 at 09:34 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043345-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043345-2026
  12th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.durham.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-06966e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06966e.json.