---
title: "Children's Short Breaks Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY"
published: "2026-07-17"
---

# Children's Short Breaks Services

Buyer: METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30

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## Summary

The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is in the planning stage of its tender process to recommission SEND Short Breaks services under the project titled "Children's Short Breaks Services." This procurement falls under the services category and is part of a broader strategy to engage market participants in shaping the procurement strategy and service design. The borough is located in the UK, specifically in the regions UKD36 and UKD37, with the tender process scheduled to officially commence on 1st November 2026. A live market engagement presentation is planned for 31st July 2026, with responses due by 18th June 2026. The procurement process employs a framework agreement approach and includes planning to unbundle services by townships within Bury, allowing for targeted service delivery across six townships.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for business growth, particularly for those engaged in community-based service provision or specialist care. Qualified entities, such as VCSE organisations, local specialists, and Ofsted-registered children's homes, are encouraged to participate. The approach allows for a refreshable provider list, fostering an environment conducive to SMEs entering the market. The tender’s structure, which includes a sub-lotted design by service type, promises flexibility and further opportunities to tailor services to specific local needs. Businesses with a track record in providing social work services, children's holiday camps, and daycare services would be particularly well-suited to compete in this procurement process.

## Notice

Bury Council (the Authority) is preparing to recommission its SEND Short Breaks service. Ahead of any procurement, we are seeking expressions of interest and market intelligence from suitably experienced and accredited providers through preliminary market engagement (PME). The PME will share our emerging thinking, test it with providers, and understand the capacity, appetite, local reach and pricing realities of the market. We want to hear from a wide range of organisations, including current providers, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, faith-based providers, youth, play and activity providers, specialist care and overnight providers, Ofsted-registered children's homes, personal assistants and micro-providers, and locally-based provision of all sizes across the six townships of Bury (Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield). This notice is issued pursuant to Section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023 to invite the market to participate in a structured pre-market engagement process ahead of a formal competitive procurement. The purpose of this engagement is to inform the Council's procurement strategy, service model and lot structure ahead of publication of the tender notice. In particular, the Council is seeking market views on: * The proposed unbundling of the current anchor-provider lot into a sub-lotted structure by service type and township, and alternative packaging options considered; * The deliverability of an open, refreshable provider list / framework model with periodic re-opening for new entrants; * Market capacity and appetite across specialist/complex (including overnight residential), targeted and universal/community short breaks provision; * The proposed conditions of participation, including Ofsted and CQC "Good" minimum ratings for specialist and complex service lots; * The proposed Mid-Tier Contract form (zero guaranteed volume, work-order call-off, collective performance management); and * The design of a Direct Payments / Personal Assistant route sitting alongside the commissioned framework.

### Planning Information

The Authority will hold a live market engagement presentation event on Friday 31st July 2026. Organisations wishing to participate should register using the link below:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/44ce40e6-649c-4e41-9818-17003632497d@b3b731d0-98c0-440b-8765-8d6464a8ed82 
Following the presentation, market engagement questions will be issued to all registered participants via Microsoft Forms. The deadline for responses is Thursday 18th June 2026. Responses will be used solely to inform the Authority's procurement strategy and Scope of Works. All responses will be treated in confidence and anonymised in any published summary.
In advance of the live event, supporting information can be made available on request. This will include an outline Pre-Market Engagement (PME) document, together with a draft outline service specification. To request this, please contact:
Comfort Ndigwe on e: C.Ndigwe@bury.gov.uk.
This is engagement only: it is not an invitation to tender and does not commit the Council to any particular procurement route or outcome.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067947-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| 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 | 17 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 1 Nov 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £13,322,176 |
| 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 | METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY |
| Locality | BURY |
| Post town | Bolton |
| Postcode | BL9 0SW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester |
| ITL 3 | TLD37 Greater Manchester North East |
| Local authority | Bury |
| Electoral ward | Bury East |
| Westminster constituency | Bury North |
| Delivery location | TLD36 Greater Manchester North West, TLD37 Greater Manchester North East |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 55241000 - Holiday centre services
- 55242000 - Holiday home services
- 55243000 - Children's holiday-camp services
- 85311000 - Social work services with accommodation
- 85312100 - Daycare services
- 85312110 - Child daycare services
- 85312120 - Daycare services for handicapped children and young people
- 85312200 - Homedelivery of provisions
- 85312310 - Guidance services
- 85312400 - Welfare services not delivered through residential institutions
- 85322000 - Community action programme

## Release History

- 17 Jul 2026 at 14:59 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067947-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067947-2026
  17th July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/44ce40e6-649c-4e41-9818-17003632497d@b3b731d0-98c0-440b-8765-8d6464a8ed82
- 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-06ce30. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ce30.json.