--- title: "Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support (Aiming High)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06d154" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06d154" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d154.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d154.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2026-07-23" --- # Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support (Aiming High) Buyer: STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06d154 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06d154) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d154.json) ## Summary Staffordshire County Council is currently in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support (Aiming High)," aimed at enhancing the existing services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Staffordshire. The procurement process involves a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise to inform future commissioning, set to commence in April 2027, with potential contracts lasting until March 2029 or 2030, should the renewal option be exercised. This initiative is classified under the services category and specifically aims to provide daycare services for disabled children and young people. Businesses interested in this opportunity should register on Proactis, where key engagement documents are available. The deadline for initial engagement feedback is set for 24th August 2026. This tender presents an excellent growth opportunity for businesses that specialise in inclusive and high-quality service delivery for children and young people with SEND. It is particularly suitable for organisations experienced in providing innovative solutions tailored to support varying levels of need, including complex disabilities, across a mix of rural and underserved areas in Staffordshire. The Council encourages participation from SMEs and VCSEs, and seeks input from entities looking to act as lead or coordinating providers within a network of service providers. This is a chance for businesses to contribute to the social value agendas and support positive community outcomes while exploring potential coordinated delivery models that can enhance accessibility, provide diverse activities, and optimise service delivery across Staffordshire. ## Notice Staffordshire County Council is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to inform the future recommissioning of its Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support (known internally as Aiming High SEND Short Breaks Service), currently expected to commence from April 2027. The Council wishes to engage with current and potential providers to better understand market capacity, capability, innovation, and potential delivery models for providing high-quality short breaks and support opportunities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families across Staffordshire. The Aiming High programme forms part of Staffordshire's wider short breaks offer and aims to: * improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND; * promote independence, inclusion and preparation for adulthood; * enable children and young people to participate in positive activities within their communities; * support family resilience and help parents and carers continue in their caring role; * provide opportunities for social development, friendships and community participation; and * deliver timely support that helps prevent the escalation of need wherever appropriate. The Council is seeking feedback from organisations capable of delivering inclusive, high-quality, outcome-focused services and activities for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 years. Providers should have a thorough understanding of, and be able to operate in accordance with, relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local policies, including: * Children Act 1989; * Children and Families Act 2014; * Care Act 2014; * SEND Code of Practice 2015; * Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011; * Equality Act 2010; * Mental Capacity Act 2005; * Human Rights Act 1998; * Working Together to Safeguard Children; * Keeping Children Safe in Education (where applicable); * Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 (or any successor legislation); and * Staffordshire's SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy 2026-2029 * Staffordshire's SEND Local Offer. The future service is expected to include a range of accessible and inclusive short break opportunities that are: * meaningful, safe and enjoyable; * appropriate for different ages, abilities and levels of need; * delivered during term time (non-school hours) and school holidays; * available through a variety of indoor, outdoor and community-based activities; * responsive to local demand; * designed to support independence, confidence and life skills; and * capable of delivering positive outcomes for children, young people and their families. The Council is particularly interested in understanding market capacity to support children and young people with more complex disabilities and higher levels of need, including those who may require: * enhanced supervision and support; * higher staffing ratios; * specialist skills, training or behavioural support approaches; * adapted environments or activities; and * more personalised delivery arrangements. As part of this engagement, the Council is exploring whether future arrangements could include: * A General Targeted Offer Community-based short break opportunities for children and young people with lower to moderate support needs. * An Enhanced Targeted Offer A more specialist strand of provision for children and young people with higher levels of need who may require additional support, specialist expertise, enhanced staffing levels or tailored approaches to participation. The Council is also interested in receiving feedback on potential coordinated delivery models. This may include arrangements where a lead organisation supports the planning, organisation and coordination of a network of providers and may undertake activities such as: * managing bookings and allocations; * coordinating delivery across multiple providers; * supporting equitable access across Staffordshire; * monitoring quality, outcomes and performance; * supporting communication and engagement with families; and * helping to identify and address gaps in provision. Accordingly, the Council would particularly welcome engagement from organisations that may be interested in: * delivering short break activities directly; * delivering specialist or enhanced provision for children and young people with higher levels of need; * acting as a lead/coordinating provider; * participating in a provider network or partnership model; or * providing innovative solutions that improve access, quality, outcomes and value for money. The Council is especially keen to hear from providers able to deliver services in rural and underserved areas of Staffordshire and those with experience of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. This Preliminary Market Engagement exercise is intended solely to inform future commissioning arrangements. No final decisions have been made regarding service design, delivery model, contract structure or procurement approach. ### Planning Information Staffordshire County Council wishes to hear from you in connection with our PME for the Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support. • Providers will be able to access a document with the existing specification or service provision and a link to a MS Forms Survey. These documents will be available via our e-tendering portal Proactis. • Please ensure that you are registered on Proactis: https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login • You can view the opportunity by searching for "Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support". The information will then be found in the "request documents" section. • Once you have digested the contents of the existing specification or service provision then you can ask any immediate questions via the dialogue part of Proactis. • A summarised Q&A log for all questions and their responses will be uploaded to Proactis for reference and clarity of approach. This log will be version controlled, and a refreshed version will be provided at appropriate points during the consultation process. • Following the questions and responses, you are requested to complete the MS Forms Survey, which will relate to our PME consultation. • The Council intends to respond to all questions and a summarised version of all responses received through the MS Forms Survey will be made available as part of any future tender documents. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069392-2026 | | 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 | 23 Jul 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 24 Aug 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £900,000 | | 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 | STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | STAFFORD | | Post town | Stoke-on-Trent | | Postcode | ST16 2DH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire | | ITL 3 | TLG24 Staffordshire CC | | Local authority | Stafford | | Electoral ward | Forebridge | | Westminster constituency | Stafford | | Delivery location | TLG24 Staffordshire CC | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85312120 - Daycare services for handicapped children and young people ## Release History - 23 Jul 2026 at 05:57 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069392-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069392-2026 23rd July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk ## 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-06d154. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06d154.json.