--- title: "Provision of Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation - Soft Market Testing" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Trafford Council" published: "2026-08-26" --- # Provision of Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation - Soft Market Testing Buyer: Trafford Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06.json) ## Summary Trafford Council is planning a service to provide safe accommodation for people fleeing domestic abuse in Trafford. The service is intended to support women, families and male survivors through refuge accommodation, alongside dispersed accommodation for some survivors moving on from refuges. This is a specialist health and social care service, classified under CPV 85000000. The council is seeking to understand how providers would approach delivering the service and respond to circumstances affecting its operation. The work will be delivered in Trafford, within the North West of England. It relates to the council’s statutory duty under Part IV of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to provide safe accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse. The process is at the planning stage and is currently a soft market testing exercise, not an invitation to tender or call for competition. Trafford Council expects to use the market’s feedback to assess the feasibility of a future tender and understand the challenges of procuring and setting up the service. The council anticipates a maximum annual value of about £357,559, with an estimated total value of £1,787,795 excluding VAT, or £2,145,354 including VAT. The anticipated contract duration is five years: an initial 12-month period with extensions of up to 48 months, potentially running from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032. Questions are expected by 3 September 2026 at noon, with market-testing responses by 11 September 2026 at noon. This will suit organisations with established expertise in domestic abuse support and the operation of safe accommodation. Relevant providers are likely to include refuge operators, supported-housing organisations, charities and social care specialists able to support women, families and men with differing needs. Experience of delivering both communal refuge and dispersed accommodation would be particularly relevant, including helping survivors move on safely. Providers should be prepared to explain their delivery model, capacity, workforce arrangements and approach to risks or circumstances that could affect service establishment and performance. Experience of working with local authorities and meeting statutory domestic abuse accommodation duties would strengthen a future response. The market exercise gives suitable organisations an opportunity to shape the council’s understanding before any tender is considered. ## Notice Trafford Council - Provision of Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation - Soft Market Testing. Please note that this is not a call for competition. This is a soft market testing exercise is undertaken on behalf of Trafford Council under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. Purpose: Part IV of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 mandates a statutory duty on local authorities to provide safe accommodation for people fleeing domestic abuse. In Trafford we currently provide safe accommodation in the form of refuges for women, families and male survivors of domestic abuse. We also provide dispersed accommodation for some survivors when they move on from refuges. Trafford Council are undertaking this soft market testing exercise to fully understand what the market can offer and the challenges in procuring and setting up this service. It is hoped that this will be an opportunity for us to obtain an insight of how participants might approach delivery of the service, and how they might address circumstances that may impact on the service. It will also help us to further understand the market. We anticipate that should a tender exercise be undertaken, the maximum annual value for the contract might be in the region of PS357,559, and the duration to be 5 years, with an initial period of 12 months with the option to extend for period(s) of up to 48 months. We are therefore seeking expressions of interest from participants with the relevant expertise and experience to assist us in determining the feasibility of this project by answering the questions that are published on the Chest portal - Project Ref DN827443. Please use the following link to access the Chest portal to obtain the soft market tested documentation: The Chest: North West Procurement Portal Note that any contract awarded following any future tender process will be subject solely to Trafford Council's Terms and Condition. Deadline for Questions/Clarifications: 3 Sept 2026 at 12.00 noon. Please note that all questions and/or requests for clarification must be uploaded onto the 'Messages' section of the Chest portal and we will respond using the same method. Deadline for submission of Soft Market Testing documentation: 11 Sept 2026 at 12.00 noon. ### Planning Information Trafford Council - Provision of Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation - Soft Market Testing. Please note that this is not a call for competition. This is a soft market testing exercise is undertaken on behalf of Trafford Council under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. Purpose: Part IV of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 mandates a statutory duty on local authorities to provide safe accommodation for people fleeing domestic abuse. In Trafford we currently provide safe accommodation in the form of refuges for women, families and male survivors of domestic abuse. We also provide dispersed accommodation for some survivors when they move on from refuges. Trafford Council are undertaking this soft market testing exercise to fully understand what the market can offer and the challenges in procuring and setting up this service. It is hoped that this will be an opportunity for us to obtain an insight of how participants might approach delivery of the service, and how they might address circumstances that may impact on the service. It will also help us to further understand the market. We anticipate that should a tender exercise be undertaken, the maximum annual value for the contract might be in the region of £357,559, and the duration to be 5 years, with an initial period of 12 months with the option to extend for period(s) of up to 48 months. We are therefore seeking expressions of interest from participants with the relevant expertise and experience to assist us in determining the feasibility of this project by answering the questions that are published on the Chest portal - Project Ref DN827443. Please use the following link to access the Chest portal to obtain the soft market tested documentation: The Chest: North West Procurement Portal Note that any contract awarded following any future tender process will be subject solely to Trafford Council's Terms and Condition. Deadline for Questions/Clarifications: 3 Sept 2026 at 12.00 noon. Please note that all questions and/or requests for clarification must be uploaded onto the 'Messages' section of the Chest portal and we will respond using the same method. Deadline for submission of Soft Market Testing documentation: 11 Sept 2026 at 12.00 noon. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081075-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 26 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 11 Sep 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1,787,795 | | 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 | Trafford Council | | Locality | MANCHESTER | | Postcode area | Manchester | | Postcode | M32 0TH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester | | ITL 3 | TLD34 Greater Manchester South West | | Local authority | Trafford | | Electoral ward | Gorse Hill & Cornbrook | | Westminster constituency | Stretford and Urmston | | Delivery location | TLD North West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 26 Aug 2026 at 09:27 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081075-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081075-2026 26th August 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-06ec06. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ec06.json.