--- title: "Light Touch Framework for Care Home Provision for Older People and Mental Health Older Persons in Cardiff" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Cardiff Council" published: "2026-09-09" --- # Light Touch Framework for Care Home Provision for Older People and Mental Health Older Persons in Cardiff Buyer: Cardiff Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc.json) ## Summary Cardiff Council Adult Services is re-commissioning care home services for older people and older people with mental health needs across Cardiff. The planned purchase is a city-wide light-touch care services framework covering four care categories: general residential, dementia residential, general nursing and dementia nursing. Each category is expected to include permanent, temporary, emergency and respite placements, with respite covering both planned and unplanned care. The framework is intended to make approved placements the normal route, with off-framework placements limited to defined exceptional circumstances. It will support service-user choice and continuity, including remaining with an existing provider where needs continue to be met. The model also aims to improve placement availability, cost control, consistency and market sustainability through partnership with providers and targeted service development. This procurement is at planning stage: Cardiff Council has announced its intention to procure and is undertaking market engagement before issuing a tender. A Microsoft Teams engagement event is expected on 1 October 2026 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm; expressions of interest to attend are expected by 5pm on 24 September 2026, with attendance limited to three representatives per organisation by invitation. The Council expects the next notice to be published on 9 November 2026. The planned arrangement is a framework under the light-touch services regime, with four care-category lots and SME suitability recorded. The estimated value is £79,650,930 excluding VAT and £95,581,116 including VAT. The intended contract period is 4 May 2027 to 3 May 2033, with renewal provision potentially extending it to 3 May 2035. The planned framework will suit care home operators able to provide residential or nursing care for older people, including people living with dementia or older people with mental health needs. Providers may prepare for permanent, temporary, emergency and planned or unplanned respite placements. Cardiff Council says admission will depend on meeting established quality standards, with performance monitored through existing governance arrangements, so businesses should be ready to demonstrate consistent quality and ongoing compliance. Providers will also need to accept the Council’s fixed pricing structure and commit to giving the Council first refusal on vacant care home placements. Relevant businesses include established local or expanding operators with sufficient city-wide capacity, reliable placement availability and the ability to support continuity when residents’ needs change. ## Notice Cardiff Council Adult Services are re commissioning their Care Home provision for Older People and Mental Health Older Persons in Cardiff. The intention is to commission these services via a new Light Touch Services Framework, underpinned by a number of key principles. 1. It is proposed that the framework is underpinned by a set of principles as set out below: * A "Framework First" approach will be taken, whereby all placements are expected to be made through the approved framework, with off-framework placements only permitted in clearly defined exceptional circumstances. This will ensure a consistent approach to decision-making, while also supporting better control of costs, as rates will have been set through the framework arrangement. * Provider Commitment - providers will be required to give the council first refusal on their vacant care home placements. * Quality as Standard - Quality will be a key focus of the framework. Only providers meeting established quality standards will be admitted to the framework, with ongoing performance monitored through existing governance processes. * A Fixed and Transparent Pricing Structure - the proposed framework will operate on the basis of set fee levels, with all providers required to accept the Council's pricing structure as a condition of entry. The rationale for this approach is to address the current variation and unpredictability in placement costs, where prices are often driven by individual bidding behaviour and urgent need. By establishing clear, standardised rates for each care category the new model will introduce transparency and consistency, ensuring that pricing better reflects actual care requirements rather than market pressure or negotiation dynamics. * Maximising Choice and Continuity -a key principle of the framework is to maximise choice for service users, allowing them to choose from all the placements available within the framework that would meet their needs. Support will be provided to service users to assist them and their families in making this choice. The framework will also allow for continuity, allowing individuals to remain with existing providers when a placement becomes permanent or where needs change, as long as those needs can still be met by the existing provider. * A City Wide Model - it is proposed that the framework adopts a city-wide model, rather than a locality model as the number of care homes is limited. Operating a city-wide model will maximise service user choice and help to ensure placement availability, reducing risks associated with limited local capacity. * Supporting Providers and Market Sustainability -a further key principle is that the framework arrangement will support providers, by introducing a more personalised approach to placements and working in partnership with providers to encouraging growth and development in the areas where demand is likely to continue to increase. 2. It is also proposed that the framework is structured around four lots based on care categories. These will be General Residential, Dementia Residential, General Nursing and Dementia Nursing within each care category there will be 4 sub categories. i) Permanent ii) Temporary iii) Emergency iv) Respite (planned and unplanned). ### Planning Information This notice is being issued to update the market on its intentions for the forthcoming procurement. Consultation and engagement activity has already informed the proposed service model, and the purpose of this notice is to provide potential bidders with an opportunity to be part of a market engagement event where the Council will provide some information on the anticipated contract Lots, values, and indicative procurement process and timetable. It is the Council's intention that the wider engagement process includes a market engagement event to be held via Microsoft Teams and prior to the tender notice publication. This event is expected to take place on the following dates and times: Venue: Microsoft Teams Date: Thursday, 1st October 2026 Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Attendance will be by invitation only and a Microsoft Teams link will be provided to organisations that express an interest in attending the session. It is anticipated that attendance will be limited to a maximum of three (3) representatives per organisation. Organisations wishing to attend should submit an expression of interest, including the names and contact email addresses of proposed attendees to: AS-MarketManagement@cardiff.gov.uk by 5pm 24th September 2026 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085427-2026 | | 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 | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 9 Sep 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 9 Nov 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 May 2027 - 3 May 2033 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £79,650,930 | | 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 | Cardiff Council | | Locality | CARDIFF | | Postcode area | Cardiff | | Postcode | CF10 4UW | | Country | Wales | | ITL 1 | TLL Wales | | ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales | | ITL 3 | TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan | | Local authority | Cardiff | | Electoral ward | Butetown | | Westminster constituency | Cardiff South and Penarth | | Delivery location | TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 9 Sep 2026 at 14:18 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085427-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085427-2026 9th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.cardiff.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-06f5bc. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f5bc.json.