---
title: "NPT Parent Carers Service - Market Testing Exercise"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07947e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07947e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07947e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07947e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council"
published: "2026-10-30"
---

# NPT Parent Carers Service - Market Testing Exercise

Buyer: Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07947e

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## Summary

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is considering commissioning a Parent Carers Service for parent carers of children with disabilities in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The service is intended to provide carers’ needs assessments under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, alongside information, advice and assistance and wider preventative support. Needs assessments are a statutory requirement and a core part of the service. The work is specifically for parent carers of children with disabilities; support for unpaid carers of adults with disabilities is covered by separate arrangements and is outside this service’s scope. The Council’s Children and Young People Services funds the service. The proposed commissioning is intended to support carers and inform future service planning.

This is at the planning stage: the Council is testing the market to inform future commissioning and procurement decisions, not inviting tenders or committing to a procurement. The Council expects the service to start on 1 June 2027, with a proposed contract period ending 31 May 2032. The estimated value is £105,000 excluding VAT (£126,000 including VAT). The Council plans virtual, individual market-testing discussions on 24, 25 and 26 November 2026, each lasting up to one hour; places are allocated in order of registration. It will circulate a discussion paper and questions in advance. The exercise will explore market interest, provider experience and capacity, possible service models, and delivery opportunities and challenges. Participation will not affect a supplier’s position in any later procurement.

This market-testing exercise is most relevant to organisations with experience delivering carers’ needs assessments and information, advice and assistance to parent carers of children with disabilities. Providers should be prepared to discuss their relevant experience, service capability and capacity, and how they could deliver the statutory assessment function alongside preventative support. The Council is using the discussions to understand the provider market and consider future service models, so suppliers able to explain practical delivery options and associated challenges may have useful input. The service is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The exercise is for market insight and preparation only; taking part offers no advantage or disadvantage in a future procurement.

## Notice

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is considering future commissioning arrangements for a Parent Carers Service from 1 June 2027. The service provides parent carers of children with disabilities with access to carers' needs assessments in line with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Carers' assessments are a statutory requirement and remain a core function of the service. The service also provides Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) and facilitates wider preventative support for parent carers. The service is funded by Children and Young People Services and is specifically designed to support parent carers of children with disabilities. Support for other groups of carers (eg unpaid carers for adults who have disabilities) is commissioned through separate arrangements and is not within the scope of this market testing exercise. The Council is undertaking a market testing exercise to better understand the market, explore potential future service models and gather feedback that will help inform future commissioning arrangements for the Parent Carers Service. Purpose of Market Testing The Council wishes to engage with organisations that may have experience of delivering carers assessments and IAA to parent carers of children with disabilities. The purpose of the testing exercise is to: * understand the level of market interest in delivering this type of service; * better understand provider experience, capability and capacity; * inform future commissioning and procurement decisions; * identify opportunities and challenges associated with future service delivery; * support the Council's understanding of the wider provider market. Feedback gathered through this testing activity will help inform future planning and commissioning considerations. Areas for Discussion A discussion paper containing further information and specific questions will be circulated in advance of the testing sessions Market Testing Sessions Individual sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Sessions will last up to one hour and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Tuesday 24th November 2026 * 13:00 - 14:00 * 14:30 - 15:30 * 16:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 25th November 2026: * 09:30 - 10:30 * 11:00 - 12:00 * 12:30 - 13:30 Thursday 26th November 2026 * 09:30 - 10:30 * 11:00 - 12:00 * 12:30 - 13:30 * 14:00 - 15:00 * 15:30 - 16:30 How to Register Organisations wishing to participate should email: cyps.commissioning@npt.gov.uk Please provide: * Organisation name * Contact name * Contact email address * Preferred day & time slot(s) Slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Joining instructions and the market testing discussion paper will be issued in advance of the session. Important Information This market testing exercise is being undertaken solely to inform the Council's understanding of the market and potential future commissioning options. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement exercise or commitment by the Council to undertake any future procurement activity. Any information gathered through this testing activity will be used to support future service planning and commissioning considerations. Participation in market testing will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in relation to any future procurement process.

### Planning Information

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is considering future commissioning arrangements for a Parent Carers Service from 1 June 2027.
The service provides parent carers of children with disabilities with access to carers' needs assessments in line with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Carers' assessments are a statutory requirement and remain a core function of the service. The service also provides Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) and facilitates wider preventative support for parent carers. 
The service is funded by Children and Young People Services and is specifically designed to support parent carers of children with disabilities. Support for other groups of carers (eg unpaid carers for adults who have disabilities) is commissioned through separate arrangements and is not within the scope of this market testing exercise.
The Council is undertaking a market testing exercise to better understand the market, explore potential future service models and gather feedback that will help inform future commissioning arrangements for the Parent Carers Service.
Purpose of Market Testing
The Council wishes to engage with organisations that may have experience of delivering carers assessments and IAA to parent carers of children with disabilities. 
The purpose of the testing exercise is to:
• understand the level of market interest in delivering this type of service;
• better understand provider experience, capability and capacity;
• inform future commissioning and procurement decisions;
• identify opportunities and challenges associated with future service delivery;
• support the Council's understanding of the wider provider market.
Feedback gathered through this testing activity will help inform future planning and commissioning considerations.
Areas for Discussion
A discussion paper containing further information and specific questions will be circulated in advance of the testing sessions
Market Testing Sessions
Individual sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Sessions will last up to one hour and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Tuesday 24th November 2026
• 13:00 – 14:00
• 14:30 – 15:30
• 16:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 25th November 2026:
• 09:30 – 10:30
• 11:00 – 12:00
• 12:30 – 13:30
Thursday 26th November 2026
• 09:30 – 10:30
• 11:00 – 12:00
• 12:30 – 13:30
• 14:00 – 15:00
• 15:30 – 16:30
How to Register
Organisations wishing to participate should email:
cyps.commissioning@npt.gov.uk
Please provide:
• Organisation name
• Contact name
• Contact email address
• Preferred day & time slot(s)
Slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Joining instructions and the market testing discussion paper will be issued in advance of the session.
Important Information
This market testing exercise is being undertaken solely to inform the Council's understanding of the market and potential future commissioning options. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement exercise or commitment by the Council to undertake any future procurement activity.
Any information gathered through this testing activity will be used to support future service planning and commissioning considerations. Participation in market testing will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in relation to any future procurement process.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103119-2026 |
| 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 | 30 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Jun 2027 - 31 May 2032 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £105,000 |
| 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 | Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council |
| Locality | PORT TALBOT |
| Postcode area | Swansea |
| Postcode | SA13 1PJ |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL4 Mid and South West Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL44 Neath Port Talbot |
| Local authority | Neath Port Talbot |
| Electoral ward | Aberavon |
| Westminster constituency | Aberafan Maesteg |
| Delivery location | TLL17 Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85300000 - Social work and related services

## Release History

- 30 Oct 2026 at 11:42 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103119-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/103119-2026
  30th October 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.npt.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-07947e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07947e.json.