Harrow Council Home Care Tender 2026

£21m–£160m Domiciliary Care Framework: Complete Guide for Care Providers

The London Borough of Harrow, working jointly with Hillingdon, is commissioning a new Home Care (Domiciliary Care) Services Framework starting 1 September 2026, with an estimated total value between £21 million and £160 million over the framework lifespan. 

The framework is expected to run for up to 8 years (2026–2034) and is open to CQC-registered providers delivering adult home care, reablement services, and care for children and young adults with disabilities.

This guide explains who can bid, how the framework is structured, key deadlines, and what providers must do to qualify and compete successfully.

What Is the Harrow Home Care Framework?

The London Borough of Harrow, alongside London Borough of Hillingdon, is establishing a new open framework for the delivery of domiciliary care and support services across Harrow.

The framework will commission:

• Long-term homecare for adults
• Short-term reablement and recovery services
• Specialist home care for children and young adults with disabilities (CYAD)

This framework replaces or consolidates existing arrangements and will form the primary route through which the council purchases home care services from 2026 onwards.

Key Contract Details

Item	Detail
Contracting Authority	London Borough of Harrow (with Hillingdon)
Tender Reference	FTS 002241-2026 / ocds-h6vhtk-06039f
Estimated Framework Value	£21m – £160m (potential £150m+ over life)
Initial Term	3 years (Sept 2026 – Aug 2029)
Maximum Duration	Up to 8 years (to Aug 2034)
Contract Start Date	1 September 2026
Procurement Route	Open Procedure – Open Framework
Submission Deadline	25 February 2026 at 23:59
Procurement Portal	London Tenders Portal

Services Being Commissioned

Harrow Council is seeking providers to deliver regulated domiciliary care services aligned with assessed social care needs, including:

• Personal care and daily living support
• Long-term home care packages
• Short-term reablement following hospital discharge
• Support for adults with:
  
  • Physical frailty
  • Dementia
  • Learning disabilities
  • Autism
  • Mental ill-health
  • Sensory or neurological conditions
• Home-based care for children and young adults with disabilities (CYAD)

All services must comply with statutory adult and children’s social care duties and relevant regulatory standards.

Understanding the 7-Lot Framework Structure

The framework is divided into seven distinct lots, allowing providers to bid based on geography, service type, and operational capacity.

Adults 18+ Long-Term Homecare (Lots 1–3)

These lots cover ongoing domiciliary care for adults aged 18 and over.

Lot	Area	Estimated Value	Provider Cap
Lot 1	Harrow West	£6m	Unlimited
Lot 2	Harrow Central	£6m	Unlimited
Lot 3	Harrow East	£6m	Unlimited

Services include support for people with learning disabilities, autism, dementia, mental health needs, and physical impairments.

Adult Reablement Support Services (Lots 4–6)

Short-term, intensive reablement services designed to restore independence, typically lasting up to 6 weeks.

Lot	Area	Estimated Value	Provider Cap
Lot 4	Harrow West	£400k	Max 3
Lot 5	Harrow Central	£300k	Max 2
Lot 6	Harrow East	£300k	Max 2

These lots are highly competitive due to limited provider numbers.

Children & Young Adults with Disabilities (CYAD) – Lot 7

Lot	Coverage	Estimated Value	Provider Cap
Lot 7	Borough-wide	£2m	Max 6

This lot supports children and young people aged 0–18 with moderate to profound disabilities, autism, severe physical impairments, and complex needs.

Eligibility Requirements: Can You Bid?

Harrow Council applies strict pass/fail Project Specific Questions (PSQs). Failure on any requirement results in elimination.

Mandatory Requirements

You must be able to demonstrate all of the following:

• CQC Registration

Registered with the Care Quality Commission for domiciliary care

• CQC Rating

Minimum overall rating of “Good”

• Wage Compliance

Full compliance with National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage

• Electronic Call Monitoring (ECM)

Operational ECM system recording calls at each care location

• Business Continuity Plan
  Documented and tested continuity arrangements
  
• Policies & Procedures

Including (but not limited to):

• Safer recruitment and vetting
  
• Staff induction and training
  
• Safeguarding
  
• Whistleblowing
  
• Data protection
  
• Health & safety
  
• Equality and diversity
  
• Complaints management
• Staff Training Matrix

Up-to-date training records covering statutory and role-specific requirements

Critical Tender Timeline (Do Not Miss These)

Missing any deadline will result in exclusion.

Milestone	Date
Tender Notice Published	12 January 2026
Clarification Deadline	As stated on portal
Submission Deadline	25 February 2026 – 23:59
Evaluation Period	9 Feb – 21 Apr 2026
Award Recommendation	22 Apr – 20 May 2026
Notification of Decision	26 May 2026
Standstill Period	27 May – 5 June 2026
Contract Award	8 June 2026
Mobilisation Period	8 June – 31 Aug 2026
Service Commencement	1 September 2026

How Providers Should Prepare to Win This Framework

Original insight (not in the tender documents): 

Providers that fail in large London frameworks typically fail before pricing is even considered, due to weak mobilisation plans, poor evidence of ECM use, or generic policy submissions.

Recommended Preparation Checklist

1. Confirm CQC rating remains “Good” or above
   
2. Audit ECM functionality and reporting outputs
   
3. Align staffing levels to specific lot geography
   
4. Update business continuity and escalation plans
   
5. Prepare a clear mobilisation plan for 1 September 2026
   
6. Evidence workforce recruitment, retention, and training
   
7. Demonstrate quality assurance and service monitoring
   
8. Ensure policies match current practice, not templates
   
9. Assign internal ownership for bid coordination
   
10. Submit early to avoid portal issues

Common Reasons Providers Are Eliminated

• Failing a single PSQ requirement
  
• Submitting outdated or generic policies
  
• Inability to evidence ECM in practice
  
• Bidding for too many lots without delivery capacity
  
• Weak mobilisation planning for borough-wide coverage

Who This Opportunity Is Best Suited For

• Established domiciliary care providers operating in or near Harrow
  
• Providers with strong compliance records and stable workforces
  
• Organisations able to scale safely over a long-term framework
  
• Specialist providers with CYAD or reablement expertise

Final Takeaway…

The Harrow Council Home Care Framework 2026 is one of the largest domiciliary care opportunities in North-West London, offering long-term stability for providers that meet high regulatory and operational standards.

For CQC-registered organisations with the right capacity, preparation, and governance, this framework represents a transformational growth opportunity lasting potentially until 2034.

Need Expert Support With the Harrow Home Care Tender?

Bidding for large local authority frameworks like Harrow’s Homecare Services Framework is complex.

Even strong providers are often eliminated due to technical non-compliance, weak mobilisation plans, or poorly evidenced PSQ responses.

Care Sync Experts supports domiciliary care providers across England with end-to-end tender and framework support, including:

• bid readiness assessments before you submit
• review of pass/fail PSQs to prevent automatic elimination
• compliance checks against CQC, workforce, and ECM requirements
• mobilisation planning for borough-wide and multi-lot bids
• quality and method statement drafting aligned to council expectations
• policy and evidence alignment to support tender responses
• ongoing framework compliance and performance support after award

We stay up to date with local authority commissioning practices, social care procurement requirements, and regulatory expectations, so you can submit with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.

Book a Free Tender Readiness Consultation

If you’re planning to bid for the Harrow Home Care Framework, or you’ve previously been unsuccessful on similar council tenders, speak to our team before you submit.

Early preparation can make the difference between framework appointment and automatic exclusion.

This guide was prepared by Care Sync Experts and reflects the Harrow Home Care Tender requirements available at the time of writing (2026). Procurement requirements and evaluation criteria may change. Providers should always refer to the official procurement documents and portal before submitting a bid.

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