Coming up· published 8 Oct 2025
Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service
Somerset Council · Somerset, South West
Somerset Council is planning Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service. It is a contract for other health and social care in Somerset.
Source: Find a Tender, published 8 Oct 2025. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.
Key dates
2025
Pipeline notice published
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 09:59
View notice2025
Tender notice expected
Date given in the buyer's earlier notice
2026
Contract starts
Next
2031
Contract ends
5 years after it starts
About this tender
In brief
Somerset Council is planning Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service. It is a contract for other health and social care in Somerset. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The contract runs from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2031. It lasts 5 years.
The buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Find a Tender published it on 8 October 2025. The notice number is 063184-2025. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-05aa4a.
Summary of the contracting process
Somerset Council is in the planning stage of a procurement process for the "Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service" in the Somerset region (UKK23), United Kingdom. The main focus is on health and social work services, with the procurement being part of a light-touch regime. This service includes advising, setting up schemes, providing payroll and holding accounts services, and offering support for personal health budgets.
Interested parties are required to express their interest by 24th October 2025, by responding to Somerset Council's designated contact, Steve Barker. The potential contract is anticipated to commence on 1st April 2026 and conclude on 31st March 2031. This tender presents a significant opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), especially those with expertise in health and social work services.
The notice in full
If you are interested in this potential opportunity, then please express an interest by responding to the requirements set out below by Friday 24th October 2025 at 16:00. Please send responses to stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk Somerset Council is looking to assess market interest in the following Direct Payment (DP) services:
- Advice and guidance
- Scheme set up
- Payroll service
- Holding accounts (also known as managed accounts)
- DP plus (extra support)
- Personal Health Budget (PHB) Support Interested organisations must be able to meet the following requirements:
- Provide advice and guidance Monday to Friday (9:00 till 17:00) via telephone, postal, support or face to face if necessary.
- Capacity and staffing to provide advice and guidance for 2,300 people.
- Capacity and staffing to provide a payroll service for 600 people.
- Capacity and staffing to provide a holding account for 800 people.
- Capacity and staffing to provide DP plus (extra support) for 50 people.
- Capacity and staffing to support setting up Personal Health Budgets for approximately 30 people at year. The above quoted figures are subject to change.
Lots: no lot details came through with this notice. The official notice and the tender pack have the full breakdown.
Key facts
Contract
- Service
- Other
- Procurement type
- Standard
- Category
- Services
- Contract period
- 31 Mar 2026 to 31 Mar 2031 (5 years)
- Suitable for
- Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs); Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
Procedure
- Notice type
- UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Current stage
- Planning
- Stages so far
- Planning
- Published on
- Find a Tender Service
Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.
Values
Not stated in the notice: tender value, lots value, awards value, contracts value.
Status
- Tender
- Planning
- Lots
- Planning
Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.
References
- Find a Tender notice
- 063184-2025
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-05aa4a
- CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- CPV division
- 85 - Health and social work services
Location
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Town
- Taunton
- Postcode
- TA1 4DY
- Electoral ward
- Bishop's Hull & Taunton West
- Constituency
- Taunton and Wellington
- Delivery area
- Somerset CC
- Region
- South West
- Sub-region
- Somerset
- Area
- North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
- Country
- England
Buyer
Contracting authority
- Organisation
- Somerset Council
- Category
- Services
- Contact
- Steve Barker
- Address
- Taunton, TA1 4DY · South West · England
Not stated in the notice: phone.
Documents and links
Questions about Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service
When will the Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service tender open?
Somerset Council has not yet given a date for the tender notice. An early notice is the time to answer any market engagement questions and gather the evidence a bid will need.
How long is the Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service contract?
The contract runs from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2031 (5 years).
Who is the buyer for Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service?
Somerset Council, based in Somerset, South West. The named contact is Steve Barker.
How do I bid for Direct Payments Advice and Guidance Service?
Register on the buyer's portal named in the notice, download the tender pack and check every condition of participation before you start writing. The buyer has marked it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Care Sync Experts writes and reviews care tender bids from £1,500 + VAT.
Want help winning this tender?
We write and review care tender bids: quality answers, case studies and social value, checked against how the buyer scores before you submit.
What to do next
- Read the early notice in full.
- Answer any market engagement questions.
- Gather your evidence and case studies now.
- Check your policies are up to date.
- Watch for the tender notice.
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