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Open for bids· Closes 20 Nov 2026

Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework

Plymouth City Council · Plymouth, South West

Plymouth City Council is inviting bids for Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework, a framework for home care and domiciliary care in Plymouth.

Source: Find a Tender · published 23 Oct 2026 · details refreshed every 30 minutes

Key dates

  1. 2026

    Pipeline notice published

    Preliminary market engagement (ocds-h6vhtk-06de45)

    View notice
  2. 2026

    Tender notice published

    UK4 - Tender Notice · 12:31

    View notice
  3. Next

    2026

    Bids close

  4. 2027

    Contract awarded

  5. 2029

    Tender notice expected

    Date given in the buyer's earlier notice

  6. 2029

    Re-tender expected

    Around October 2029, from the notice

01

About this tender

In brief

Plymouth City Council is inviting bids for Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework, a framework for home care and domiciliary care in Plymouth. The estimated value is £312,138,968. Bids close on 20 November 2026.

It is run as an open procedure, light touch regime (Procurement Act 2023), and the buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Published on Find a Tender on 23 October 2026 as notice 100435-2026, OCDS ID ocds-h6vhtk-078ee3. Bids are made through the buyer's ProContract portal.

Summary of the contracting process

Plymouth City Council, working with NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, is appointing up to 12 homecare providers to an open framework for adults aged 18 and over across Plymouth. The estimated value is £312.1 million over up to nine years, with an initial three year term from 10 May 2027 that reopens every three years. Bids are scored 95% on quality method statements and 5% on social value.

Clarification questions close at 5pm on 5 November 2026 and tenders close at 12 noon on 20 November 2026 on the Supplying the South West portal.

The notice in full

Competitive tender exercise for the procurement of Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework. The Council is carrying out this tender process in line with the Procurement Act 2023 ("the Act") under a Light Touch contract. The Service is for adults aged 18 and over who have been assessed as requiring care and support in their own home and for whom Homecare has been identified as the appropriate service response.

The relevant Commissioner will determine the support required through assessment, care and support planning, care coordination, brokerage and review. The Provider shall deliver support in accordance with the agreed plan, respond to changes in need or risk and escalate concerns appropriately. The Service may also support young people transitioning to adult services and people with end-of-life care needs, where agreed through the appropriate assessment and commissioning pathway.

The Service will operate within the specified boundary zones of Plymouth City Council and subject to ordinary residence. Providers must have the operational capacity and local arrangements required to deliver Homecare across the agreed geographic scope. • Geographic Coverage: Providers must be able to deliver across the agreed Plymouth geographic scope; administrative boundaries of Plymouth City Council. • Volume Profile: Predominantly urban with low density rural and coastal terrain The Provider shall provide CQC-regulated personal care and associated support to meet assessed eligible needs under the Care Act 2014 and achieve the outcomes set out in the person's Care and Support Plan. Support shall be person-centred, strengths-based and proportionate, promoting independence, choice, dignity and wellbeing.

The Provider shall ensure staff are appropriately vetted, trained, supervised and competent to safely deliver the support required. Core activities may include: • Personal Care: Support with washing, dressing, grooming, toileting and continence, promoting dignity and independence. • Nutrition and Hydration: Support with meals, eating and drinking, including specialist requirements where identified and staff are appropriately trained and competent. • Medication: Prompting, assisting with or administering medication in accordance with the Care and Support Plan, relevant guidance and Provider policies, with appropriate recording and escalation. • Emergency Prioritisation: Maintaining essential care during disruption through effective business continuity, prioritisation and escalation arrangements. Reablement Providers must adopt an enabling approach, supporting people to retain, regain or develop skills where safe and appropriate and to reduce reliance on commissioned support where this aligns with their assessed needs, strengths and outcomes while recognising where ongoing support is required.

Community Networks The Provider shall support people to maintain relationships and access community, voluntary and universal services where this contributes to their agreed outcomes. Providers shall work collaboratively with the Council, health and community partners and other Homecare Framework Providers to support coordinated care, information sharing, continuity and effective responses to changing needs or risks. The anticipated duration of the Light Touch Open Framework is nine (9) years, comprising an initial term of three (3) years.

The Framework will be reopened at three-year intervals thereafter (3 + 3 + 3) to allow the admission of new Providers and to refresh the market. Subject to ongoing service requirements and the Authority's discretion, the Framework may continue for the full nine-year period. To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk

Lots (1)

  1. 01

    Plymouth Homecare Light Touch FrameworkActive

    Open framework of up to nine years: an initial three year term, reopened at three year intervals (3 + 3 + 3) to admit new providers, up to 9 May 2036. Maximum 12 providers.

02

Key facts

Every field the notice carries. Anything it leaves blank is listed under its table.

Contract

Service
Domiciliary care
Procurement type
Framework
Category
Services
Contract period
10 May 2027 to 9 May 2030, extendable to 9 May 2036
Suitable for
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs); Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
Lots
1
Re-tender expected
October 2029

Procedure

Notice type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement method
Open
Procedure
Open procedure, light touch regime (Procurement Act 2023)
Current stage
Tender
Stages so far
Planning, Tender
Published on
Find a Tender Service
Buyer's portal
ProContract

Not stated in the notice: awardee scale.

Values

Tender value
£312,138,968
Lots value
£312,138,968

Not stated in the notice: awards value, contracts value.

Status

Tender
Active
Lots
Active

Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.

References

Find a Tender notice
100435-2026
Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078ee3
CPV code
85300000 - Social work and related services
CPV division
85 - Health and social work services
03

Location

Plymouth City Council is based in Plymouth. The area the service covers can be wider, so check the notice and the lots.
Local authority
Plymouth
Town
Plymouth
Postcode
PL1 3BJ
Delivery area
Plymouth
Region
South West
Sub-region
Plymouth
Area
Devon
Country
England
04

Buyer

Contracting authority

Organisation
Plymouth City Council
Category
Services
Contact
Joint Commissioning team, Plymouth City Council (jointcommissioning@plymouth.gov.uk)
Address
Plymouth, PL1 3BJ · South West · England

Not stated in the notice: phone.

05

Documents and links

Official sources for this notice. The tender pack itself sits on the buyer's portal.
06

Questions about Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework

When is the deadline for the Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework tender?

Bids must be submitted by 20 November 2026. The notice sets the exact time of day, so confirm it on the ProContract portal and submit early: buyer portals normally stop accepting bids at the deadline.

How much is the Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework contract worth?

The estimated value is £312,138,968.

Who is the buyer for Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework?

Plymouth City Council, based in Plymouth, South West. The named contact is Joint Commissioning team, Plymouth City Council (jointcommissioning@plymouth.gov.uk).

How do I bid for Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework?

Register on the buyer's ProContract portal, 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.