Coming up· published 6 Feb 2026
Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After
London Borough of Camden · Camden, London
London Borough of Camden is planning Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After. It is a contract for other health and social care in Camden.
Source: Find a Tender, published 6 Feb 2026. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.
Key dates
2026
Pipeline notice published
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 11:50
View notice2026
Tender notice expected
Date given in the buyer's earlier notice
Next
2026
Contract starts
2030
Contract ends
4 years after it starts
About this tender
In brief
London Borough of Camden is planning Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After. It is a contract for other health and social care in Camden. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The estimated value is £18,000,000. The contract runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2030. It lasts 4 years.
The buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs. Find a Tender published it on 6 February 2026. The notice number is 010887-2026. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-0649ec. Bids are made through the buyer's ProContract portal.
Summary of the contracting process
The London Borough of Camden is initiating a public procurement process, currently at the planning stage, for the commissioning of three new children's homes intended for children aged 6 to 18 who are looked after by the Council. This procurement, titled "Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After," falls under the industry category of social work services with accommodation.
The Council is organising an online market engagement event on 27th February 2026, with registrations due by the 25th of February. The residential homes are located in London (UKI31 region) and the estimated contract value is £18,000,000, under a service category.
The first contract is expected to start in December 2026 or January 2027, with follow-ups in mid-2027, each having a potential duration of four years and an extension option up to two additional years. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can deliver care for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties or provide short-term stabilising placements will find this opportunity well-suited to their capabilities.
The procurement method aligns with the 'light touch' regime, making it an inclusive process for eligible service providers.
The notice in full
The Council are planning to commission three new children's homes for 6 -18 year olds the first contract will commence in December 2026/January 2027 and the other two in June/July 2027 (subject to change) for an estimated contract duration of four (4) years with an option to extend for a further two year. The Council will provide the buildings, and we are seeking service providers to run the homes.
Two of the contracts will be for children with emotional behavioural difficulties and one will provide short term stabilising placements for children with complex needs who are at risk or on deprivation of liberty orders.
The children and young people living at the homes will be 'Children Looked After,' where the Council has corporate parenting responsibilities in line with the requirements of the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004. As a result of their experiences, the children referred to the service will have varying and complex needs.
Alongside the daily support from the service provider, children and young people placed in this service will receive in-reach from local services including health, education child adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
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 health and social care
- Procurement type
- Standard
- Category
- Services
- Contract period
- 1 Dec 2026 to 30 Nov 2030 (4 years)
- Suitable for
- Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs)
Procedure
- Notice type
- UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Current stage
- Planning
- Stages so far
- Planning
- Published on
- Find a Tender Service
- Buyer's portal
- ProContract
Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.
Values
- Tender value
- £18,000,000
Not stated in the notice: lots value, awards value, contracts value.
Status
- Tender
- Planning
- Lots
- Planning
Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.
References
- Find a Tender notice
- 010887-2026
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0649ec
- CPV code
- 85311000 - Social work services with accommodation
- CPV division
- 85 - Health and social work services
Location
- Local authority
- Camden
- Town
- Central London
- Postcode
- WC1H 9JE
- Electoral ward
- King's Cross
- Constituency
- Holborn and St Pancras
- Delivery area
- Camden and City of London
- Region
- London
- Sub-region
- Camden
- Area
- Inner London - West
- Country
- England
Buyer
Contracting authority
- Organisation
- London Borough of Camden
- Category
- Services
- Contact
- Sandra Gayle
- Phone
- +442079742956
- Address
- London, WC1H 9JE · London · England
Documents and links
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010887-2026
- ProContract portal, to register and bidprocontract.due-north.com/Advert
- Legislation.gov.uklegislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- OCDS record ocds-h6vhtk-0649ec (JSON)find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h…
Questions about Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After
When will the Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After tender open?
London Borough of Camden 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 much is the Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After contract worth?
The estimated value is £18,000,000. The contract runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2030 (4 years).
Who is the buyer for Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After?
London Borough of Camden, based in Camden, London. The named contact is Sandra Gayle, on +442079742956.
How do I bid for Preliminary Market Engagement for Residential Homes for Children Looked After?
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. 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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