Coming up· published 12 Jan 2026
Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements
Derbyshire County Council · Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands
Derbyshire County Council is planning Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements. It is a contract for supported accommodation for 16 and 17 in Derbyshire Dales.
Source: Find a Tender, published 12 Jan 2026. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.
Key dates
2026
Pipeline notice published
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 16:04
View notice2026
Tender notice expected
Date given in the buyer's earlier notice
Next
2026
Contract starts
2031
Contract ends
5 years after it starts
About this tender
In brief
Derbyshire County Council is planning Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements. It is a contract for supported accommodation for 16 and 17 in Derbyshire Dales. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The contract runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2031. It lasts 5 years.
The buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Find a Tender published it on 12 January 2026. The notice number is 002391-2026. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-0603fc. Bids are made through the buyer's ProContract portal.
Summary of the contracting process
The public procurement process initiated by Derbyshire County Council focuses on the "Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements" project. This procurement falls under the health and social work services industry category and is located in the UKF region, United Kingdom. The process is currently at the planning stage with a soft market engagement scheduled, where interested parties must complete the questionnaire by 6th February 2026.
Derbyshire County Council is the buying organisation involved, and they aim to develop partnerships to enhance placement quality for children in care. The procurement method is a light touch regime, indicating a more flexible approach within the services category.
The process accommodates small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), encouraging a diverse range of businesses to participate in creating strategic direction and sufficiency in childcare provision within Derbyshire.
The notice in full
Soft Market Testing THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION Derbyshire County Council has over 1000 children in care. Approximately 50% of these children in care are in placements sourced through external providers, within residential, fostering and supported accommodation. This is an opportunity for OFSTED registered providers to support in the delivery of Good and Outstanding quality, stable and local placements to the Council's Children in Care.
The Council is committed to driving a dynamic, outcomes-focused, child-centred placement market, which offers good value, quality and choice. The Council also aim to ensure that the right placement is found the first time, on time, every time and to deliver statutory duties.
The Council is wanting to develop partnerships that will help the Council's Commissioners and Providers to address areas of sufficiency and establish a clear and strategic sense of direction for future provision within Derbyshire. The Council would welcome responses from foster care providers, residential providers, and supported accommodation providers to work with the Council to find creative solutions for Derbyshire's Children in Care.
Lots: no lot details came through with this notice. The official notice and the tender pack have the full breakdown.
Key facts
Contract
- Service
- Supported Accommodation For Young People
- Procurement type
- Standard
- Category
- Services
- Contract period
- 1 Dec 2026 to 30 Nov 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
- Buyer's portal
- ProContract
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
- 002391-2026
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0603fc
- CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- CPV division
- 85 - Health and social work services
Location
- Local authority
- Derbyshire Dales
- Town
- Derby
- Postcode
- DE4 3AG
- Electoral ward
- Matlock West
- Constituency
- Derbyshire Dales
- Delivery area
- East Midlands (England)
- Region
- East Midlands
- Sub-region
- South and West Derbyshire
- Area
- Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
- Country
- England
Buyer
Contracting authority
- Organisation
- Derbyshire County Council
- Category
- Services
- Address
- Matlock, DE4 3AG · East Midlands · England
Not stated in the notice: contact, phone.
Documents and links
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002391-2026
- ProContract portal, to register and bidprocontract.due-north.com/Advert
- Legislation.gov.uklegislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- OCDS record ocds-h6vhtk-0603fc (JSON)find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h…
Questions about Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements
When will the Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements tender open?
Derbyshire County 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 Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements contract?
The contract runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2031 (5 years).
Who is the buyer for Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements?
Derbyshire County Council, based in Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands.
How do I bid for Supporting Stability and Sufficiency of children in care placements?
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.
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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