Children's Short Breaks Services

Metropolitan borough of Bury

Published: Jul 17, 2026

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the social protection, health and medical services and education and training sectors, with a focus on Child Protection, Disability, Social Work and Inclusive Education. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 13.3 million.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for services in the social protection sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

Bury Council (the Authority) is preparing to recommission its SEND Short Breaks service. Ahead of any procurement, we are seeking expressions of interest and market intelligence from suitably experienced and accredited providers through preliminary market engagement (PME). The PME will share our emerging thinking, test it with providers, and understand the capacity, appetite, local reach and pricing realities of the market.
We want to hear from a wide range of organisations, including current providers, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, faith-based providers, youth, play and activity providers, specialist care and overnight providers, Ofsted-registered children's homes, personal assistants and micro-providers, and locally-based provision of all sizes across the six townships of Bury (Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield).

This notice is issued pursuant to Section 16 of the Procurement Act 2023 to invite the market to participate in a structured pre-market engagement process ahead of a formal competitive procurement.

The purpose of this engagement is to inform the Council's procurement strategy, service model and lot structure ahead of publication of the tender notice. In particular, the Council is seeking market views on:
● The proposed unbundling of the current anchor-provider lot into a sub-lotted structure by service type and township, and alternative packaging options considered;
● The deliverability of an open, refreshable provider list / framework model with periodic re-opening for new entrants;
● Market capacity and appetite across specialist/complex (including overnight residential), targeted and universal/community short breaks provision;
● The proposed conditions of participation, including Ofsted and CQC "Good" minimum ratings for specialist and complex service lots;
● The proposed Mid-Tier Contract form (zero guaranteed volume, work-order call-off, collective performance management); and
● The design of a Direct Payments / Personal Assistant route sitting alongside the commissioned framework.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on July 17, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 067947-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Metropolitan borough of Bury

Metropolitan borough of Bury has issued 17 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 2 currently open and 1 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Governance & Public Administration, Urban Development & Housing, and Social Protection & Welfare. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: July 17, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 067947-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Metropolitan borough of Bury in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Social Protection & Welfare sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £13,322,176 - £13,322,176. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.