BHCC JS Accredited Provider List for Supported Accommodation 2025

The Council is re-commissioning its Accredited Provider List system (APL) for the provision of Supported Accommodation for Young People services.

The Council is under a statutory obligation to secure sufficient accommodation for Children in Care (CiC) and Care Leavers, that meets their needs and is within the local area where this is reasonably practicable. The Council does not currently run any in-house supported accommodation for young people services, therefore the Council has a need to secure placements for Supported Accommodation for Young People in the independent sector.

The purpose of the APL is to identify suitably qualified and capable providers who can fulfil the Council's requirements and

Current APL

The existing APL is due to expire on 30th June 2025.

General Conditions of new APL (Summary)

• The APL will run for an initial term of four (4) years, commencing on 1st July 2025 and expiring on 30th June 2029, with an option to extend for a period or periods of up to two (2) years until 30th June 2031.
• The APL will comprise of 2 categories:
• Category 1 - Accommodation and Support (Block Contracts)
• Category 2 - Accommodation and Support (Individual Placements)
• Like the existing APL, the new APL will use elements of a framework and elements of a dynamic purchasing system. The new APL will remain permanently open for new Applicants for the duration of its term. The evaluation of Applications will be undertaken at least twice per financial year, at the discretion of the Council and more frequently in the first 12 months of the APL being open. Applicants who wish to become a Service Provider will be required to submit an Application as detailed at Section 7 of this APL guidance. The Application for the new APL has been redesigned to enable an expedited review process and a streamlined, more user-friendly submission procedure for Applicants.
• The APL system may also be used by East Sussex County Council, however this will not be their main procurement route for these services.
• Whilst there is no guarantee of business through the Accredited Provider List, it is expected that the Council will access the Accredited Provider List immediately.
• The Council intends to use the APL to Direct Award and call for competition among Service Providers in order to award Contracts for the provision of the Supported Accommodation for Young People. The annual budget for awarding Contracts by Brighton & Hove City Council under the APL is estimated at £3.49m in 2025-26 and the total estimated Contract Value of the APL over the six-year period is £25.36m, which includes up to £1m for potential Contracts awarded by East Sussex County Council.
• Under the Accredited Provider List, the Council will commission the services either by Direct Award or Mini Tender.
• Category 1 Contracts will be awarded to Service Providers by Mini Tender.
• Category 2 Contracts will be awarded to Service Providers under the APL by either Direct Award, conducting a Limited Mini Competition or Open Mini Competition.
• The APL guidance provides detailed information regarding the assessment and criteria for becoming a Service Provider on the Council's re-commissioned APL system and;
• Provides an overview of the Direct Award and Mini Tender Exercise for awarding Contracts to a Service Provider under Category 1 and 2. More detailed guidance for Direct Awards and Mini Tender Exercises will be provided by the Council as and when a call for competition is required.
• A service specification has been set out at Schedule 2 detailing the requirements of the services to be provided and the scope of the services required under Category 1 and 2.
• The Council is conducting this procurement in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations. The services required fall within Schedule of the Regulations and are therefore classified as "Light Touch". This means that the full ambit of the Regulations does not apply to this procurement. In order to procure the APL, the Council has adopted a hybrid procurement route. This hybrid procurement route contains some elements of a dynamic purchasing system procedure, and a framework procedure. Full details of the process are set out on the South East Shared Services portal.