TenderlineUK
Procurement Intelligence
Official OCDSSearch
Find a TenderOpen admission Tender notice
Published 21 Sept 2026, 12:32 BST

Official UK procurement notice

COV - West Midlands Children's Regional Residential Care Framework

Official notice Competition analysis

Authority: Coventry City Council (Local council)

Framework agreement6 lotsServicesCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitable
Sectors: Health & Social Care (85) Delivery: West Midlands (UKG11)
Framework ceiling (notional) £4,946,000,000envelope for 6 lots · framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Admission open until 23 Oct 202612:00 BST · period end, not a bid countdown
Lots 6see the lot list below
Framework period 2 yrs 8 moup to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensions · starts 1 Mar 2027
Bids per lot · this authority 4division 85 · n=17 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought6 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

This framework is for the provision of children's residential care across the West Midlands region. Coventry City Council is the lead local authority for the framework, which can be accessed by the 14 West Midlands Local Authorities/Trusts and their successors/any successor bodies of any of the 14 entities. The West Midlands Children's Residential Care Framework aims to be the primary means by which residential care placements are sourced in the region from the independent market.

This is a framework re-opening and Tenderers are invited to bid for one or more of the Lots. Providers that are already on the framework can apply to be added to an additional Lot(s) and/or apply to add further Children's Residential Homes to the Framework. For example, if a Provider has already been awarded the framework agreement for Lots 1 and 2, they can now apply for Lot 3 and/or Lot 6. Similarly, if a Provider has already been awarded the framework agreement for Lots 1 and 2, they can apply to add another Children's Residential Home(s) to Lots 1 and/or 2 and apply to be added to an additional Lot(s).

Please see tender documents for more information about the framework and how it will be awarded. The tender documents can be downloaded from Coventry City Council's e-tendering portal CSW-JETS via https://sell2.in-tend.co.uk/midlands.

Read the full description (678 more characters)

This is a Flexible framework, which is being re-opened for a Light Touch Framework under the Procurement Act 2023 (and for the avoidance of doubt NOT as an Open Framework as defined by the Procurement Act 2023). The framework shall be re-opened at least annually and there will be additional re-openings, at any time if in the reasonable opinion of the Council the flexible framework needs to be re-opened to enable the Council and any Placing Authority to discharge their statutory duties in relation to Children in Care and the current number of providers and homes do not offer sufficient capacity in terms of residential placements available across the West Midlands region.

  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 21 Sept 2027, 23:59 BST.
  • How the procedure runs: For a full breakdown of the Competitive flexible procedure being followed, please see section 5.2.2. Stage 2 - Children's Residential Home(s) - Award Process Criteria (Pass/Fail) in Part 1 - Information Pack of the tender documents

CPV: Health and social work services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Type
Open framework
Call-offs
every call-off is a further competition among the appointed suppliers
Framework period
2 yrs 8 mo · up to 8 yrs 8 mo from 1 Mar 2027
Who may buy through it

The framework can be accessed by the 14 West Midlands Local Authorities/Trusts listed below and their successors/any successor bodies of any of the 14 entities. Birmingham Children's Trust The Council of the City of Coventry Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Herefordshire Council Sandwell Children's Trust Shropshire Council Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Staffordshire County Council Stoke-on-Trent City Council Borough of Telford & Wrekin Walsall Council Warwickshire County Council Wolverhampton City Council Worcestershire County Council

Published description of the framework

This framework is for the provision of children's residential care across the West Midlands region. Coventry City Council is the lead local authority for the framework, which can be accessed by the 14 West Midlands Local Authorities/Trusts and their successors/any successor bodies of any of the 14 entities. The West Midlands Children's Residential Care Framework aims to be the primary means by which residential care placements are sourced in the region from the independent market. This is a framework re-opening and Tenderers are invited to bid for one or more of the Lots. Providers that are already on the framework can apply to be added to an additional Lot(s) and/or apply to add further Children's Residential Homes to the Framework. For example, if a Provider has already been awarded the framework agreement for Lots 1 and 2, they can now apply for Lot 3 and/or Lot 6. Similarly, if a Provider has already been awarded the framework agreement for Lots 1 and 2, they can apply to add another Children's Residential Home(s) to Lots 1 and/or 2 and apply to be added to an additional Lot(s). Please see tender documents for more information about the framework and how it will be awarded. The tender documents can be downloaded from Coventry City Council's e-tendering portal CSW-JETS via https://sell2.in-tend.co.uk/midlands. This is a Flexible framework, which is being re-opened for a Light Touch Framework under the Procurement Act 2023 (and for the avoidance of doubt NOT as an Open Framework as defined by the Procurement Act 2023). The framework shall be re-opened at least annually and there will be additional re-openings, at any time if in the reasonable opinion of the Council the flexible framework needs to be re-opened to enable the Council and any Placing Authority to discharge their statutory duties in relation to Children in Care and the current number of providers and homes do not offer sufficient capacity in terms of residential placements available across the West Midlands region.

Lots and requirements (6)Procurement structure

6 lots · all with a published value
Lot #1Planned Residential CareRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 1 is for the provision of Planned Residential Care placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #2Crisis CareRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 2 is for the provision of Crisis Care placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #3Residential Care with DFE Regulated EducationRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 3 is for the provision of Residential Care with DFE Regulated Education placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #4Residential Parenting AssessmentsRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 4 is for the provision of Residential Parenting Assessments placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #5Therapeutic Residential CareRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 5 is for the provision of Therapeutic Residential Care placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #6Children with DisabilitiesRenewal 2 yrs 8 moSMEPublished value£4,946,000,000
Lot 6 is for the provision of Children with Disabilities placements
Contract period: 1 Mar 2027 — 30 Oct 2029 (2 yrs 8 mo) · up to 8 yrs 8 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: West Midlands
Value
£4,946,000,000 exc. VAT · £5,935,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The initial term of the Framework is for the period of 4 years from commencement (31 October 2025), but may be extended, by mutual agreement by two increments of 3 years. The Framework will be subject to review during the initial term and the results of those reviews will inform the Council's decision as to whether any extension period will be offered.
85000000 Health and social work services
Award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Quality

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How Coventry City Council buys Health and social work services (CPV 85) — and who usually turns up

Coventry City Council’s own published record, next to the West Midlands market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Health and social work services (CPV 85) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Left: this authority. Right: the market where the work is delivered. Bids and award-vs-estimate pairs are per lot, from contested frameworks and DPS only — direct awards (including PA 2023 transparency notices) report one bid by definition and are left out. On Procurement Act 2023 notices the count is the tenders assessed at the final stage, not every submission received; pairs compare like with like (VAT-exclusive, or VAT-inclusive on both sides). Empty means nothing was published, not filled in from elsewhere.

This authority

Coventry City Council

framework/DPS notices in 36 months: 10 in division 85 · 49 in all categories (2 direct)

Bids per lot4division 85 · 36m · n=17 lots
Single-bid lots0%division 85 · 36m · n=17 lots
Award vs estimateat estimateall categories · 24m · n=38 pairs
Deadline → award date29dall categories · 36m · n=10 notices
Notice updates0all categories · 24m · n=262 notices
Awarded without competition0%division 85 · 36m · n=10 notices
Bids per lot · history, not this notice’s lots robust · n=17
  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 18%
  • 4–6 41%
  • 7+ 41%

Median 4 · 17 lots on 7 contested notices · division 85.

How procedures are run robust · n=10
  • Open 100%
  • Selective 0%
  • Limited 0%
  • Direct 0%

10 notices · division 85. Open and selective are contested (feed the bid/price figures above); limited and direct are not.

The market · delivery region

West Midlands · Health and social work services (CPV 85)

framework/DPS notices delivered in West Midlands in 36 months: 598 in division 85 (219 contested)

Bids per lot11division 85 · 36m · n=171 lots
Single-bid lots6%division 85 · 36m · n=171 lots
Award vs estimate—not measured on frameworks — a panel award is a ceiling, not a price
Deadline → award date86ddivision 85 · 36m · n=30 notices
SME bidders80%division 85 · 36m · n=143 lots
Winners based in the region92%division 85 · 36m · n=2,501 awards
Bids per lot · history, not this notice’s lots robust · n=171
  • 1 bid 6%
  • 2–3 13%
  • 4–6 18%
  • 7+ 62%

Median 11 · 171 lots on 81 contested notices · division 85.

How procedures are run robust · n=535
  • Open 23%
  • Selective 6%
  • Limited 71%
  • Direct 0%

598 notices · division 85. Open and selective are contested (feed the bid/price figures above); limited and direct are not.

robust · n=38 Awards in Coventry City Council (all categories, n=38 pairs) land a median at estimate. Applied to each lot’s own published value in the lot table below — the notice total (£4,946,000,000) is an envelope for 6 lots and is not converted.

Method and what to read with care
  • Two columns, no blending. The authority column walks its own record only: notices in the 4-digit class, then the 2-digit division, then all categories (36 months, per lot, contested only), and as a last resort its 24-month row across all categories (per lot, contested contract notices). The market column is the notice’s primary delivery ITL1 × the same class, then division (36 months). Nothing is filled from the UK-wide class; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable.
  • Per lot, contested only. Find a Tender publishes bid counts per lot; a seven-lot tender is seven contests. Procedures awarded without competition (limited / direct) are excluded from bids, price pairs and decision days — they report one bid by definition. Frameworks and DPS are a separate population from contracts (6–7 bids per lot against 2–4) and only the notice’s own kind is shown.
  • Coverage. Roughly 40 % of notices publish a bid count; about half publish an ITL1 delivery location, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice has none (labelled). Award-vs-estimate pairs need a lot estimate, one active award on the lot, one canonical supplier and a gap under 60 %; about 30 % of pairs are exact matches (the buyer published the award at the estimate). n is on every figure; below 3 the tile is muted, never hidden.
  • Pounds. The expected award applies the authority’s median movement (or the region’s, when the authority has fewer than 3 pairs) to this notice’s estimate; the middle half uses the region’s quartiles. A multi-lot notice publishes an envelope, so the movement is applied per lot, never to the total. A benchmark, not a recommended price.
  • “Match” and “relevance” are model scores from the nightly matcher, not published facts. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open admission
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Yes · next expected 21 Sept 2027
First published
21 Sept 2026, 12:32 BST
Last source update
21 Sept 2026, 12:32 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end — 17 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Health and social work services
Delivery area
West Midlands (UKG11)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077659 Find a Tender
How it runs
For a full breakdown of the Competitive flexible procedure being followed, please see section 5.2.2. Stage 2 - Children's Residential Home(s) - Award Process Criteria (Pass/Fail) in Part 1 - Information Pack of the tender documents

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Apply via In-tend
Submission portal named on this notice: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
Expression of interest (EOI)
—
Appointment period ends
23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
—
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Tender returns must be submitted via Coventry City Council's e-tendering portal CSW-JETS via sell2.in-tend.co.uk/midlands ↗

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice publishedearlier today
    21 Sept 2026, 12:32 BST
  2. Admission / appointment period endsin 32 days · period end, not a bid countdown
    23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Award decision expected byin 87 days
    17 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
  4. Contract startsin 160 days
    1 Mar 2027, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Tender notice published
    21 Sept 2026, 12:32 BSTUK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Coventry City Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PMJC-6861-XJPP Council House, Earl Street, Coventry, West Midlands, CV1 5RR ProcurementContracts@coventry.gov.uk

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Conflict of interest declarationtenderConflict of interest declarationNot published

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender