Official UK procurement notice
Framework and Services Agreement for the Provision of Agency Support for Cumberland Care
Authority: Cumberland Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionCumberland Council is procuring a closed Framework for the Provision of Agency Support for Cumberland Care. Cumberland Council is implementing this Framework to address staffing shortfalls in its in-house adult social care services "Cumberland Care".
This procurement will establish a closed Framework Agreement. Suppliers must note that there will only be one opportunity to join the Framework. Once the Framework is awarded, no further suppliers will be admitted during its term.
Cumberland Care Services include:
- Residential care homes
- Reablement and domiciliary care
- Supported living
- Day services
- Extra care housing
- Shared Lives schemes
These services support adults aged 18 and over who require care due to physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health needs, or age-related conditions, including dementia.
The framework will enable the Council to recruit the following roles, but is not limited to;
- Support Workers
- Senior Support Workers
- Registered Nurses
The Provider must maintain sufficient capacity to respond to planned and urgent cover and ensure 24/7/365 contact. At Framework commencement, the Provider will supply a single telephone number and single mailbox for all requests and escalations.
The provider will deliver services across the Cumberland Council area. Services will be available throughout the year, including days, evenings, nights (also, staff may be required on a waking night and sleeping night basis), weekends and Bank Holidays, as required.
Demand will be variable and depend on need.
The council proposes to enter into the contract for an initial term of 30 months with the successful tenderer(s).
There are no optional extensions available.
If the contract runs for the initial term only it will end on 30th April 2029.
The contract value for the initial term is £4750000 excluding VAT.
The contract value for the initial term, potential uplifts is £4750000 excluding VAT.
This figure is indicative only as the uplifts are not guaranteed.
If the council implements uplift, this will be confirmed with the successful suppliers in advance.
CPV: Social work and related services · Supply services of nursing personnel
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- every call-off is a further competition among the appointed suppliers
- Framework period
- 2 yrs 6 mo from 1 Nov 2026
Published description of the framework
This procurement will establish a closed Framework Agreement.
Suppliers must note that there will only be one opportunity to join the Framework.
Once the Framework is awarded, no further suppliers will be admitted during its term.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1Published value£4,750,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (3)
- Price: Providers will be ranked based on their submitted rates for each job function. The lowest price in each category will receive the maximum points available, and all other bids will be scored proportionately using the formula: Score = (Lowest Cost/Provider Cost) × Points are weighted to the rates which the Council expects to order the most . Providers will have set hourly rates (submitted at tender stage) for the duration of the Framework. Prices must be inclusive of all costs, (labour, equipment, materials, transport, administration, operating costs, overhead charges, profit, other costs, expenses, travel, National Insurance and pension contributions. Suppliers may bid for one, two, or all three job roles. For each job role submitted, bidders must provide rates for all shift types, Weekday, Weekend and Bank Holiday. A bid that does not include rates for all three shift types for a particular job role will be excluded from evaluation for that job role.
- Quality: The quality score must achieve a total consensus score of above 2 for each quality question otherwise the bid will be excluded for not reaching an acceptable quality standard.
- Social Value
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “Framework and Services Agreement for the Provision of Agency Support…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: each call-off is a further competition, so the pricing contest starts after appointment.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 4 Mar 2026, 10:48 GMT
- Last source update
- 14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 21 Sept 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-066179- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0661d4Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 5 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
For further information please read the Invitation to Tender (ITT) and its appendices
Clarification questions can be asked on The Chest messaging section. www.the-chest.org.uk ↗
You should take note of the deadlines in the Procurement Timetable, which is in the ITT.
All bids must be received electronically via The Chest by the deadline stated in the Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Any clarifications about the tender must be sent via messaging on The Chest by the deadline stated in the ITT.
Timeline
4 Mar 2026 → 1 Nov 2026 · 7 dates- Planning notice published239 days ago4 Mar 2026, 10:48 GMT
- Market engagement226 days ago16 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
Cumberland Council is looking to engage with providers with capacity and the required skills to engage agency staff to maintain safe staffing levels, ensure continuity of care, and uphold regulatory obligations. Agency staffing provides flexibility to respond quickly to short-term gaps and helps safeguard the wellbeing of customers when internal resources cannot meet demand.
The session will be held via Teams. For further details and to access the joining information use our online procurement portal, The Chest www.the-chest.org.uk ↗
- Tender notice published107 days ago14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BST
- Clarification questions by85 days ago5 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period ends78 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST
- Award decision expected by37 days ago21 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Today29 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 2 days1 Nov 2026
Notice history
7 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 4 Mar 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published4 Mar 2026, 10:48 GMTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published25 Mar 2026, 13:09 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £4,750,00014 Jul 2026, 13:27 BSTwas £3,958,333
- Status changed to active14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BST
- Procurement method changed14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BST
- Deadline published: 12 Aug 2026, 10:00 BST14 Jul 2026, 13:27 BST
Published amendments (1)
Further Market Engagement including a supplier questionnaire and feedback on the draft specification plus a copy of the Pre-market engagement slides and questions and answers from the online session. For further details and to access the questionnaire, use our online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.the-chest.org.uk
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender