Official UK procurement notice
Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework
Authority: Plymouth City Council (Local council)·Consortium: 2 public authorities
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionCompetitive tender exercise for the procurement of Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework. The Council is carrying out this tender process in line with the Procurement Act 2023 ("the Act") under a Light Touch contract.
The Service is for adults aged 18 and over who have been assessed as requiring care and support in their own home and for whom Homecare has been identified as the appropriate service response.
The relevant Commissioner will determine the support required through assessment, care and support planning, care coordination, brokerage and review. The Provider shall deliver support in accordance with the agreed plan, respond to changes in need or risk and escalate concerns appropriately. The Service may also support young people transitioning to adult services and people with end-of-life care needs, where agreed through the appropriate assessment and commissioning pathway.
The Service will operate within the specified boundary zones of Plymouth City Council and subject to ordinary residence. Providers must have the operational capacity and local arrangements required to deliver Homecare across the agreed geographic scope.
- Geographic Coverage: Providers must be able to deliver across the agreed Plymouth geographic scope; administrative boundaries of Plymouth City Council.
- Volume Profile: Predominantly urban with low density rural and coastal terrain
The Provider shall provide CQC-regulated personal care and associated support to meet assessed eligible needs under the Care Act 2014 and achieve the outcomes set out in the person's Care and Support Plan. Support shall be person-centred, strengths-based and proportionate, promoting independence, choice, dignity and wellbeing.
The Provider shall ensure staff are appropriately vetted, trained, supervised and competent to safely deliver the support required. Core activities may include:
- Personal Care: Support with washing, dressing, grooming, toileting and continence, promoting dignity and independence.
- Nutrition and Hydration: Support with meals, eating and drinking, including specialist requirements where identified and staff are appropriately trained and competent.
- Medication: Prompting, assisting with or administering medication in accordance with the Care and Support Plan, relevant guidance and Provider policies, with appropriate recording and escalation.
- Emergency Prioritisation: Maintaining essential care during disruption through effective business continuity, prioritisation and escalation arrangements.
Reablement
Providers must adopt an enabling approach, supporting people to retain, regain or develop skills where safe and appropriate and to reduce reliance on commissioned support where this aligns with their assessed needs, strengths and outcomes while recognising where ongoing support is required.
Community Networks
The Provider shall support people to maintain relationships and access community, voluntary and universal services where this contributes to their agreed outcomes. Providers shall work collaboratively with the Council, health and community partners and other Homecare Framework Providers to support coordinated care, information sharing, continuity and effective responses to changing needs or risks.
The anticipated duration of the Light Touch Open Framework is nine (9) years, comprising an initial term of three (3) years. The Framework will be reopened at three-year intervals thereafter (3 + 3 + 3) to allow the admission of new Providers and to refresh the market. Subject to ongoing service requirements and the Authority's discretion, the Framework may continue for the full nine-year period.
To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 1 Oct 2029, 23:59 BST.
- No preliminary market engagement: A notice has been published under reference ocds-h6vhtk-06de45, but the notice is not currently accessible via the associated link
CPV: Social work and related services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework · open framework scheme (admission reopens)
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 12 suppliers
- Framework period
- 3 yrs · up to 9 yrs from 10 May 2027
- Scheme runs until
- 9 May 2036
Published description of the framework
Please see supplying the southwest www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
Appendix 1 - Homecare Framework Service Specifications
Appendix 3 - Homecare Call-Off Procedure
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£312,138,968
- Economic & financial standing
To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
- Technical & professional ability
To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
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 sub-criteria (2)
- Quality Method Statements: 95%
- Social Value: 5%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality Method Statements: Quality method statements within ITT Return document - found on supplying the south west portal
- Social Value: Social Value method statements within ITT Return document - found on supplying the south west portal
- Economic & financial standing
To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
- Technical & professional ability
To access ITT and relevant specification, appendices paper work and to submit a tender you will need to register and find the opportunity on Supplying the South West portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk ↗
- “Plymouth Homecare Light Touch Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 12 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How Plymouth City Council buys Social work and related services (CPV 8530), and who usually turns up
Plymouth City Council’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Social work and related services (CPV 8530) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in South West England.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered in the region where that award was delivered. 49 known-location awards sit across 2 procurements, so one procurement can dominate this percentage.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 40 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Missing bid counts may hide more single-bid awards. This share is a minimum.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid0%
2–30%
4–633%
7+67%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 8530Published estimate£312m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid0%
2–34%
4–64%
7+92%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAMELOT CARE (PLYMOUTH) LIMITEDEarlier contract | Plymouth Adults' Care Home Frameworkstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| HIGHER PARK LODGE LIMITEDEarlier contract | Plymouth Adults' Care Home Frameworkstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| J.A.N. LIMITEDEarlier contract | Plymouth Adults' Care Home Frameworkstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| MODUS CARE (PLYMOUTH) LIMITEDEarlier contract | Plymouth Adults' Care Home Frameworkstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
| DR PEPPER'S CARE CORPORATION LIMITEDEarlier contract | Plymouth Adults' Care Home Frameworkstarted Jan 2026 | — | — | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 awards in 36m · last 10 months ago | None on file | no comparable pairs |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
What this replaces i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
52% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
52% title match.
A past supplier may not bid again.
The prior contract this notice most likely re-tenders · matched by title and category (52% title match), the holder is not guaranteed to re-bid
Plymouth Adults' Care Home Framework — held by DOWN HOUSE LIMITED and DARBYSHIRE CARE LIMITED (+1 more); no contract end date published.
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
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Open framework scheme
- 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
- Yes · next expected 1 Oct 2029
- First published
- 23 Oct 2026, 12:31 BST
- Last source update
- 23 Oct 2026, 12:31 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 12 Jan 2027
- Authority reference
PEO/25029- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-100435- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078ee3Find a Tender
- Risks
Known risks: Changes in legislation, Government policy, Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), commissioning arrangements, service demand, funding, safeguarding requirements, digital systems, data protection requirements, or service delivery models (including Trusted Assessor arrangements and provider portals) may necessitate modification of the Framework or Call-Off Contracts during their term.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via ProContract (Due North)- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Appointment period ends
- 20 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 5 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
23 Oct 2026 → 10 May 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published1 day ago23 Oct 2026, 12:31 BST
- Today24 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 12 days5 Nov 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period endsin 27 days · period end, not a bid countdown20 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 80 days12 Jan 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 197 days10 May 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published23 Oct 2026, 12:31 BSTUK4
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARDContracting authorityPublic authority - central government
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Please register and express an interest in the opportunity to be able to download procurement documents
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender