Residential Placement for 388321

Official notice

Authority: Darlington Borough Council (Local council)

Direct awardLight touch regimeSME suitable

Sectors: Health & Social Care (85) Delivery: North East (UKC13)

Awarded value£78,691,907published award · exc. VAT

Award in standstill Not publishedno call for competition

Award (standstill) to Hopscotch Care Limited

Notice summaryFrom the published notice

Contract for Residential Children's Homes Placement for 388321.

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Contract for Residential Children's Homes Placement for 388321

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1AwardedSME

Delivery: North EastEligibility: SME eligible

85000000 Health and social work services

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1some still in standstill

Awarded value £78,691,9071 award exc. VAT

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
Hopscotch Care Limited29 Oct 2026 – 24 May 2028	£78,691,907	—	Standstill

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

Procedure method: Direct award
Legal basis: UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status: Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold: Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime: Light touch regime
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered: Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 29 Oct 2026, 10:43 GMT
Last source update: 29 Oct 2026, 10:43 GMT
Authority reference: PB2026-00530
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-102463
Latest notice: Transparency notice (UK5)
Delivery area: North East (UKC13)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07932e Find a Tender

Why no open competition: Urgency
Published justification: Urgent placement required

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 29 Oct 2026

Transparency notice published
29 Oct 2026, 10:43 GMT
UK5
Contract signature expected
29 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
scheduled

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Darlington Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PCRZ-3744-WXXZ Town Hall, Feethams, Darlington, North East, DL1 5QTContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Hopscotch Care LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 07373908 19 Lancaster Road, Lancashire, North West, LA5 9LDContact email

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender29 Oct 2026, 10:43 GMT