Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 6 Oct 2026, 16:10 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Stage One Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) Aldbanks Supported Living CBC-2074-CFP-SK

Authority: Central Bedfordshire Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regime
Budget not disclosed£0£0 inc. VAT
Submission deadline 2 Nov 202612:00 GMT · 26d 19h left
Clarification cut-off 26 Oct 202617:00 GMT · questions to the authority
Contract term 3 yrsup to 7 yrs with extensions · starts 1 Nov 2027
Bids per lot · this authority 3CPV 8531 · n=3 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Central Bedfordshire Council is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced provider to deliver supported living services at Aldbanks. The service will provide high-quality, person-centred support to adults with eligible care and support needs, enabling individuals to maximise their independence, maintain their wellbeing, and participate fully in their local community. The successful provider will work collaboratively with the Council, residents, families, health partners and other stakeholders to deliver safe, effective and outcome-focused support that promotes choice, control and independence.

This procurement is being conducted as a two-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. At this first stage, Suppliers are required to complete the Participation and Selection Questionnaire. Following evaluation, the four highest-scoring qualified Suppliers will be invited to participate in Stage 2 and submit a full Tender Response.

The Council will provide as much support and information as it can to help guide Suppliers through the tender process. Questions raised by Suppliers, together with the Council's responses, will be shared with all Suppliers through the Procurement Portal to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Read the full description (658 more characters)

If there is anything you are unsure about or require clarification on, please use the Correspondence facility within the In-Tend electronic tendering system.

Deadline for submission of clarification questions: Monday 26 October 2026.

Completed Participation and Selection Questionnaire responses and supporting attachments must be submitted electronically via the In-Tend system. Responses must be uploaded through the "My Return" section of the system. Responses submitted through the Correspondence facility will not be considered.

Deadline for submission of completed Participation and Selection Questionnaire responses: Monday 2 November 2026 at 12:00 noon.

CPV: Social work services with accommodation

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Lot 1Renewal 3 yrsPublished valueAED 0
Contract period: 1 Nov 2027 — 31 Oct 2030 (3 yrs) · up to 7 yrs with extensionsDelivery: East of England
Value
AED 0 exc. VAT · AED 0 inc. VAT
Extensions
Initial term of 3 years from 1 November 2027 to 31 October 2030, with the option to extend for up to a further 4 years. Maximum contract end date: 31 October 2034.
85311000 Social work services with accommodation

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids are scored
Quality: 50%Price: 40%Social value: 10%
Published sub-criteria (3)
  • Quality - Methodology — 50%
  • Price — 40%
  • Social Value — 10%
Published award criteria (3)
  • Quality - Methodology — Tender Responses will be evaluated against the quality requirements set out in the Tender Response document, including the supplier's approach to service delivery, safeguarding, mobilisation and implementation, resident outcomes, partnership working, workforce arrangements and customer care. Responses will be scored in accordance with the published scoring matrix and evaluation methodology contained within the procurement documents.
  • Price — Tendered prices will be evaluated in accordance with the pricing methodology set out in the procurement documents. The lowest evaluated tender price will receive the maximum available score, with other tender prices scored relative to the lowest evaluated tender.
  • Social Value — Suppliers will be evaluated on their proposed social value commitments and outcomes relevant to the Contract. Responses will be assessed in accordance with the social value requirements, scoring methodology and evaluation criteria set out in the procurement documents.

No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.

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

How Central Bedfordshire Council buys Social work services (CPV 8531) — and who usually turns up

Central Bedfordshire Council’s own published record, next to the East of England market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Social work services (CPV 8531) →

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 contracts 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

Central Bedfordshire Council

contract notices in 36 months: 9 in CPV 8531 (3 route not published) · 14 in division 85 (3 route not published) · 85 in all categories (4 without competition · 18 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 3 lots. 1 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 3) and 2 from older notices (bids received, middle 3.5).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

3CPV 8531 · 36m · n=3 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 3 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=3 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 36 months: 16 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateall categories · 36m · n=16 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 36 months: 22 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

62dall categories · 36m · n=22 notices
Notice updates
i

How often this buyer changes a notice after publishing it.

Middle number of amendments per notice. Deadline extensions and corrections both count.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 24 months: 108 notices.

Last 24 months.

0all categories · 24m · n=108 notices
Awarded without competition
i

How often this buyer awards without a competition.

Direct or limited awards as a share of its notices that say which procedure was used. These routes are legal in defined cases. This is just the record.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 6 notices.

Last 36 months.

0%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=6 notices
Bids per lot moderate · n=3
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 3 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 67%
  • 4–6 33%
  • 7+ 0%

Middle value 3 · 3 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 8531.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=16
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 16 lot pairs · all categories, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 31%
  • Within ±2% 50%
  • Above estimate 19%

16 lot pairs · all categories.

The market · delivery region

East of England · Social work services (CPV 8531)

contract notices delivered in East of England in 36 months: 161 in CPV 8531 (107 competed, 40 route not published) · 2,111 in division 85 (560 competed, 403 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 90 lots. 43 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 4) and 47 from older notices (bids received, middle 4).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

4CPV 8531 · 36m · n=90 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 90 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

21%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=90 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 37 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateCPV 8531 · 36m · n=37 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 37 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

59dCPV 8531 · 36m · n=37 notices
SME bidders
i

How much of this market goes to small and medium firms.

SME bidders where buyers published the split, otherwise SME winners.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 85 lots.

Last 36 months.

65%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=85 lots
Winners based in the region
i

How much work like this goes to companies based in the delivery region.

Awards in this category delivered here where the winner’s registered address is in the region.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 87 awards.

Registered address, so a national firm with a local branch counts as outside.

Last 36 months.

64%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=87 awards
Bids per lot robust · n=90
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 90 lots on 65 contested notices · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 21%
  • 2–3 23%
  • 4–6 32%
  • 7+ 23%

Middle value 4 · 90 lots on 65 contested notices · CPV 8531.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=37
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 37 lot pairs · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 30%
  • Within ±2% 65%
  • Above estimate 5%

37 lot pairs · CPV 8531.

robust · n=16
i

Where this tender’s estimate would land if the usual pattern repeats.

We apply the buyer’s usual movement between estimate and award (or the region’s) to the estimate on this notice.

No estimate in pounds on this notice, so the movement stays a percentage.

A benchmark, not a price to bid.

The middle award in Central Bedfordshire Council (all categories, n=16 pairs) lands at estimate; this notice publishes no GBP estimate to apply it to.
Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each tile explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two columns are never blended and nothing is filled from a UK-wide figure; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • 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). About 30 % of award-vs-estimate pairs are exact matches — the buyer published the award at the estimate. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden.
  • “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
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
6 Oct 2026, 16:10 BST
Last source update
6 Oct 2026, 16:10 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end — 8 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
Authority reference
CBC-2074-CFP-SK
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Social work services with accommodation
Delivery area
East of England (UKH25)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0781fb Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Submit 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)
—
Tender submission deadline
2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
26 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Published estimate £0 excludes VAT (£0 including VAT).

Timeline

5 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice publishedearlier today
    6 Oct 2026, 16:10 BST
  2. Clarification questions byin 20 days
    26 Oct 2026, 17:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadlinein 27 days
    2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
  4. Award decision expected byin 184 days
    8 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
  5. Contract startsin 390 days
    1 Nov 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
    6 Oct 2026, 16:10 BSTUK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Central Bedfordshire Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PVNH-1137-QJBX Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, East of England, SG17 5TQ [email protected] 03003006229

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