Upcoming
Development of a Specialist Therapeutic Children's Home for Children with Complex Mental Health, Disability and High-Risk Needs
Durham County Council · Local authority
In brief
Durham County Council has announced plans to buy care and healthcare work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.
The notice does not state a value.
The contract runs for 3 years, up to 6 years with extensions, starting 1 March 2027.
Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.
Can I win this?
Competition
Usually high: a median of 13 bids per contract for this buyer (from 86 awards in the last 12 months).
What the notice says
Market Engagement for the development of a specialist therapeutic Children's Home for children with complex mental health, disability and high-risk needs in County Durham.
The Council is exploring a service model that may:
• Operate as an Ofsted-registered children's home.
• Provide up to three highly individualised placements.
• Support solo living arrangements when required.
• Deliver enhanced staffing arrangements where assessed as needed.
• Operate using trauma-informed & psychologically informed approaches.
• Incorporate Positive Behaviour Support principles.
• Support restriction reduction and progression planning.
• Maintain strong links with education, health and community services.
• Promote placement stability and reduce placement breakdown.
• Support children to remain closer to home wherever possible.
• Reduce reliance on unregistered, emergency and out-of-area provision.
• Support planned transitions to less restrictive environments when safe and appropriate.
The Council is interested in understanding whether providers would favour:
• A fully provider-operated model.
• A partnership model involving local authority and health partners.
• A clinically led model.
• A hybrid therapeutic residential model.
• Alternative innovative delivery approaches.
How to bid
- Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
- Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
- Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
Timeline
- Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 100996-2026
- Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 101012-2026
About the buyer
Durham County CouncilLast 12 months
Procurements
238Awards
171Suppliers it has used most for care
- Careline Lifestyles Ltd2 contracts
- Karbon Homes2 contracts
- Waythrough2 contracts
- 360 Supported Living Limited1 contract
- Action First Assessments Ltd1 contract
Similar open tenders
All open care tenders- £1.25mestimated
- £169kestimated
- £200kestimated
- £148kestimated
- £20mframework ceiling
From notice 100996-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 26 October 2026, last updated 26 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 26 October 2026.