Scope
Reference
C2864 - DN773039
Description
About Short Breaks in Cheshire East
Cheshire East Council is looking to provide a range of short breaks for disabled children (aged 0 to 18) and their families, resident in Cheshire East, in various settings and of various lengths ranging from a couple of hours to a half/full day session, provided after school at weekends and in school holidays. The services will be available at a time to suit the targeted individuals in order to provide flexible access. This will depend on the nature of the service being offered and will often include delivery out of standard working hours.
It is the intention of Cheshire East Council to commission 'free to access' short break sessions/activities using a Lead Provider model. Therefore, any bids submitted will cover the costs in full within the pricing schedule, without the need for subsidies from children and families accessing the session/activity. All services will be operational from 5th January 2026.
The Lead provider may arrange and deliver the sessions directly or subcontract to other local providers that may deliver specific activities, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the Cheshire East Footprint. Collaboration with other local providers, the voluntary and community sector and Family Hubs will be central to the delivery of this service.
Total value (estimated)
- £880,000 excluding VAT
- £1,056,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 5 January 2026 to 4 January 2029
- Possible extension to 4 January 2030
- 4 years
Description of possible extension:
Initial Period: 05/01/2026 - 04/01/2029 (36 months)
with 1 x 12 months optional extension to be extended at the sole discretion of the Council.
The last possible end date if the extension is exercised is 04/01/2030.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85312120 - Daycare services for disabled children and young people
Contract locations
- UKD62 - Cheshire East
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
Please refer to Procurement Documents (PSQ Response Document) by expressing an interest in Project ID DN773039 at https://www.the-chest.org.uk/
Technical ability conditions of participation
Please refer to Procurement Documents (PSQ Response Document) by expressing an interest in Project ID DN773039 at https://www.the-chest.org.uk/
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
30 May 2025, 10:00am
Submission type
Tenders
Tender submission deadline
9 June 2025, 2:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Unrestricted access to this opportunity is available via the Chest North West Portal, register for free at https://www.the-chest.org.uk/ and express an interest in project ID DN773039
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
21 July 2025
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 1 May 2029
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative Questions | Written responses |
Quality | 70% |
| Financial Evaluation | Pricing schedule |
Price | 20% |
| Presentation | Provider presentation |
Quality | 10% |
Other information
Payment terms
Please refer to Appendix B Conditions of Contract & Appendix B.1 TUPE Schedule. The TUPE Liability information is attached at Appendix D.
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Competitive flexible procedure description
The procurement process adopted by the Council is based upon the Competitive Flexible procedure.
In brief, the process will be as follows: -
All suppliers that express an interest in the opportunity will be provided with access to the tender documents including Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Response Document that contains pass/fail conditions of participation and a Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) Response Document that contains the award stage Pricing Schedule, Qualitative Questions and Provider Presentation Requirements.
Both the PSQ Response Document and the CFP Response Document require completion in full and submission at the same time, prior to the tender deadline.
All tenderers that pass the conditions of participation (PSQ) will progress to the award stage and their CFP Response document will be assessed.
All tenderers that pass the conditions of participation (PSQ) will be invited to deliver a qualitative presentation and have this assessed as part of the award stage.
Tenderers that fail the conditions of participation, contained within the PSQ response document, will not progress to award stage and their CFP response document will not be assessed.
Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice
some market engagement in the form of a survey took place between the 11th June 2024 and 5 July 2024, prior to the go live of the Procurement Regulations 2024.
Contracting authority
Cheshire East Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTWR-7124-XZXQ
Delamere House, Delamere Street
Crewe
CW12JZ
United Kingdom
Region: UKD62 - Cheshire East
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government