Planning

Digital Support for the Local Plan

  • Breckland District Council

UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-041354

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-05623a (view related notices)

Published 18 July 2025, 2:46pm



Scope

Reference

011-PA-25

Description

The Council is currently using an online community engagement platform to assist in reaching its diverse community across our geographically large district comprising 5 market towns and over 100 rural parishes. The aim is to keep this method of consultation available to increase community engagement in the Local Plan process and reach a greater number of people from all parts of the district and across all socio-economic groups and give them the opportunity to interact and share views, facilitate feedback, analyse this feedback and collaborate on future ideas.

As part of the Local Plan process, numerous responses are received from the public consultations. We are looking at digital options to reduce the time taken to sort, read and summarise these responses.

Total value (estimated)

  • £65,000 including VAT

Below the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 13 October 2025 to 12 April 2027
  • Possible extension to 12 April 2028
  • 2 years, 6 months

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 48100000 - Industry specific software package
  • 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

Contract locations

  • UKH17 - Breckland and South Norfolk

Engagement

Engagement deadline

22 April 2025

The engagement was carried out before this notice was published.

Engagement process description

A questionnaire was sent to suppliers containing the following information:

Introduction to the Council and outline of the upcoming procurement:

Breckland have previously and are currently utilising a consultation platform to engage with our diverse and geographically spread-out residents in the making pf the Local Plan. Our aim is to keep this method of consultation available to increase community engagement in the Local Plan process and reach a greater number of people from all parts of the district and across all socio-economic groups and give them the opportunity to interact and share views, facilitate feedback, analyse this feedback and collaborate on future ideas.

In addition, as part of the Local Plan process numerous responses are received to the public consultations, we are looking at digital options to reduce the time taken to sort, read and summarise these responses.

Lot one - consultation platform:

1. Do you offer a consultation platform?

2. Has the platform been used for local plan making for other Local Planning Authorities? If yes, please provide three (3) recent examples.

3. Is the platform accessible and how accessible are published documents?

4. Can you outline the primary features of the platform?

5. Does your platform come with any back of house features?

6. Do you offer the platform in part years, for example for 18 months with an option to extend for a further 6 / 12 months?

7. Can you describe the key features of your platform?

8. Is the platform compatible with other IT features such as word, excel and other providers? If yes, please describe compatibility with other providers.

9. Does the platform allow for a database for individuals to stay updated?

10. Are we able to upload information?

11. What is your building and onboarding time?

12. Please provide details of mobilisation and implementation requirements and timescales

13. Please provide an indicative cost, not a quote, both as a standalone product and coupled with others?

This request is to ensure our budget aligns with our requirements.

Lot two - AI summary programme

14. Do you offer a consultation summary and review program?

15. Has the product been used for local plan making for other Local Planning Authorities? If yes, please provide three (3) recent examples.

16. Can you describe the functions that the product has?

17. Can you detail how errors and hallucinations are assessed and mitigated?

18. Can you outline the primary features?

19. Can you outline the time saving benefits?

20. Do you offer the programme in part years, for example for 18 months with an option to extend for a further 6 / 12 months?

21. Is the product compatible with other IT features such as word, excel and other providers? If yes, please describe compatibility with other providers.

22. What is your building and onboarding time?

23. Please provide details of mobilisation and implementation requirements and timescales

24. Please provide an indicative cost, not a quote, both as a standalone product and coupled with others?

This request is to ensure our budget aligns with our requirements.

Lot three - Back of house local plan writing

25. Do you offer a back of house local plan writing product?

26. Has the product been used for local plan making for other Local Planning Authorities? If yes, please provide three (3) recent examples.

27. Can you describe the functions that the product has?

28. Can you detail how errors and hallucinations are assessed and mitigated?

29. Can you outline the primary features?

30. Can you outline the time saving benefits?

31. Do you offer the programme in part years, for example for an 18-month term with an option to extend for a further 6 / 12 months?

32. Is the product compatible with other IT features such as Word, Excel and other providers? If yes, please describe compatibility with other providers.

33. What is your building and onboarding time?

34. Please provide details of mobilisation and implementation requirements and timescales

35. Please provide an indicative cost, not a quote, both as a standalone product and coupled with others?

This request is to ensure our budget aligns with our requirements.


Participation

Particular suitability

  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
  • Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Submission

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

21 July 2025


Contracting authority

Breckland District Council

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBBD-9961-PPPD

Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke

Dereham

NR19 1EE

United Kingdom

Region: UKH17 - Breckland and South Norfolk

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government