Scope
Description
This is not a call for competition and is not yet a contract opportunity.
** PLEASE NOTE: By Expressing an Interest in this event via the portal you are not confirming your place at the event. Please follow the instructions below to reserve your place. **
Background
Here at Somerset Council we are excited to be exploring ways to support our foster carers to increase their fostering capacity by freeing up an internal bedroom. We are hoping to do this via funding rental garden rooms in which they can house their home office, hobby room, gym, storage or for any other reason that is currently blocking a room in the house which could be used for fostering.
The idea of renting the garden room would be should the carer decide to stop fostering we will no longer pay the rent to the foster carer. The carer can either choose to continue the contract themselves or terminate the contract and the garden room be removed.
We are aware of a provider that is currently offering this service but that does not cover the majority of our county and fostering area and who only offer specific sizes of garden room to rent. We would therefore be keen to engage with anyone that currently offers this service or would be interested in expanding their business to do so in order to offer our foster carers more choice.
By providing this service to our foster carers and increasing their ability to care for more looked after young people you will be supporting children in care to remain closer to home and improving their outcomes.
It is anticipated that any new arrangements would commence from December 2025.
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026
- 1 year
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 44211000 - Prefabricated buildings
Contract locations
- UKK23 - Somerset
Engagement
Engagement deadline
13 October 2025
Engagement process description
Preliminary Market Engagement Event
A Preliminary Market Engagement event will be held on 13.10.2025 at 11:00am. Somerset Council are inviting organisations, that might be interested in delivering these services either individually or in partnership with others to attend. The event will be an opportunity to inform and shape future options. Somerset Council are keen to hear feedback from a range of providers as part of the wider consultation for this service.
Organisations that take part will not be advantaged or disadvantaged in any way in any potential future formal procurement. Commercial confidentiality will be respected. This notice does not represent a formal commitment by Somerset Council to undertake a procurement procedure.
Event Details:
• Date: Monday 13th October 2025
• Time: 11am
• Venue: Virtual, teams link to follow.
If you are unable to attend the event but would like to register interest for your company please answer the following questions:
1) Do you currently offer rental garden rooms? If so, what is your current lead time for installation?
2) If it is not something you currently offer but would be willing to explore this within your business please advise how long you think this would take to set up and when you would be able to start offering this service?
3) Would your service include the full package- flooring, insulation, lights and an electrician to connect and provide safety certificate? If not, please advise what it would include or what would be optional extras.
4) Please confirm what geographical area you would be able to deliver and install to.
Please email responses to stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk
Event Registration:
To attend this event please send a message to stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk providing the name of your organisation, the name of the person(s) wishing to attend (Max 2 per organisation) and a contact email address for each to enable us to send through the full details of the event and the venue.
Please ensure that those attending from your organisation are the most appropriate to feed into the discussions. If you are unable to attend the event, the presentation, notes and associated documentation will be available through the e-tender system https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login
Deadline for registering: 08.10.2025
Somerset Council reserves the right to cancel or re-arrange this event at its own discretion.
Thank you.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Contracting authority
Somerset Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPGC-1434-MQPJ
County Hall, The Crescent
Taunton
TA1 4DY
United Kingdom
Region: UKK23 - Somerset
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government