Planning

Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the re-procurement of Community Based Services for people with a learning disability, mental health needs, and/or autism

  • Durham County Council

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

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-061719

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-05a6d1

Published 2 October 2025, 1:41pm



Scope

Description

The Council are inviting providers to participate in preliminary engagement to gain insight from the market with the purpose of making any potential future exercise, well framed, feasible, focused and of likely interest to the market.

This preliminary market engagement purpose is to seek potential providers to join our framework of organisations and to provide their views regarding Community Based Services for people with a learning disability, mental health needs, and/or autism which is primarily supported living services.

Supported Living services are community provisions where individuals have a tenancy with a housing provider and the Council commissions a care and support provider to meet the needs of the individuals living there.

Commercial tool

Establishes a framework

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
  • 3 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 85320000 - Social services

Contract locations

  • UKC14 - Durham CC

Engagement

Engagement deadline

17 October 2026

Engagement process description

Market engagement questionnaire for completion and return by Providers which can be accessed at www.open-uk.org under the title Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) for the re-procurement of Community Based Services for people with a learning disability, mental health needs, and/or autism.

In addition , two support sessions, on Teams, in early November designed to remove barriers for SMEs, support users in the use of OPEN, CDP and the inclusion of social value in DCC procurements. Further detail can be found within the PME documents published on the OPEN portal.


Participation

Particular suitability

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

Procedure

Special regime

Light touch


Contracting authority

Durham County Council

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMPB-8772-VYWM

Corten House, Dunholme Close

Durham

DH1 5WB

United Kingdom

Region: UKC14 - Durham CC

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government