UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

As set out in the notice published on 3 July 2026, Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT) has been established as a community interest company limited by guarantee and is wholly owned by Bradford Council. The Trust provides a long-term, sustainable platform to drive improved performance and deliver high-quality, innovative social care services for children, young people, and families across the Bradford Metropolitan District. In 2025, the Government announced the Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life programme, building on the previous Family Hubs Start for Life programme. The strategy highlights the importance of supporting children and families throughout the early years, helping to lay the foundations for future success. This includes a commitment to ensuring that 75% of children achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessment by 2028 and begin school ready to learn. The Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies: Guidance for Local Authorities informs the core funded services that are within the scope of this commissioning activity. These services will be commissioned across the following two lots: • Lot 1: Parenting Support • Lot 2: Parent-Infant Relationships and Perinatal (Parent-Infant) Mental Health. Feedback from the market engagement event held on 27 July 2026 has helped inform our approach. A further Bidders Information Event will be held online as follows: Date: Monday 14 September 2026 Time: 10:30am to 11:30am Format: Microsoft Teams. To express an interest in attending, please register for the event via the EU Supply portal.

Purpose of the event: Bradford Children and Families Trust is undertaking preliminary market engagement in relation to a potential procurement for the appointment of an Innovation Partner to support the co-design, mobilisation and delivery of Tier 3.5 Therapeutic Children’s Home provision. The Authority’s current intention is for the requirement to comprise two x 2 bed properties / homes (4 beds in total) delivering an equivalent Tier 3.5 therapeutic children’s home service model for children and young people with complex needs. The homes may be mobilised and opened on a phased basis, depending on property readiness, regulatory requirements, mobilisation planning and operational considerations. The session will provide an opportunity to: • Outline BCFT’s emerging commissioning intentions for Tier 3.5 provision; • Provide an overview of the proposed service model and intended outcomes; • Discuss the proposed two-property / two-home approach; • Explore potential phased mobilisation and opening arrangements; • Discuss key quality, safeguarding, regulatory and Ofsted-related considerations; • Discuss workforce, mobilisation and partnership working considerations; • Explain the proposed Innovation Partner / co-design approach; • Discuss expectations around open-book accounting and commercial transparency; and • Enable providers to ask questions and provide feedback in advance of any formal tender publication. The event forms part of BCFT’s wider engagement with the market to help shape a high-quality, deliverable and sustainable Tier 3.5 therapeutic children’s home model for children and young people with complex needs. Event Details: • Event: Preliminary Market Engagement Event • Focus: Tier 3.5 Therapeutic Children’s Home Provision: Innovation Partner • Location: Microsoft Teams • Date and Time: 25/08/2026 13:30 to 15:30 Registration: To register your interest in attending this Market Engagement Event, please send a message through the EU Supply / YORtender Portal by no later than Friday 21 August 2026 at 5:00pm. Please use the subject line: Market Engagement Event – Tier 3.5 Therapeutic Children’s Home Provision. When registering, please provide the organisation name, contact name, contact email address and the names of any attendees who wish to attend the event. Joining instructions and further details will be shared with registered attendees through the EU Supply / YORtender Portal ahead of the event. Procurement Portal: Any formal procurement opportunity is expected to be published via YORtender / EU Supply. Providers are advised to ensure they are registered on the portal to access documentation and submit any future responses. Important Information: This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice is for information only. It does not formally commence the procurement and does not commit Bradford Children and Families Trust to undertaking a procurement process or awarding a contract. Participation or non-participation in this engagement will not advantage or disadvantage any supplier in any subsequent procurement process. Any material information shared or gathered through this engagement which is relevant to any subsequent procurement will be made available to all suppliers through the procurement documents and/or the YORtender Portal.