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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Provision of Community Short Breaks for Children with Disabilities and their Families in Bedford Borough 2026

Bedford Borough Council · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 13:19.

Opportunity overview

Bedford Borough Council provides a range of Short Break Services that are designed to assist individuals who provide care for CYP with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). The provision of short breaks is a statutory requirement under the Children and Families Act 2014. Local authorities are required to provide access to services that are designed to assist individuals who provide care for children with SEND to continue to do so, or to do so more effectively, by giving them breaks from caring. Local authorities must offer short breaks as part of a preventative model in keeping families together, preventing family breakdown and preventing CYP with SEND becoming children looked after. Short Breaks Services have been defined as services that give CYP with SEND enjoyable experiences away from their primary carers, thereby contributing to their personal and social development and reducing social isolation; and services that provide parents and families a necessary and valuable break from their caring responsibilities. Short Breaks Services can include day-time or overnight care in the homes of CYP with SEND or elsewhere, educational or leisure activities outside their homes, or services available to assist carers in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

Classification

  • CPV85312100 — Daycare services
  • CPV85312110 — Child daycare services
  • CPV85312120 — Daycare services for disabled children and young people
  • CPV85320000 — Social services
  • CPV98000000 — Other community, social and personal services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
BBC CH 04069
Status
planning
Main Procurement Category
services

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

lightTouch

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning
Has Renewal
Yes

Suitability

Sme
Yes
Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Ends
31 Mar 2028, 23:59
Starts
1 Apr 2026, 00:00
Max Extent Date
31 Mar 2030, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
85312100
Scheme
CPV
Description
Daycare services
Entry 2
Id
85312110
Scheme
CPV
Description
Child daycare services
Entry 3
Id
85312120
Scheme
CPV
Description
Daycare services for disabled children and young people
Entry 4
Id
85320000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Social services
Entry 5
Id
98000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Other community, social and personal services

Planning and budget

Documents

Entry 1
Id
077133-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
26 Nov 2025, 10:55

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Status
scheduled
Due
10 Dec 2025, 23:59
Description
Invitation to Market Engagement Event – Activities in the Community (Short Breaks) Recommissioning Since 1 April 2011, local authorities have had a duty to provide Short Breaks for children and young people with SEND who meet the eligibility criteria within this duty. Short Breaks are opportunities for children and young people with a disability to spend time away from their primary carers, contributing to their personal, social and emotional development. They also provide families, parents/carers and siblings with valuable time for rest and other responsibilities. Activities in the Community (Short Breaks) is Bedford Borough Council’s offer to children and young people with SEND who reside within the Borough. These activities take place during evenings, weekends and school holidays, providing educational and leisure opportunities outside the home. Current services are delivered by SSG, Autism Bedfordshire and Embrace, with contracts due to end in March 2026. As part of our recommissioning process, we are pleased to invite you to an Activities in the Community (Short Breaks) Market Engagement Event: Date: Monday 15th December Time: 10:00am – 11:30am Location: Committee Room 1, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP This session will introduce our vision for the future of community-based activities (short breaks) and outline our intentions for the upcoming recommissioning process. We welcome attendance from current providers, prospective providers, voluntary and community organisations, and any organisation interested in delivering high-quality support for children and young people with SEND. During the session, we will: • Share Bedford Borough’s vision and priorities for the next commissioning cycle • Present insights from local families, young people, and recent engagement work • Outline the proposed commissioning and procurement timeline leading up to April 2026 • Invite providers to share their insights, experiences and innovative ideas • Explore how different organisations may contribute to a varied, high-quality local offer • Begin shaping the future model for Activities in the Community (Short Breaks) What to expect The session will include a short presentation followed by discussion and Q&A. Providers will leave with a clearer understanding of the future direction for short breaks, the likely commissioning approach, and forthcoming opportunities to engage in the process. If you have accessibility needs or require adjustments to participate, please let us know when booking. For further information and to register your organisation’s place please email: SENDEvents@bedford.gov.uk and cc Henry.masih@bedford.gov.uk Please note there will be a maximum of 2 attendees per organisation if attending Borough Hall. If you are unable to attend in person this session will also be held virtually, please specify your attendance route when registering interest.

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-PPON-PLCV-4616-VTHL
Name
Bedford Borough Council

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKH24
Country
GB
Locality
Bedford
Postal Code
MK42 9AP
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Identifier

Id
PLCV-4616-VTHL
Scheme
GB-PPON

Contact

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Bedford · UKH24 · MK42 9AP · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-05e8ef-2025-11-26T10:55:47ZPreliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·