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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Pre paid card system for use with children and young people who are looked after and care leavers

Somerset Council · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 2 Oct 2026, 10:06.

Opportunity overview

Somerset Council is undertaking soft market testing to inform the potential future procurement of a pre paid card system for use with children and young people who are looked after and care leavers. The Authority is exploring alternatives to current cash based arrangements, with the aim of improving safeguarding, financial oversight, operational efficiency, and outcomes for young people. A 12 month pilot is being considered to assess feasibility, usage, and value for money. This exercise is non binding, will not form part of any evaluation, and will be used solely to shape the Authority's commissioning and procurement approach. What is needed: The proposed solution would be used by: • Young people and care leavers (typically aged 16-25) • Social workers and leaving care professionals authorised to allocate and monitor funds The system would support: • One off and recurring payments • Day to day living expenses • Reduced reliance on cash payments

Classification

  • CPV72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

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
ocds-h6vhtk-0691f4
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
No
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Sept 2026, 00:00
Ends
31 Aug 2027, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
72000000
Description
IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKK23
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
This request for expressions of interest is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market engagement and does not constitute any commitment by the Authority to undertake any procurement exercise in the future. This exercise includes no element of supplier evaluation. No parties will be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this by the deadline, there is no commitment of any kind involved on either side. This request does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services and the Authority is not bound by any proposal offered. If you are interested in this potential opportunity, then please express an interest by 25th May 2026 at 12:00pm by email to: stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk and provide responses to the following questions: Core Functionality 1. Please describe your pre paid card solution, including: o Type of card provided o Where and how the card can be used (in store, online, ATM access, etc.) o Availability of contactless and chip and PIN functionality 2. Can cards be issued individually and replaced if lost or stolen? o Please describe the process and timescales. Controls and Safeguarding 1. What controls are available to the Authority, for example: o Spending category or merchant controls o Transaction limits o Temporary suspension or cancellation 2. How does your system support safeguarding and fraud prevention? 3. How does your solution ensure compliance with GDPR and UK data protection requirements? Practitioner Experience 1. Describe the system available to authorised staff, including: • How funds are allocated or topped up • Access to balances and transaction history • User permission controls 2. What training and support do you provide to practitioners? Young Person Experience 1. How do young people access and manage their account (e.g. app, online portal, statements)? 2. How does your solution support financial independence and confidence? 3. What accessibility features are available (e.g. simple language, support needs, digital inclusion)? Implementation and Pilot Delivery 1. What would a typical implementation look like for a local authority pilot? • Onboarding timescales • Card rollout process • Support arrangements Commercial Model (Indicative) 1. Please outline your pricing model 2. Onboarding timescales • Support arrangements • Training/roll out delivery Experience and Case Studies 1. Please provide brief examples of: • Similar services delivered • Outcomes achieved • Lessons learned from pilots or live implementations Thank you
Due
25 May 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
041290-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
6 May 2026, 08:49
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Somerset Council
Id
GB-PPON-PPGC-1434-MQPJ

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PPGC-1434-MQPJ

Address

Street Address
County Hall, The Crescent
Locality
Taunton
Postal Code
TA1 4DY
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKK23

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

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

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Taunton · UKK23 · TA1 4DY · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKK23 · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 041290-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·