✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 14 Oct 2026, 12:21.
Opportunity overview
THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION
Leicester City Council (the Authority) are considering progressing a Children’s Commissioning Arrangement for Leicester City. It is anticipated that tenders for this service would be sought in Quarter 1 of 2027, to enable a new contract to begin on Quarter 3 of 2027.
As part of the commissioning process, the authority is undertaking a Soft Market Test (SMT). This gives potential providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to express their interests and feed in their views about the potential service model and specification principles. The commissioners may use the information to appraise options and further develop the specification.
This process does not constitute a formal tender or other competitive bidding process and will not result in the letting of a Contract. The authority is using this process solely to test the market, gather information, and ascertain the level of interest in this particular service. There are therefore no formal criteria which we will use to judge your responses, and it is not our intention to provide any feedback.
Please use the following link to access the advert: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=e2123ea4-05c7-f111-813c-005056b64545
Classification
CPV85000000 — Health and social work services
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
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.
THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION
Leicester City Council (the Authority) are considering progressing a Children's Commissioning Arrangement for Leicester City. It is anticipated that tenders for this service would be sought in Quarter 1 of 2027, to enable a new contract to begin on Quarter 3 of 2027.
As part of the commissioning process, the authority is undertaking a Soft Market Test (SMT). This gives potential providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to express their interests and feed in their views about the potential service model and specification principles. The commissioners may use the information to appraise options and further develop the specification.
This process does not constitute a formal tender or other competitive bidding process and will not result in the letting of a Contract. The authority is using this process solely to test the market, gather information, and ascertain the level of interest in this particular service. There are therefore no formal criteria which we will use to judge your responses, and it is not our intention to provide any feedback.
Please use the following link to access the advert: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=e2123ea4-05c7-f111-813c-005056b64545
Due
4 Nov 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
096881-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
2 VERSIONS
1
085824-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
2
096881-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Leicester City Council is conducting a soft market test for a potential Children’s Commissioning Arrangement in Leicester City. This is an early-stage planned procurement, not an open tender or competitive bidding process. The authority anticipates seeking tenders in Q1 2027 for a potential contract start in Q3 2027.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to organisations interested in children’s services commissioning opportunities, but the future service model, specification, eligibility and tender requirements are not stated.
Key points identified
Market engagement responsePotential providers and other stakeholders may express interest and provide views on the potential service model and specification principles.Evidence: “This gives potential providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to express their interests and feed in their views about the potential service model and specification principles.”
Formal supplier requirementsUnknown; no formal response criteria are stated for this soft market test.Evidence: “There are therefore no formal criteria which we will use to judge your responses.”
Eligibility criteriaUnknown.Evidence: The notice states there are no formal criteria for judging soft market test responses and provides no future tender eligibility criteria.
93% approved-analysis confidence3 supplier criteria identified4 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
Leicester City Council is conducting a soft market test for a potential Children’s Commissioning Arrangement in Leicester City. This is an early-stage planned procurement, not an open tender or competitive bidding process. The authority anticipates seeking tenders in Q1 2027 for a potential contract start in Q3 2027.
Who this may suit
Potentially relevant to organisations interested in children’s services commissioning opportunities, but the future service model, specification, eligibility and tender requirements are not stated.
Key deliverables
Soft market test responses and stakeholder views on the potential service model and specification principles.
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
3 criteria identified
Market engagement response
99% confidence
Potential providers and other stakeholders may express interest and provide views on the potential service model and specification principles.
View supporting evidence
“This gives potential providers and other stakeholders the opportunity to express their interests and feed in their views about the potential service model and specification principles.”
Formal supplier requirements
99% confidence
Unknown; no formal response criteria are stated for this soft market test.
View supporting evidence
“There are therefore no formal criteria which we will use to judge your responses.”
Eligibility criteria
98% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
The notice states there are no formal criteria for judging soft market test responses and provides no future tender eligibility criteria.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Contract value
90% confidence
Unknown. Source metadata records a maximum value of GBP 1, but no commercial value is described in the notice.
“to enable a new contract to begin on Quarter 3 of 2027.”
Service scope
98% confidence
Unknown beyond a potential Children’s Commissioning Arrangement.
View supporting evidence
The notice refers to a “potential service model and specification principles” but does not define services or deliverables.
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Procurement status
100% confidence
Upcoming early-stage planned procurement / soft market test; not a call for competition.
View supporting evidence
“THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION”; “This process does not constitute a formal tender or other competitive bidding process”.
Engagement type
100% confidence
Soft Market Test (SMT).
View supporting evidence
“the authority is undertaking a Soft Market Test (SMT).”
Anticipated tender timing
98% confidence
Q1 2027, anticipated.
View supporting evidence
“It is anticipated that tenders for this service would be sought in Quarter 1 of 2027”.
Submission deadline
100% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No submission deadline is supplied.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Not an open tender
100% confidence
This notice is market engagement only and will not result in contract award.
View supporting evidence
“This process does not constitute a formal tender or other competitive bidding process and will not result in the letting of a Contract.”
Scope uncertainty
99% confidence
The service model, specification principles and future supplier requirements remain under development.
View supporting evidence
“The commissioners may use the information to appraise options and further develop the specification.”
Timetable uncertainty
98% confidence
The Q1 and Q3 2027 dates are anticipated rather than confirmed.
View supporting evidence
“It is anticipated that tenders... would be sought in Quarter 1 of 2027, to enable a new contract to begin on Quarter 3 of 2027.”
Potentially unreliable value metadata
91% confidence
The source records a maximum value of GBP 1, while the notice provides no stated contract value.
View supporting evidence
Source field: value_max: 1 GBP; no value appears in the supplied notice text.
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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