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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Regulation 44

Bradford Children & Families Trust · Tender notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 25 Sept 2026, 18:16.

Opportunity overview

Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT) is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced provider to deliver an Independent Visitor Service in accordance with Regulation 44 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The service will provide independent monthly visits to BCFT’s registered children’s homes within the Bradford District. The current requirement covers nine registered children’s homes, equating to a minimum of 108 visits per year. The number of homes may change during the contract term in line with the Trust’s service requirements. The Independent Visitor will be required to assess the quality of care provided, consider whether children are effectively safeguarded, review how each home promotes children’s welfare and wellbeing, and provide independent scrutiny of leadership, management, practice, records and the physical environment. The successful provider will be expected to engage meaningfully with children and young people, staff, managers, families and relevant professionals, ensuring that children’s views, wishes, feelings and lived experiences are captured and reflected within Regulation 44 reporting. Visits may be announced or unannounced and should take place at varied times, including evenings, weekends and school holidays where appropriate. Following each visit, the provider will produce timely, evidence-based Regulation 44 reports that meet statutory and Ofsted requirements. Reports must identify strengths, areas for improvement, safeguarding concerns, emerging themes and recommended actions. The provider will also be expected to work collaboratively with BCFT to support continuous improvement, effective escalation, contract monitoring and quality assurance across the Trust’s residential provision. The anticipated contract term is three years, with an option to extend for a further twelve months, subject to satisfactory performance and ongoing service requirements. The maximum total contract value is £240,000 excluding VAT, inclusive of the optional extension period. The requirement is not divided into lots. BCFT intends to appoint a single provider to deliver the complete service. The procurement will be conducted as a below-threshold competitive tender process under the Procurement Act 2023. Full details of the service requirements, evaluation criteria, pricing requirements and contract terms are set out in the tender documentation.

Classification

  • CPV85300000 — Social work and related services

Lots

  • Lot LOT-0000£240k

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
BCT26-13
Status
active
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
No

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

lightTouch

Submission terms

Electronic Submission Policy
allowed

Tender Period

Ends
23 Oct 2026, 12:00

Enquiry period

Ends
16 Oct 2026, 12:00

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
LOT-0000
Status
active
Has Renewal
Yes
Has Options
Yes

Value

Including VAT
288,000
Amount
240,000
Currency
GBP

Selection criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Description
Suppliers must complete and return the Procurement Specific Questionnaire with their Tender. Following the submission deadline, the Authority will assess whether Suppliers have the legal and technical ability to perform the Contract. This will include appropriate insurance cover, relevant experience or other evidence of technical ability, data protection compliance, health and safety compliance and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks for personnel delivering the service. Suppliers may rely on Associated Persons where permitted and must provide details of any intended Sub-Contractors. No minimum financial threshold applies. Full requirements and the assessment approach are set out in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire. These requirements will not be used to restrict the submission of Tenders.

Suitability

Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Feb 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Mar 2030, 23:59
Max Extent Date
31 Mar 2031, 23:59

Renewal

Description
The Authority may extend the Contract for a further period of up to twelve months, from 1 February 2030 to 31 January 2031, subject to satisfactory performance, ongoing service requirements, available budget and approval by the Authority. The extension is optional and is not guaranteed. The maximum total contract value, including the extension period, is £240,000 excluding VAT.

Options

Description
The Authority may require additional Regulation 44 visits during the contract term, including visits arising from additional children’s homes being brought into scope. Any additional visits will be commissioned at the successful Supplier’s tendered cost per visit. The Authority does not guarantee any minimum volume of additional visits. All services commissioned, including any additional homes or visits and any extension period, will remain subject to the maximum total contract value of £240,000 excluding VAT.

Award criteria

Description
Tenders will be evaluated on the basis of 70% Quality and Social Value and 30% Price. The Quality and Social Value criteria comprise Service Delivery 20%, Children and Young People’s Voice 20%, Safeguarding 10%, Quality Assurance and Communication 10%, and Social Value 10%. Price will be evaluated using the methodology set out in the Invitation to Tender. Full details of the award criteria, scoring methodology, minimum quality requirements and pricing formula are contained in the tender documents.

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
LOT-0000
Related Lot
LOT-0000

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
85300000
Description
Social work and related services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKE
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
091184-2026
Document Type
tenderNotice
Notice Type
UK4
Description
Tender notice on Find a Tender
Published
25 Sept 2026, 17:03
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Bradford Children & Families Trust
Id
GB-PPON-PRBL-9974-CGBN

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PRBL-9974-CGBN

Address

Street Address
Sir Henry Mitchell House, 4 Manchester Road
Locality
Bradford
Postal Code
BD5 0QL
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKE41

Contact

Name
Daniel Patefield
Telephone
+44 7483719256

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

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

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Bradford · UKE41 · BD5 0QL · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKE · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 091184-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·