Working Age Adults Care Home Services

Carmarthenshire County Council, working alongside Pembrokeshire County Council and Ceredigion County Council, is establishing a major regional framework for Working Age Adult Care Home Services across West Wales.

The framework has an estimated total value of £470 million excluding VAT and will support the commissioning of care home services for working age adults with learning disabilities and autism, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities.

Providers with existing care home provision in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or Pembrokeshire can apply. The opportunity is also open to organisations intending to establish a care home service within the region within the next 12 months.

Prospective providers establishing new services will need to demonstrate progress towards areas including suitable premises, planning permission where required, Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) registration, workforce recruitment and operational arrangements, alongside a clear business plan and timetable for opening.

Providers appointed to the framework will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to supporting people from across West Wales and prioritising regional placements.

Lots Available

The framework is divided into three service lots:

Lot 1 – Learning Disabilities including Autism

Services for people with learning disabilities requiring varying levels of care and support according to the nature and complexity of their individual needs.

Estimated Value: £320 million excluding VAT.

Lot 2 – Mental Health

Support for people with mental health conditions, including Alcohol Related Brain Injury (ARBI), with a focus on recovery, maintaining recovery and enabling people to live as independently as possible.

Estimated Value: £130 million excluding VAT.

Lot 3 – Physical Disability

Support for people with physical disabilities, with services intended to help individuals achieve their potential across physical, cognitive, social and psychological functioning.

Estimated Value: £20 million excluding VAT.

Providers may apply for one or more lots according to their expertise and service provision.

Framework Operation

The framework will have an unlimited number of suppliers and no supplier fee.

Call-off arrangements will include a Direct Award Process based on User Choice where the relevant requirements are met, alongside an Enhanced User Choice selection process where more than one suitable framework provider can meet an individual’s assessed needs.

Under Enhanced User Choice, relevant framework suppliers will be invited to tender, with price and quality considered during the selection process. Providers passing this stage will then be considered by the individual or their representative when determining placement suitability.

Costs under both selection processes will be agreed in line with Care Cubed.

The councils may also refresh the framework during its term, potentially allowing additional providers to join and enabling changes to areas including lots, services and pricing.

Contract Information

Buyer: Carmarthenshire County Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and Ceredigion County Council

Deadline: 14 September 2026, 2:00pm

Contract Value: £470,000,000 excluding VAT (£564,000,000 including VAT)

Delivery Length: 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2030, with the option to extend for up to two years to 30 November 2032

Tender Link: eTenderWales procurement portal — Project code: project_63293 / ITT code: itt_125115

Enquiry Deadline: 4 September 2026, 2:00pm

The estimated award decision date is 26 October 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

All three lots will be evaluated on:

• Quality – 100%
• Minimum technical question score – 2 out of 5

Technical ability requirements are provided within ITT_125115.

The opportunity is identified as particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs).

Care Inspectorate Wales Requirements

Providers must either have existing care home provision within Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or Pembrokeshire, or intend to establish a care home service within the region within the next 12 months.

For organisations establishing a new service, this includes registering or preparing to register with Care Inspectorate Wales, alongside the other operational preparations required to establish the care home.

The procurement is being conducted as a Light Touch Contract under the Procurement Act 2023.

With an estimated value of £470 million, the framework represents a substantial long-term commissioning opportunity for care home providers supporting working age adults across West Wales. Its potential refresh arrangements also provide a route for maintaining provider access to the regional market during the framework term.

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