Provision of a Support, Help and Resources (SHaRe) Programme for Children’s Services in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Council is seeking providers to deliver a broad range of support services for children, young people, families and communities across Gloucestershire through its Support, Help and Resources (SHaRe) Programme. The procurement will establish a multi-supplier framework under the Light Touch Regime, covering short breaks, floating support, holiday activities, inclusive services, crisis and resilience support, and access to professional resources for Children’s Social Care.

The opportunity is particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with bids permitted for one or more lots, subject to the programme’s lot-award restrictions.

Service Lots

The SHaRe Programme is divided into 11 lots:

• Lot 1 – Short Breaks: Short breaks for children and young people.
• Lot 2a – Floating Support: Delivery of floating support services.
• Lot 2b – Nurse Led / Oversight Support: Nurse-led or oversight support.
• Lot 3a – Holiday, Activity and Food Programme District Lead: District-level leadership for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
• Lot 3b – Holiday, Activity and Food Programme Community Connectors: Community connector services for the HAF programme.
• Lot 3c – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Holiday, Activity and Food Programme Providers: HAF provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Lot 4a – Children’s Disabilities Community Connector: Community connector support for children with disabilities.
• Lot 4b – Lived Experience Quality Reviewer: Quality review informed by lived experience.
• Lot 4c – Innovation Fund Delivery Partner: Delivery partner services for the Innovation Fund.
• Lot 5 – Crisis and Resilience Fund District Leads: District-level leadership for the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
• Lot 6 – Access to Resources: Access to resources and professional services for Children’s Social Care.

Bidders may apply for multiple lots, with no stated limit on the number of lots they can bid for or be awarded. However, a successful bid for Lot 4a makes the bidder ineligible for an award under Lot 1, Lot 3c or Lot 4c.

Service Requirements

The selected providers will deliver services across Gloucestershire under the SHaRe Programme, supporting children, young people, families and communities. The scope covers:

• Short breaks for children and young people.
• Floating support and nurse-led or oversight support.
• Holiday Activities and Food programme leadership, community connections and SEND provision.
• Children’s disabilities community connector services.
• Lived-experience quality review and Innovation Fund delivery.
• Crisis and Resilience Fund district leadership.
• Access to resources and professional services for Children’s Social Care.

The precise service requirements will vary by lot and should be checked in the associated tender documents.

Contract Information

• Buyer: Gloucestershire County Council
• Reference: PZHT-7473-ZVPN
• Contract type: Services framework
• Procurement procedure: Open procedure under the Light Touch Regime
• Estimated total value: £88,309,924 excluding VAT (£105,971,908 including VAT)
• Contract location: Gloucestershire, UK
• Estimated contract period: 1 April 2027 to 1 April 2033
• Possible extension: A further two years, subject to approval, to 1 April 2035
• Enquiry deadline: 1 December 2026 at 12:00pm
• Tender submission deadline: 1 December 2026 at 12:00pm
• Estimated award decision date: 22 February 2027
• Submission language: English
• Electronic submission: Yes
• Maximum number of suppliers: Unlimited
• Maximum supplier fee: 0%

The estimated framework value is shared across the lots and should not be interpreted as a separate allocation for every lot.

Tender documents and submission: Access the tender through SAP Ariba.

Supplier Requirements

The notice identifies SMEs as particularly suitable participants and permits bidders to apply for one or more lots. Specific qualification, experience, registration and other supplier requirements are not disclosed in the information provided; bidders should consult the tender documents for the complete requirements for each lot.

The framework will operate differently across the lots:

• Open admission: For Lots 1, 2a, 2b, 3c and 6, all suppliers scoring above the minimum threshold will be awarded a place. The framework will reopen annually, with call-off arrangements managed through a brokerage function.
• Single-supplier awards: Lots 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c and 5 will have a single supplier appointed per geographical area. These lots will not reopen after the award.

The framework may be used by Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. Call-off contracts may be awarded with or without further competition.

Evaluation Criteria

The published award criteria are:

• Quality: 85%
• Social Value: 15%
• Price: Pass/fail

These criteria are stated for Lots 1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5 and 6. Price is assessed on a pass/fail basis rather than through a published percentage weighting.

Commercial Relevance

This framework presents an opportunity for organisations delivering children’s services, family support, disability services, holiday provision, community-based support and professional services for Children’s Social Care. SMEs may find the multi-lot structure useful for bidding according to their specialism and capacity. Providers should carefully review the requirements for their chosen lots, the geographical arrangements for single-supplier awards and the restrictions affecting bidders seeking Lot 4a alongside Lots 1, 3c or 4c.

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