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Tenderpatch

The Essex Carers Hub

Essex County Council

Open Closes in 25 days

Key facts

Closing date
Tuesday 10 November 2026, 12:00 (UK time) Closes in 25 days
Buyer's estimated value
£12,500,000 (incl. VAT) The buyer's own estimate, not income to you.
Clarification questions deadline
3 November 2026, 23:59
Contract period
3 May 2027 to 31 Mar 2030
Procedure
Competitive flexible procedure
Notice type
Tender notice (UK4)
Suitable for SMEs (per buyer)
Yes

Decision brief

Taken from the buyer's published notice (shown as written, shortened where long). Tenderpatch has not added to or interpreted it. Always read the official documents before bidding.

How bids will be scored
  • Price 40%
  • Quality 50%
  • Social Value 10%
Conditions of participation (what you must show)

economic The Bidder must have in place, or commit to obtain prior to award of the contract, the following insurance cover to the values stated below in respect of any one claim or series of claims arising out of one incident, Employer's (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £5,000,000 Public Liability Insurance = £10,000,000 Professional Indemnity Insurance = £500,000 If the Bidder is a commercial organisation subject to the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, they must confirm that they are fully compliant of the act before award of the contract. The Bidder must not have had any finding of unlawful discrimination been made against your organisation by an Employment Tribunal, an Employment App…

technical The Bidder must be able to submit invoices and receive orders electronically. The Bidder must have a named manager within their organisation, who has a demonstrable knowledge of safeguarding policy and who is responsible for safeguarding at the highest level. The Bidder must have a current safeguarding policy that has been reviewed in the last two years, and has the following in place as a minimum standard: A strategic and/or corporate plan that references safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, - Adequately apportioned resources to meet safeguarding responsibilities; - Clear lines of accountability for staff through the organisation to named safeguarding person/s; - Systems in place t…

Contract length and extensions
3 May 2027 to 31 Mar 2030. Extensions: The Council may serve such extension notice(s) on as many occasions as it shall think fit provided that the duration of such extensions shall not in total exceed twenty-four (24) calendar months from the third anniversary of the Service Commencement Date. Options: The scope and geographical coverage of the Service may be expanded during the Contract Period. This may include, but is not limited to, the incorporation of additional support for Young Carers, Young Adult Carers or other carer cohorts, the provision of Carer Assessments and the delivery of service…
How to submit
Through open-uk.org ↗ (the buyer's own portal). Electronic submission: not allowed.
Tender documents
No document links in the notice. Use the official notice link.
New to public tenders? Plain-English guide to this page
Framework
An agreement that sets terms for work the buyer may order later, often from several suppliers. The value shown usually covers the whole agreement, not one job.
Open for bids / closing date
You must submit by the closing date and time, normally through the buyer's own online portal. Late bids are normally refused.
Clarification questions
A deadline for asking the buyer questions about the tender. It is earlier than the closing date.
Conditions of participation
What the buyer asks suppliers to show before they can be considered, such as experience, insurance or accreditations.
Bids are scored on
How the buyer will compare bids, usually a split between price and quality. A 60/40 split in favour of quality means the cheapest bid will not necessarily win.
Lots
A tender can be split into parts. You can often bid for only the lots that suit you.
Area (ITL)
The buyer names an official statistical area for where the work is, not a street address. Check the tender documents for the actual sites.
UK4 and other notice codes
Official codes for the type of notice. A "tender notice" means bids are being invited.

General explanations written by Tenderpatch, not part of this notice.

Description

The Essex Carers Hub (formerly the Essex Carers Core Offer of Support (ECCOS)). Essex County Council ("the Council") is committed to delivering high-quality, sustainable and preventative services that improve outcomes for residents and reduce inequalities. The Essex Carers Hub ("the Service") will support these ambitions by ensuring unpaid carers are identified early, recognised, valued and able to access timely support that promotes their wellbeing, resilience and independence. Through partnership working and a strengths-based approach, the Service will help carers improve or maintain their quality of life and prevent the escalation of need wherever possible. The Council is seeking a Provider, or lead provider working with delivery partners, to deliver the Essex Carers Hub, a countywide carers specialist support service that improves the wellbeing, resilience and quality of life of unpaid carers aged 18 and over. The Service also includes a counselling offer for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers under the age of 18 who are referred by Essex Youth Service. For the purposes of this tender a Carer is defined as follows; "A person who provides unpaid care and support to a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who could not manage without that support due to illness, frailty, disability, mental health need, substance misuse or other support needs. All the care they give is unpaid. A carer can be a young carer (under the age of 18) or an adult carer (over the age of 18). That is ordinarily resident in the Council's administrative area" The following services are in scope of this procurement; - Specialist Information Advice and Guidance - Coaching and Counselling - Peer Support Groups - Wellbeing grants (ordinarily up to £300) - Training and Learning Offer - Single Point of Contact - Employment support (2 year pilot) Please note that authority for carers assessments and personal budgets will still remain with the Council. The services shall be available to Carers resident within the administrative area of Essex County Council, but will have the scope to be expanded to the administrative areas of Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council. Following feedback from Carers and the market, the contract is being tendered as a single contract rather than being divided into lots. Carers have expressed a preference for a consistent and co-ordinated service, with clear accountability and minimal disruption. This approach would support continuity of service as it is expected that carers will access more than one of the service elements at any one time, as well as clearer communication and a consistent approach to meeting Carer needs. Please note the contract value includes circa £500k per year available for the provision of the Wellbeing Grants that will be administered by the Provider.