Residential and Nursing Care Homes for Adults - Framework Agreement

Nottinghamshire County Council is procuring a Framework Agreement for the provision of residential and/or nursing care home services for adults. The Council intends to appoint multiple successful bidders as Providers under the Framework.

The Framework will support individuals whose primary support needs include learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, physical disabilities, brain injuries and sensory impairments. Services may include standard placements, short breaks, emergency placements, forensic provision and exceptional and highly specialist care arrangements.

The service is primarily for adults. The Council may also use the Framework to commission provision for young people aged 16 or 17, provided that the relevant home satisfies all applicable registration, policy and regulatory requirements, including those of the Care Quality Commission and/or Ofsted.

For older adults, typically those aged 65 and over, the Council will ordinarily commission residential provision through alternative contracts that the Council has developed specifically for residential care for older adults. It is anticipated that this Framework will only be used for people aged 65 years and over in exceptional circumstances where suitable provision cannot be identified via the alternative contracts.

Most placements are expected to be within the seven districts of Nottinghamshire. However, the Council may commission placements outside of Nottinghamshire where required.

Bidders are advised that, following the UK Government's publication of the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024, a programme of Local Government Reorganisation ("LGR") is underway which may affect the governance, boundaries and/or legal status of the Council during the term of any Framework or Call-Off Contract entered pursuant to this procurement. As a consequence of LGR, any Framework or Call-Off Contract may be required to be transferred, assigned or novated (in whole or in part) to one or more successor authorities or other public bodies established as part of LGR, in accordance with applicable legislation.

The Council intends to establish this Framework for an initial term of 6 years, with the option to extend for up to two further periods of 24 months (6+2+2). The maximum potential duration of the Framework is therefore 10 years.

Appointment to the Framework does not guarantee a Provider any volume of placements or minimum level of expenditure.

The Council reserves the right, at its discretion, to advertise one or more further opportunities to admit additional Providers to the Framework. No dates have been set for any such opportunities. Any future opportunity will be separately advertised and conducted in accordance with the applicable procurement requirements. A bidder that is unsuccessful in this procurement may submit a new tender in response to any future advertised opportunity but a bidder that has been successful will not need to re-apply. For the avoidance of doubt this Framework is not an Open Framework within the meaning of the Procurement Act 2023.

Full details of the requirements are set out in the procurement documents.