Care tender writing in London
We write care tenders for CQC and Ofsted registered providers across London, from domiciliary and supported living to residential and children's services. We work remotely with providers in every borough, run a free eligibility check before you pay anything, charge £795 for your first tender, and only take bids we believe you can win. Our win rate is 96 percent.
Care commissioning in London
London care commissioning runs through 32 borough councils plus the City of London Corporation, and each one buys care differently. The capital has the largest and most contested care market in England, with very high domiciliary and supported living demand concentrated into small geographies and some of the steepest staff turnover in the country. Boroughs such as Croydon, Lambeth and Newham run large framework and dynamic purchasing arrangements for home care and supported living, while others procure through pan-London consortia. The same service can be bought three different ways depending on the borough.
London is unusual in that nearly every authority is a unitary London borough rather than a county council or a metropolitan district, so there are no two-tier districts to navigate and the borough itself is the single point of accountability for adult social care. That means smaller geographic patches but very high volume per patch, and method statements that lean hard on safeguarding in dense urban settings, cultural and language matching, and the ability to recruit and retain in a high-cost-of-living labour market.
On the health side, five integrated care boards cover the capital and increasingly shape joint commissioning for continuing healthcare, discharge to assess and learning disability services. NHS Continuing Healthcare packages in London are frequently brokered at speed through hospital discharge teams, so providers who can show fast, safe mobilisation tend to score well. Knowing which borough team and which ICB sits behind a given opportunity is half the work.
We track London buyers closely so the tender you submit answers the questions that borough actually scores on, rather than a generic template. A bid built for Barnet will not read correctly to Hackney, because the lot structures, rate cards and local priorities differ borough by borough.
What is different about bidding in London
How London boroughs tend to buy care
Most London boroughs buy home care and supported living through frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems and approved provider lists, with many also running pan-London or sub-regional consortia arrangements for higher-cost placements. Because each borough is a single unitary authority, the council holds the whole adult social care budget, so a framework win can mean a steady flow of call-off work rather than a one-off contract. Spot purchasing and block contracts sit alongside these, so check whether the opportunity is a framework place, a DPS slot or a single block before you write.
What London commissioners emphasise locally
London method statements lean heavily on safeguarding in dense urban environments, cultural and language matching for diverse communities, recruitment and retention in a high-cost labour market, and realistic mobilisation timescales across congested travel patterns. Social value weightings, often 10 to 20 percent, frequently reward local employment and London Living Wage commitments. Quality to price ratios commonly sit between 60/40 and 80/20, so price alone rarely wins.
NHS continuing healthcare and ICB joint commissioning
The five London ICBs commission health-funded care including NHS Continuing Healthcare, fast-track packages and discharge to assess, often jointly with borough teams. Continuing healthcare in London is frequently arranged at pace through hospital discharge hubs, so the ability to mobilise a complex package safely within days is scored. Knowing whether the buyer is the borough, the ICB or a pooled budget changes how the bid should be framed.
Councils we write bids for in London
- Croydon Council
- London Borough of Lambeth
- London Borough of Newham
- London Borough of Barnet
- London Borough of Ealing
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Wandsworth
- City of London Corporation
NHS integrated care boards (ICBs)
- NHS North West London ICB
- NHS North Central London ICB
- NHS North East London ICB
- NHS South East London ICB
- NHS South West London ICB
NHS and continuing healthcare work in London is commissioned through these ICBs.
Major London councils and their procurement portals
Portals change and several boroughs run more than one system, so treat this as indicative and always confirm the live portal named in the tender notice. All public contracts above threshold also appear on the Find a Tender Service.
| Council | Type | Procurement portal |
|---|---|---|
| Croydon Council | London borough (unitary) | London Tenders Portal (ProContract) |
| London Borough of Lambeth | London borough (unitary) | London Tenders Portal (ProContract) |
| London Borough of Newham | London borough (unitary) | London Tenders Portal (ProContract) |
| London Borough of Barnet | London borough (unitary) | Council e-tendering portal |
| London Borough of Ealing | London borough (unitary) | London Tenders Portal (ProContract) |
| London Borough of Hackney | London borough (unitary) | Council e-tendering portal |
| City of London Corporation | Sui generis authority | Council e-tendering portal |
Portals change. We confirm the live portal and registration steps for your specific tender before you commit.
What we write for London providers
Domiciliary care tender writing
Supported living tender writing
Residential care tender writing
Nursing home tender writing
Continuing healthcare tender writing
Mental health tender writing
New to this? Read how to find care tenders and how to win a care tender.
London: common questions
Which portal do London councils use for care tenders?
Many London boroughs publish through the London Tenders Portal, which runs on ProContract, while some run their own e-tendering systems. All contracts above threshold also appear on the national Find a Tender Service, with lower-value opportunities on Contracts Finder. Always confirm the exact portal named in the tender notice.
Do you cover all 32 London boroughs?
Yes. We work remotely with providers across every London borough and the City of London. Because each borough scores its tenders differently, we tailor each bid to the specific buyer rather than reusing one London template.
Do I need a local office to win a London council contract?
No. London commissioners score your ability to deliver safely in the borough, recruit and retain staff locally, and mobilise on time. Those can all be evidenced without a high-street office. We work remotely and write each bid to the borough's method statements.
Which London bodies commission care?
The 32 borough councils and the City of London Corporation commission social care, often through frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems or approved provider lists. The five London ICBs commission health-funded care such as continuing healthcare and discharge support, frequently jointly with the boroughs.
What does a first tender cost?
Your first tender is £795. Before you pay anything we run a free eligibility check to confirm you can realistically win it. We only take on bids we believe you can win, which is why our win rate is 96 percent.
Bidding for a London contract?
Send it over and we'll tell you free whether you'd qualify, before you spend a penny. £795 for your first tender.