Care tender writing in the North West

The North West has some of the most active care commissioning in England, built on a mix of metropolitan boroughs, unitary authorities and large two-tier counties. Greater Manchester's ten metropolitan boroughs, led by Manchester, Bolton and Wigan, have a long history of joint working through the combined authority, so home care and supported living often go out as large lotted frameworks. Liverpool City Region and the wider Merseyside boroughs run their own approved lists, and the contrast between dense city demand and rural cover defines how bids are scored.

Lancashire County Council remains a two-tier county council commissioning across a huge patch, while Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen are unitaries with their own arrangements. The 2023 reorganisation in Cumbria replaced the old county and districts with two new unitary councils, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness, which changed how that rural patch contracts and how providers should pitch travel and continuity.

Three integrated care boards sit over the region and shape joint and pooled commissioning, particularly for older people's services and learning disability support. NHS Continuing Healthcare and discharge to assess are increasingly brokered jointly with councils, and providers who can evidence fast, safe mobilisation across both urban and rural patches tend to score well.

A bid that wins in Greater Manchester will not automatically suit Lancashire, because the rate cards, lot structures and quality questions differ. We know these buyers and write each tender to match the way that specific council and ICB award work.