UK care tender guides
Plain, practical guides to finding, writing and winning UK care tenders and framework places, from the people who write the bids. Start anywhere, then send us a tender for a free eligibility check.
How care tenders work, and how to win them
The process, the portals, and what commissioners actually score.
How to find care tenders
Where to find UK care tenders: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, council portals and framework alerts. Free eligibility check on any care tender.
How to win a care tender
Win care tenders by checking eligibility first, answering the scoring grid and evidencing every claim. Free eligibility check before you commit.
Care frameworks explained
What a care framework is, how approved provider lists work and how referrals flow. Free eligibility check before you apply to any framework.
What is a DPS in care
A dynamic purchasing system stays open for new care providers throughout its life. How a DPS differs from a framework. Free eligibility check.
SQ and PQQ in care tenders
The SQ/PQQ is the pass-fail stage of a care tender: turnover, insurance, exclusions. Get it right to reach the scored quality stage. Free eligibility check.
Invitation to tender (ITT)
The ITT is the scored quality stage of a care tender, built on method statements and evidence. How to score well. Free eligibility check on any tender.
Minimum turnover requirements
Care tenders often set minimum turnover at around twice the contract value. What it means and what to do if you fall short. Free eligibility check.
CQC rating requirements
Many care tenders require a CQC rating of Good or above as a pass-fail gate. What it means for newly registered providers. Free eligibility check.
Insurance requirements
Care tenders set required levels of public liability, employer's liability and professional indemnity cover. Typical levels explained. Free eligibility check.
TUPE in care contracts
When you take over an existing care contract, TUPE may transfer the current staff to you on their existing terms. What it means for your bid. Free eligibility check.
Mobilisation plans
A mobilisation plan shows how you will stand up a new care contract safely and on time. What commissioners want to see. Free eligibility check on any tender.
KPIs in care contracts
Key performance indicators in care contracts: call monitoring, missed and late calls, continuity and complaints. What you commit to. Free eligibility check.
Find a Tender Service (FTS)
Find a Tender Service is the UK portal for higher-value public contracts that replaced OJEU after Brexit. How it works and thresholds. Free eligibility check.
Social value in care tenders
What social value means in a care tender, how it is scored, and how to win the marks with local jobs, training and community benefit.
Procurement Act 2023 for care providers
The Procurement Act 2023 went live on 24 February 2025. What changed for UK care providers bidding for council and NHS contracts.
Contracts Finder for care
How to use Contracts Finder to find lower-value care contracts and opportunities from councils and the wider public sector.
ProContract and Due North
What ProContract by Proactis (Due North) is, how many councils use it, and how to register and find care tenders on it.
Atamis NHS portal
What Atamis is, why NHS England uses it, and where to find NHS and continuing healthcare opportunities on the Health Family system.
In-Tend portal
What the In-Tend e-tendering portal is, which buyers use it, and how to register and express interest in care tenders.
Care tender timescales
How long a care tender takes from publication to deadline, typically 3 to 6 weeks, and how to plan your writing time.
Contract examples in care bids
Why buyers ask for past contract examples in care tenders, what makes a strong example, and what to do if you are new.
Bid library for care providers
How a reusable bid library of answers, policies and evidence speeds up future care tenders and keeps quality consistent.
Why care bids lose
The real reasons care bids lose: weak references, failed accounts checks, missed clarifications, vague answers and price.
Framework vs DPS vs contract
The difference between a framework, a dynamic purchasing system and a single contract in care, and when each is used.
Care tender checklist
A practical pre-bid checklist for care tenders: eligibility, CQC rating, turnover, insurance, policies, examples and deadlines.
How to respond to a care tender
The practical steps to respond to a care tender: express interest, read the scoring grid, plan answers, write, sign off and submit.
Applying by service
How to get on a framework or DPS for your specific kind of care.
Domiciliary care framework application
How to apply to a council domiciliary care framework: the selection stage, the quality questions, and the pitfalls that cost places. Free eligibility check first.
Home care contract bidding
How to bid for council home care contracts: finding them, passing the selection stage, and scoring on quality. Free eligibility check before you pay anything.
Supported living framework application
How to apply to a supported living framework or DPS: eligibility, the quality questions on outcomes and tenancies, and common pitfalls. Free eligibility check first.
Residential care framework application
How to apply to a residential care home framework: eligibility, quality questions on safeguarding and quality of life, and what trips providers up. Free check first.
Nursing home framework application
How to apply to a nursing home framework: eligibility, clinical quality questions, registered nurse cover and CHC funding. Free eligibility check before you pay.
CHC homecare framework application
How to apply to an NHS continuing healthcare homecare framework: ICB procurement, clinical quality questions and complex care evidence. Free eligibility check first.
Live-in care tender
How to apply for live-in care tenders: where councils and the NHS buy live-in care, the quality questions, and continuity evidence. Free eligibility check first.
Extra care housing tender
How to apply for extra care housing tenders: the on-site care contract, the quality questions, and how care and housing fit together. Free eligibility check first.
Reablement tenders
How to apply for short-term reablement and enablement contracts. What commissioners score, outcome measures, the process, and the pitfalls that lose bids.
Complex care tenders
How to bid for complex clinical care packages, often CHC funded. Clinical competence, nursing oversight, and the evidence commissioners score. Free eligibility check.
Children's home tenders
How to bid for children's home placements. Ofsted registration, Reg 44 and 45, the placement framework process, and what local authorities score. Free check.
16+ supported accommodation tenders
How to bid for 16+ supported accommodation. Ofsted registration under the 2023 Regulations, the framework process, and what councils score. Free eligibility check.
Day services tenders
How to bid for day services and day opportunities, often for adults with learning disabilities. The process, what councils score, and common pitfalls.
Respite and short breaks tenders
How to bid for respite and short breaks contracts. The process, what councils score, CQC requirements, and the pitfalls that lose bids. Free eligibility check.
Learning disability framework application
How to get on a learning disability and autism support framework. Transforming Care, PBS evidence, the application process, and what commissioners score.
Care tender writing by region
We work remotely across England. Find the buyers and frameworks in your region.
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Text TENDER to +44 7822 001898and we'll tell you whether you'd qualify, before you spend a penny.