How to apply for an extra care housing tender
Extra care housing is housing with care, where people have their own tenancy and an on-site care team is available around the clock. Councils tender the on-site care contract for a named scheme or a framework of schemes. You pass a selection stage, then score on responsive support, outcomes, tenancy rights and 24-hour cover. We check you qualify for free before you start.
How extra care is bought
Councils usually tender the care and support for a specific extra care scheme, or a framework covering several schemes, separately from the housing itself. The provider runs the on-site team while a housing provider holds the tenancies. Contracts often combine planned support with a responsive on-call service for the whole scheme, so your model has to cover both predictable visits and emergencies.
What the quality questions cover
Expect scored questions on 24-hour responsive cover, promoting independence and outcomes, how care fits around a person's tenancy and choices, falls and emergency response on site, and working with the housing provider and wider community. Commissioners want to see how you balance a fixed on-site team against fluctuating individual needs. Named staffing models and response times score; general reassurance does not.
Common pitfalls
The usual misses are writing it like a care home, weak on-call and emergency-response detail, and blurring the line between the care contract and the tenancy. Our supported living tender writing page shows how we keep the bid anchored to outcomes and rights.
Not sure if you qualify for a tender? We check it for free, before you pay anything, and we only take bids we believe you can win. See our supported living tender writing or text TENDER to get started.
Common questions
Is extra care housing the same as supported living?
They overlap but differ. Both keep the tenancy separate from the care, but extra care is typically a single scheme with around-the-clock on-site cover, while supported living is often more dispersed. We explain how your target tender is structured in a free eligibility check.
Do I provide the housing as well as the care?
Usually not. The council tenders the on-site care and support, while a housing provider holds the tenancies and the building. We confirm what your target scheme expects before you write.
What does the first tender cost?
£795 for your first tender. We only take bids we believe you can win, hold a 96% win rate, and rewrite free if a loss is clearly down to our writing error.
Keep reading
Service
Supported living tender writing
Supported living framework application
Learning disability framework application
What is a DPS in care
Browse all care tender guides, or see care tender writing by service.
Got a tender to check?
Text TENDER to +44 7822 001898and we'll tell you free whether you'd qualify, before you spend a penny.