Procurement and contract opportunities
Norfolk County Council spends approximately £500 million each year commissioning adult social care services from a wide variety of independent, voluntary, and Council-owned providers. Our procurement processes aim to be transparent, accessible, and inclusive, placing a strong emphasis on enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), and new market entrants to participate fully.
Finding and bidding for opportunities
To help providers identify and bid for opportunities:
- All contracts over £25,000 are advertised on the national contracts finder platform
- Contracts above the UK procurement thresholds are published on the find a tender service. Thresholds as of 2025 are:
- £663,540 for most social care services
- £214,904 for other services and goods
- £5,372,609 for works
- In-Tend is our electronic tendering system. Providers can register for free to:
- View live opportunities
- Express interest in contracts
- Access and submit tender documents
- Receive alerts and updates
To support forward planning, we publish an annual procurement pipeline that gives providers early notice of larger upcoming opportunities. You can access this and other helpful resources via our procurement and contracts webpage.
What we expect from providers
We are committed to ethical, high-quality commissioning. Providers are expected to:
- Hold all necessary insurance, licences, and permits, and comply with relevant tax, employment, and IR35 regulations
- Deliver services in line with contract requirements, including any key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs)
- Demonstrate a commitment to social value, such as supporting the local workforce, promoting inclusive employment, and delivering community benefits
- Want to work in partnership with the local authority, with a focus on learning, collaboration and continuous improvement in the way services are delivered
- Align with our climate commitments, including submitting carbon reduction plans for larger contracts
- Comply with modern slavery due diligence and maintain ethical supply chains
Key considerations when submitting a tender
When preparing your bid, ensure you:
- Carefully check and adhere to published timescales and deadlines
- Thoroughly read all tender documentation before starting your bid, using the formal clarifications process to ask any questions before deadlines
- Are ready to accept and sign the standard contract terms. If amendments are requested, these must be raised clearly during the clarification period.
- Submit bids that meet the outlined requirements. If you wish to submit an innovative or alternative bid that doesn't quite fit, seek advice through the clarification process beforehand.
How to provide specific types of adult social care services
We have different procurement arrangements depending on the service type:
Continuous application framework (always open)
- Residential and nursing care (all adult client groups).
Providers can apply at any time by emailing [email protected]. Read our privacy notice to find out how we use your personal information.
We encourage all care homes within Norfolk and just outside the border to participate in the framework.
Periodically open frameworks
We periodically open applications for certain services. Although waiting lists are not used, providers can register on In-Tend to receive alerts:
- Life opportunities (formerly day care)
- Supported living for working-age adults
- Independent living and housing with care
Individually tendered services
For specific services, we tender contracts individually:
- Home care - contracts awarded geographically based on identified local needs
Procurement reform - what's new
Under the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024, which came into force in February 2025, we are committed to a more transparent, outcomes-focused, and accessible approach to commissioning adult social care services.
The new legislation simplifies public procurement across the UK and is designed to:
- Improve access for SMEs and VCSEs
- Increase transparency and fairness in procurement processes
- Strengthen the focus on value for money, social impact, and public accountability
We strongly encourage providers to familiarise themselves with the new rules by visiting the Cabinet Office's transforming public procurement guidance.
