Bath & North East Somerset Council has launched a £600 million Flexible Framework for the Provision of Care Homes. The framework is open throughout its life, with new acceptance rounds expected at least every six months, giving eligible care homes repeated opportunities to join.
The main restriction is geographic. Providers must operate homes within defined distances of the B&NES boundary, so this is a commercially significant opportunity for a relatively focused local and regional market rather than a national care framework.
If your home falls within the eligible area, speak to Thornton & Lowe about preparing a strong framework application.
Which care home services are included?
The framework covers adult care home placements across four broad specialisms:
- residential and nursing care within three miles of the B&NES boundary
- dementia care within three miles of the boundary
- discharge to assess and intermediate care within three miles of the boundary
- learning disability, autism, physical disability, cognitive impairment and sensory impairment within nine miles of the boundary
The Council states that homes outside the relevant radius cannot apply, so location should be the first eligibility check. The official Find a Tender notice sets out the current acceptance rounds and geographic requirements.
A framework that keeps reopening
The arrangement has no maximum number of suppliers and no framework fee. The initial contract period runs from April 2027 to March 2033, with two possible two-year extensions that could take it to 2037. New acceptance rounds are expected at least every six months and may be more frequent at the Council's discretion. Once a provider has been accepted, it does not need to reapply at every future round.
The initial timetable includes staged access to different specialisms. Residential, nursing, dementia and discharge-to-assess providers can apply in the early rounds, with all specialisms expected to be available in Round 3.
Our healthcare tenders guide explains some of the quality, safeguarding and workforce evidence commonly required in care procurement.
How will placements and pricing work?
Some framework prices are predetermined in the contract terms. Other specialist placements can fall into negotiable bands, with the final rate based on assessed need and the nature of the placement. The Council may use Care Cubed or an equivalent needs-based pricing methodology.
Supplier selection for individual placements will follow the published brokerage policy. Block contracts will be awarded under the process specified for the particular requirement.
This means providers should understand the difference between joining the framework and securing placements. Admission opens the route to work, but it does not remove the need to manage capacity, referrals, pricing and quality throughout the framework term.
What should care homes evidence?
Providers should prepare clear evidence around:
- CQC registration and inspection performance
- safeguarding and incident management
- staffing, recruitment, retention and training
- dementia or specialist disability capability where relevant
- admissions, assessment and transition
- care planning and resident outcomes
- clinical governance for nursing services
- infection prevention and control
- business continuity and emergency arrangements
- quality monitoring and service improvement
The framework is suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, so smaller independent providers should not assume the opportunity is aimed only at large care groups. The more important question is whether the home meets the location and service requirements and can evidence consistent quality.
Key dates
- Initial Round 1 deadline: 23 October 2026 at 12:00pm
- Round 2 deadline: 5 February 2027 at 12:00pm
- Round 3 deadline: 5 May 2027 at 12:00pm
- Round 3 results: June 2027
- Framework start: 1 April 2027
- Initial end date: 31 March 2033
- Possible extensions: to 31 March 2037
Treat framework admission as the start of the commercial process
The recurring entry model makes this framework accessible, but providers still need to decide whether the likely placements, pricing and geographic fit make commercial sense. A strong application should show quality and specialist capability clearly, then be backed by robust operational readiness once referrals begin.
Thornton & Lowe supports residential, nursing and specialist care providers with local authority tenders and frameworks. Contact our healthcare bid team if you want support with the B&NES application.
