Glasgow City Council is procuring a framework agreement for the delivery of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) provision across the city. The framework is valued at £350,000,000 over eight years and will appoint multiple Care Inspectorate-registered providers to deliver day care and early years education to children within the Glasgow boundary.
This is a rare combination of scale, longevity, and specificity. For registered childcare providers operating in or near Glasgow, it represents a significant long-term commissioning opportunity. The submission deadline is 14 May 2026.
If you are considering applying, contact Thornton & Lowe for an honest assessment of your suitability and how to build the strongest possible bid.
What this framework is about
Glasgow City Council has a statutory duty to deliver funded early learning and childcare hours to eligible children, and this framework is its primary mechanism for commissioning that delivery from external providers. Under the Scottish Government's ELC expansion, councils must now offer 1,140 hours of funded ELC per year to all three and four year olds, and eligible two year olds. Glasgow, as one of Scotland's largest local authorities, needs a substantial and reliable network of registered providers to meet that commitment.
Being appointed to this framework is a direct route to receiving funded placements from the council, providing both revenue security and the chance to build a strong, long-term relationship with one of the UK's largest city authorities.
Eligibility: what you must have in place
Providers must be registered with the Care Inspectorate for day care of children and must operate within the Glasgow City Council boundary. This is a fundamental eligibility requirement and not a preference. If you are not yet registered, or if your registered premises are outside Glasgow, you will not meet the basic threshold for this framework.
Beyond registration, the council will be looking for providers who can demonstrate quality, consistency, and capacity. Given the eight-year term, Glasgow needs partners who can sustain service delivery over the long haul, not just meet baseline standards at the point of application.
Key facts
- Authority: Glasgow City Council
- Total value: £350,000,000
- Duration: 8 years
- Eligibility requirement: Care Inspectorate registration for day care of children; services within Glasgow boundary
- Procurement type: Framework agreement (multiple providers)
- Submission deadline: 14 May 2026
Tips for a strong bid
- Confirm your Care Inspectorate registration status first: Before investing time in a bid, verify your registration covers the service type required and that your premises are within the Glasgow boundary.
- Demonstrate quality and outcomes: Evidence your most recent Care Inspectorate grades and any quality improvement work you have undertaken. Providers with strong inspection outcomes and clear continuous improvement plans will be more competitive.
- Reflect Glasgow's ELC context: Glasgow has specific demographics, including areas of concentrated deprivation where ELC has a particularly important role. Bids that show awareness of Glasgow's communities and how your provision responds to local need will score more strongly than generic responses.
- Address capacity and scalability: An eight-year framework means the council needs confidence that you can sustain and potentially grow your provision over time. Outline your staffing model, workforce development plans, and how you would manage fluctuations in funded place demand.
- Understand the funded hours model: Familiarise yourself with how Glasgow administers funded ELC hours, the payment mechanisms involved, and any specific requirements around data sharing or reporting that will apply to framework providers.
Full documentation is available at the Find a Tender notice.
Applying to the Glasgow ELC Framework?
Our team can help you review your eligibility, structure a strong bid response, and ensure your application reflects what Glasgow City Council is actually looking for. Don't underestimate the competition for a £350m, 8-year framework.
