Newcastle City Council is procuring a major framework agreement for home care services, valued at £139,320,000 (including VAT) over eight years, split across four geographic lots covering the city. For domiciliary care providers operating in or looking to expand into the North East, this is one of the most significant local authority procurement opportunities currently open.
Submission closes on 20 May 2026, so if you are evaluating whether to bid, now is the time to review the documentation and make your decision.
If you would like an impartial assessment of whether this opportunity is right for your organisation, contact Thornton & Lowe for a quick, no-obligation review.
What the framework covers
This is a framework agreement for the provision of domiciliary (home) care to vulnerable adults across Newcastle. The authority is structuring supply geographically, with four distinct lots corresponding to different parts of the city:
- Lot 1 – North
- Lot 2 – East
- Lot 3 – Inner West
- Lot 4 – Outer West
Providers can bid for one lot or multiple lots, depending on their existing workforce distribution and growth ambitions. The geographic structure allows the council to match local providers with local need. This means that your knowledge of a specific area and existing delivery presence there will be a genuine competitive advantage.
Why this framework is worth considering
The eight-year duration is notably long for a domiciliary care contract, and that is intentional. Newcastle City Council wants to build genuine, long-term partnerships with providers who can invest in local workforce development, continuity of care, and quality improvement over time. For providers who are serious about operating in Newcastle, a place on this framework offers commercial pipeline stability that one-off contracts simply cannot match.
The £139.3 million total value reflects the scale of the city's commissioning ambitions. That figure will be distributed across providers through individual call-offs during the framework term, so winning a place is the gateway, not the end point. The ongoing relationship with the council and continued performance standards will determine the volume of work that follows.
Key facts
- Authority: Newcastle City Council
- Total value: £139,320,000 including VAT
- Term: Up to 8 years
- Lots: 4 (North, East, Inner West, Outer West)
- Service type: Domiciliary / home care for adults
- Submission deadline: 20 May 2026
Tips for bidding successfully
- Match your lots to your delivery footprint: Apply for the lots that align with where your staff, infrastructure, and existing client relationships are concentrated. A focused, credible bid for one lot is stronger than a stretched bid across four.
- Demonstrate workforce capacity and resilience: Local authorities commissioning home care over eight years need to know you can sustain service levels. Your bid should clearly address staffing plans, retention, training, and how you would scale to meet changing demand.
- Understand Newcastle's priorities: Research the council's adult social care strategy and current commissioning priorities. Bids that reflect local context and speak to Newcastle's specific challenges (such as deprivation patterns, population demographics, or pressures on NHS step-down services) will score better.
- Framework compliance from day one: Unlike a one-off tender, a framework requires ongoing compliance with reporting, quality standards, and partnership expectations. Articulate how your organisation manages performance at a contract management level, not just at delivery level.
Full documentation is available through the official Find a Tender notice. Review the specification carefully before starting your bid: scope details and service requirements should inform your approach from the outset.
Thinking of bidding for the Newcastle Home Care Framework?
Our healthcare bid team can review your suitability, help structure your response across your chosen lots, and make sure your submission stands out on quality. Get in touch today.
