Powys County Council has published a preliminary market engagement notice for a new framework: Accommodation and Support for Living a Good Life (Supported Housing/Supported Living). For providers delivering supported living, supported housing and specialist accommodation-based support, this is an early opportunity to prepare for what could become a significant route to market in Wales.
At its core, the Council is looking for experienced and competent contractors to deliver high-quality, person-centred support and care services for adults with disabilities, mental health needs, and complex care requirements across Powys. The emphasis on quality and competence is worth taking seriously: accommodation-based services are evaluated as much on delivery assurance and outcomes as they are on capacity.
What the Council is planning
The Find a Tender notice states Powys intends to establish a framework agreement for the services. This kind of arrangement typically becomes the primary commissioning route over the term, so early preparation is about building the right operational model and evidence base to compete confidently for work and sustain performance over time.
The procurement sits under the light touch approach (for social/health-related services), which usually gives the buyer more flexibility in how the process is designed and how it evaluates the market. Providers should expect the tender documents to focus heavily on outcomes, safeguarding, quality assurance, staffing, and how support is tailored to individuals.
Key facts and indicative timeline
From the notice, the headline details are:
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Estimated value: £136.8m (ex VAT and inc VAT shown as the same figure)
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Estimated contract dates: 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032, with a possible extension to 31 March 2035
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Engagement deadline: 15 April 2026
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Engagement activity: “Meet the Buyer arranged for 15/04/2026” (details to follow)
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Estimated tender notice publication date: 6 May 2026
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Location: Powys
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Marked as particularly suitable for SMEs and VCSEs
For providers, that combination of dates gives you a clear runway: there is time to strengthen evidence, confirm delivery partnerships, and plan what you will contribute at engagement stage to help shape a workable model.
What strong providers should do now
Treat market engagement as a chance to reduce delivery risk
The biggest value of PME is the ability to influence practical decisions that shape delivery. These include referral routes, mobilisation expectations, KPI design, contract management cadence, and how outcomes are measured. If you have insight on what works best in rural/large geography delivery, continuity of care, or housing interface management, PME is where that input can land.
Build (or refresh) an evidence pack that matches what commissioners score
Accommodation-based support tends to be judged on the credibility of day-to-day delivery. If you start preparing now, you can avoid last-minute document scrambles. Focus on evidence that stands up to scrutiny, such as:
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safeguarding approach and incident management
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workforce recruitment, training and supervision
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quality assurance, audits and service improvement
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person-centred support planning and outcomes reporting
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partnerships (housing, health, community support) and how responsibilities are governed
Decide where you fit best in the market
This opportunity is marked as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, which may mean there is room for both specialist niche providers and larger multi-service organisations. Clarity wins: it’s better to be precise about what you do exceptionally well (and where) than to present a broad offer that feels generic.
Prepare for a quicker transition from engagement to tender
With an estimated tender notice date in early May 2026, you should plan your internal bid timeline now: who owns the response, who provides evidence, how you draft and review, and what governance sits around submission quality.
Get support from Thornton & Lowe
Powys’ notice is a classic case where early preparation improves both compliance and scoring potential. Thornton & Lowe can help providers translate service quality into evaluator-friendly responses, and build a structured plan from engagement through to tender.
Relevant support includes our specialist social care tender writing support and our practical guide to winning health and social care tenders, which helps providers focus on what evaluators actually score and how to evidence it.
