Social and other specific services – public contracts
Contract award notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Aberdeenshire Council
Woodhill House, Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB
UK
Contact person: Marie Moore
Telephone: +44 1467538552
E-mail: SocialCareCPSS@aberdeencity.gov.uk
NUTS: UKM50
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00232
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Aberdeenshire Outreach Housing Support Services
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Aberdeenshire Council requires the provision of two distinct Outreach Housing Support Services to support Young Persons and Adults.
The Young Persons Outreach Housing Support Service is for people aged over 16 and up to the age of 21, and for those who are care leavers up to and including age 26 where a housing support need has been identified by housing options or social work services who retain the statutory duty to support care leavers up to and including age 26.
The Adults Outreach Housing Support Service is for people aged 21 and over. The support provided will be flexible and tailored to provide person centred support to meet the changing needs of each individual, with the key aim of providing support to work towards promoting independent living and allowing those supported to sustain their tenancies and prevent homelessness.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
4 938 755.00
GBP
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Young Persons Outreach Housing Support Service
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM50
Main site or place of performance:
Aberdeenshire wide including rural areas.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Aberdeenshire Council is seeking an outcome focused Young Persons Outreach Housing Support Service to meet the needs of those aged 16 - 21 and for those who are care leavers up to and including age 26 who are homeless or at the risk of homelessness and who may have complex needs. This may include supporting their resettlement from supported accommodation.
The service will be required to be assertive, build relationships and to assist people who are not yet willing and motivated to engage in support. Flexibility will be given to the service provider to build relationships with the client to gain trust. We expect the provider to prioritise in-person visits at all stages of the journey whenever possible, using every opportunity to meet and engage directly rather than relying solely on text or telephone communication.
The service will need to be assertive in their nature and use every interaction as a chance to build relationships, to assist people who are not yet willing and motivated to engage in support. Flexibility will be given to the service provider to build relationships with the client to gain trust. It is an expectation that all opportunities to work with associated partners to maximise efforts to engage is taken. We expect the provider to prioritise in-person visits at all stages of the journey whenever possible, using every opportunity to meet and engage directly rather than relying solely on text or telephone communication.
The service will support 125 people per month and be delivered flexibly across Aberdeenshire including rural areas. Support should be scheduled around the needs of the person and there may be a requirement to operate outwith office hours, however this would be in exceptional circumstances and there is no expectation for a 24-hour service.
Young Persons referred will present with varying levels of need. Some may require only minimal support, such as simple signposting, while others may have more complex needs due to challenging circumstances. These circumstances could include substance misuse, offending behaviour or placing themselves at risk of harm, all of which may increase the likelihood of losing their current accommodation. We anticipate that the level of support provided will gradually reduce over time as individuals develop the necessary skills and resilience. All support should be person-centred and tailored to meet the unique needs of everyone.
People may also have a range of health needs e.g. mental health, learning disabilities, physical disability etc. For clarity, we would expect the providers to prompt a client to attend a GP, or promote activities or local community groups, and signpost to relevant agencies rather than providing direct medical or therapeutic input.
The focus of the service will be to enable independent tenancy sustainment and embed people within the local communities, building resilience to prevent homelessness in the future. This will mean taking a proactive approach to providing support and identifying and assisting with other issues that become apparent during the support or recognising areas to build on with individuals such as gaining employment, looking for volunteering opportunities, picking up on interests and encouraging clients to join local groups.
The service is expected to collaborate with Aberdeenshire Council statutory partners and others operating within the homelessness sector in Aberdeenshire to deliver our strategic objective to prevent and reduce homelessness.
This Service will require to be registered with Care Inspectorate as a Housing Support Service.
The service is required to be flexible and adapt over the life of the contract to meet the changing needs and requirements in Aberdeenshire, and the delivery of the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025. The service provider should be innovative and proactive with change.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
The contract will be for an initial three year term with two optional 12 month extensions, i.e., 3+1+1. The estimated spend figure of GBP1575075 is based on a maximum 5 year period.
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Adults Outreach Housing Support Service
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM50
Main site or place of performance:
Aberdeenshire wide, including rural areas.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Aberdeenshire Council requires an Outreach Housing Support Service to deliver statutory housing support duty and provide early intervention for those at risk of homelessness who are aged 21 and over.
The key aims of the service are to:
- Enable independent tenancy sustainment.
- Prevent repeat homelessness.
- Offer tailored housing and social support.
- Empower individuals to access health, education, and employment.
- Promote community integration and resilience.
The service will be required to be assertive, build relationships and to assist people who are not yet willing and motivated to engage in support. Flexibility will be given to the service provider to build relationships with the client to gain trust. We expect the provider to prioritise in-person visits at all stages of the journey whenever possible, using every opportunity to meet and engage directly rather than relying solely on text or telephone communication.
The service will support 300 people per month and be delivered flexibly across Aberdeenshire including rural areas. Support should be scheduled around the needs of the person and there may be a requirement to operate outwith office hours, however this would be in exceptional circumstances and there is no expectation for a 24-hour service.
Adults referred will present with varying levels of need. Some may require only minimal support, such as simple signposting, while others may have more complex needs due to challenging circumstances. These circumstances could include substance misuse, offending behaviour or placing themselves at risk of harm, all of which may increase the likelihood of losing their current accommodation. People may also have a range of health needs e.g. mental health, learning disabilities, physical disability etc.
The support provided will be tailored to meet the needs of each person accessing the service and should be able to be delivered via a range of methods including face to face, telephone or across digital platforms depending on the individual needs and preferences of the person. This applies to individual and/or group activities.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
The contract will be for an initial three year term with two optional 12 month extensions, i.e., 3+1+1. The estimated spend figure of GPB3386255 is based on a maximum 5 year period.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.11) Main features of the award procedure:
Open Procedure
Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT)
Quality:Price 80:20
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2026/S 000-013750
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 1
Title: Young Persons Outreach Housing Support Service
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
30/09/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 3
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 3
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Aberdeen Foyer
Marywell Centre,, Marywell Street
Aberdeen
AB11 6JF
UK
NUTS: UKM50
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 939 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 2
Title: Adults Outreach Housing Support Service
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
30/09/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 6
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 4
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 6
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 6
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Penumbra
5 Leamington Terrace
Edinburgh
EH10 4JW
UK
NUTS: UKM75
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 2 024 253.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
Credit Checks
1.The Council shall obtain a Creditsafe credit check and will score bidders accordingly:
71 - 100 Very Low Risk – Accept
51 - 70 Low Risk - Accept
30 - 50 Moderate Risk – subject to further discussion internally with the option to reject.
21-29 High Risk – subject to further discussion internally with the option to reject.
1-20 Very High Risk – Reject.
*The following applies if no credit check can be undertaken:
2. Please state current turnover (if contract value is over 50% of reported turnover, further discussion will be had internally with the option to reject).
3. If you are under no obligation to publish accounts on Companies House and/or do not have a comprehensive credit rating then provide audited financial accounts for the previous two years. Both quick and current ratios should be a minimum of 1:1.5 for the two successive years. Bidders whose ratios do not meet the minimum criteria will be rejected. Bidders who can provide audited accounts but chose not to do so shall be rejected.
4. Bidders who have been trading for less than one year and cannot provide audited accounts must submit the cash flow for the current year and a letter from the bank outlining the current cash and credit position for the current year and subsequent year. This will be subject to internal discussion with the option to reject.
5. If bidder still does not meet the financial criteria for consideration but has a parent company that does, the firm may still be eligible for consideration where their submission is supported by a parent company guarantee.
Insurance
It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Employer’s Liability Insurance = GBP10m
Public Liability Insurance = GBP5m
(SC Ref:844494)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Aberdeen Sheriff Court
Castle Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1WP
UK
Telephone: +44 1224657200
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
01/10/2026