Havilah Care Ltd - Securing Bedford Borough Multi-Lot Supported Living Framework

Case Study

Havilah Care Ltd – Securing Bedford Borough Multi-Lot Supported Living Framework

Tender Overview

In July 2025, we supported Havilah Care Ltd in securing positions on Bedford Borough Council’s Supported Living and Community Based Support Services Framework Agreement, successfully winning both Lot 1 – Standard and Lot 1 – Complex. This framework attracted 154 tender submissions with only 44 successful bidders selected.

Our client sought to establish their supported living services within Bedford Borough’s commissioning framework, accessing contracts for standard and complex community-based support. Whilst Havilah Care had operational care experience, this represented their crucial entry into Bedford’s competitive supported living market, requiring demonstration of capability across both standard and complex service delivery whilst navigating detailed quality evaluation criteria and competitive pricing pressures.

Main Challenges

Despite having care service experience, Bedford’s framework evaluation and competitive landscape presented significant challenges:

Detailed quality criteria complexity: With 60% quality weighting distributed across six evaluation questions covering service provision, quality management, safeguarding, staffing, personalisation, partnerships, and social value, demonstrating comprehensive capability across all areas simultaneously required extensive response development. Each question had specific sub-requirements that needed addressing with appropriate detail and evidence, creating complexity beyond standard tender submissions.

Standard versus complex service differentiation: Applying for both Lot 1 – Standard and Lot 1 – Complex required demonstrating distinct capabilities for different support intensities. Standard support focuses on lower-level community assistance whilst complex support addresses intensive needs requiring specialist interventions. Havilah Care needed to articulate how their service models, staffing approaches, and operational systems would adapt appropriately across these different service categories.

Competitive pricing alongside quality demonstration: The 40% price weighting meant competitive hourly rates for day hours, waking nights, and sleep-ins would significantly influence overall scoring. Learning from successful provider case studies demonstrates how organisations balance quality demonstration with commercially viable pricing that enables sustainable service delivery whilst remaining competitive against 153 other applicants.

Service provision detail requirements: Bedford’s evaluation expected comprehensive articulation of service planning approaches, business continuity arrangements, assistive technology utilisation, emergency procedures, cost effectiveness strategies, and co-production methods. Havilah Care needed to move beyond generic care descriptions to provide specific operational detail demonstrating genuine capability rather than theoretical understanding.

Social value commitments and implementation clarity: The social value evaluation required specific commitments around employment creation, environmental sustainability, and community initiatives, alongside detailed method statements explaining how these would be implemented, monitored, and reported. This demanded tangible commitments with realistic implementation plans rather than aspirational statements.

Our Intervention

When Havilah Care approached us, they were uncertain about how to articulate their capabilities across Bedford’s detailed evaluation criteria whilst developing competitive pricing that would support framework success. Our approach to supporting tender submissions emphasises developing responses that address specific evaluation requirements whilst positioning clients for long-term framework sustainability.

Multi-lot response coordination: Our experienced bid writing consultants worked with Havilah Care to develop coherent strategies for both Lot 1 – Standard and Lot 1 – Complex, ensuring responses demonstrated appropriate service differentiation whilst maintaining consistent organisational messaging and quality standards. We helped articulate how their staffing models, support planning approaches, and operational systems would scale appropriately across different support intensities.

Quality criteria mapping and response development: Our specialists conducted detailed analysis of all six quality questions and their sub-requirements, mapping these against Havilah Care’s existing capabilities and identifying where evidence strengthening was needed. We worked to develop responses addressing service provision, quality management, safeguarding, staffing, personalisation, partnerships, and social value requirements with appropriate detail and operational specificity.

Case study development for selection criteria: Understanding that minimum scores of 50 were required for both standard and complex case studies, our consultants helped Havilah Care develop compelling examples demonstrating their approaches to independent living skills development, multi-disciplinary working, risk management, and resilience building for individuals with varying support needs.

Pricing strategy and commercial viability assessment: Our experts worked with Havilah Care to develop competitive hourly rates for day hours, waking nights, and sleep-ins that would achieve strong price scoring whilst ensuring financial sustainability for quality service delivery over the framework term.

Social value commitments and implementation planning: We helped Havilah Care develop tangible social value commitments around local employment, apprenticeships, environmental sustainability, and community partnerships, ensuring method statements provided sufficient implementation detail to demonstrate genuine capability rather than aspirational intentions.

How We Worked

We employed a systematic approach that addressed Bedford’s specific evaluation priorities whilst positioning Havilah Care for framework success:

Question-by-question response optimisation: We worked methodically through each of the six quality questions, ensuring responses addressed all sub-requirements with appropriate operational detail, practical examples, and evidence of capability. This included articulating service planning approaches, quality assurance systems, safeguarding procedures, staffing models, person-centred methods, partnership working, and social value delivery.

Standard and complex service differentiation: We helped Havilah Care clearly distinguish their approaches for standard versus complex support, demonstrating understanding that complex needs require enhanced staffing ratios, specialist interventions, intensive risk management, and multi-disciplinary coordination that differ fundamentally from standard community support requirements.

Evidence portfolio development: Working with Havilah Care’s operational teams, we identified and structured relevant case studies and practice examples demonstrating their capabilities in independent living skills development, multi-disciplinary team working, adjustment to practice for complex needs, risk management strategies, and resilience building for service users.

Bedford contextualisation and partnership integration: We integrated Bedford-specific references throughout responses, including awareness of local demographics, partnership opportunities with Bedford’s voluntary sector organisations, and alignment with the borough’s strategic priorities for supported living and community-based support services.

Quality assurance and compliance verification: We implemented rigorous review processes ensuring every response element addressed evaluation requirements whilst maintaining technical compliance with all tender documentation specifications and Instructions to Tenderers requirements.

Results

On 11th July 2025, Havilah Care Ltd received official notification from Bedford Borough Council confirming their successful framework appointment for both Lot 1 – Standard and Lot 1 – Complex of the Supported Living and Community Based Support Services Framework Agreement.

Both exceeded the minimum thresholds amongst the 44 successful providers selected from 154 tender submissions, with the award subject to a standstill period concluding at midnight on 21st July 2025. This success demonstrates the importance of understanding supported living procurement dynamics and evaluation methodologies when approaching competitive multi-lot frameworks.

Outcome

This multi-lot framework success establishes Havilah Care’s position in Bedford Borough’s supported living market:

Bedford supported living market establishment: Framework membership across both standard and complex service categories provides comprehensive access to supported living contracts throughout Bedford Borough, establishing Havilah Care as a versatile provider capable of delivering across different support intensities within the borough’s commissioning system. This market access, secured against 153 competing providers, creates sustained business opportunities over the framework term.

Dual-lot capability validation: Success in both Lot 1 – Standard and Lot 1 – Complex validates Havilah Care’s capability to deliver both lower-level community support and intensive complex needs services, positioning them advantageously for similar dual-lot opportunities across other local authorities seeking providers with demonstrated versatility across support intensity categories. Using BIDSuite’s advanced opportunity tracking and framework monitoring system, we help clients like Havilah Care identify emerging supported living opportunities across multiple local authorities whilst tracking framework performance and contract values.

Competitive evaluation feedback for continuous improvement: The detailed evaluation scoring across six quality areas provides valuable feedback for enhancing future tender responses, particularly in areas like service provision detail, assistive technology articulation, and social value implementation planning. This feedback creates clear development priorities for strengthening subsequent framework applications.

Bedford Borough commissioning relationship establishment: Framework success creates foundations for developing relationships with Bedford’s commissioning teams, social work practitioners, and care management services, potentially leading to expanded opportunities and partnership working beyond the initial framework contract awards.

We continue supporting Havilah Care through the standstill period and framework mobilisation preparation, including completion of insurance documentation, contract management contact details, and provider portal registration to ensure they can effectively commence service delivery and maximise contract opportunities within Bedford Borough’s supported living commissioning system.

Category: Healthcare Tender
Client: Private
Date: July 2025
Website:

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