If you work in adult social care, you already know the sector is under pressure. Budgets are tight, demand is rising, and the rules around how services are commissioned keep evolving. But here’s the thing: with pressure comes opportunity. Local authorities across England, Scotland, and Wales are actively tendering for adult social services right now, and the providers who understand what’s shifting in 2026 are the ones landing those contracts.

This isn’t just a guide for people searching for adult social services. It’s also for the providers who deliver them, and who want to know how to position themselves to win the work that matters. If you’re already bidding and want to make sure your responses are hitting the right notes, our guide on the difference between being compliant and being competitive in tenders is a good place to sharpen your approach.

What Do Adult Social Services Actually Cover?

It’s a broad term, and that’s part of the challenge. Adult social services include everything a local authority commissions to support people aged 18 and over who need help with daily living. That could be a 25-year-old with a learning disability moving into their first supported living flat, or an 85-year-old receiving domiciliary care three times a day to stay safely in their own home.

In practice, the services that fall under this umbrella include domiciliary care, residential and nursing care, supported living, reablement, day services, Shared Lives, carers’ support, and a growing range of community-based prevention programmes. The common thread is that they are all funded or arranged by local authority adult social care departments, often working alongside NHS Integrated Care Boards.

The Care Act 2014 Still Sets the Rules

Everything that local authorities do in adult social services is underpinned by the Care Act 2014. That legislation requires councils to assess people’s needs, determine eligibility, and arrange care that promotes wellbeing and independence. In 2026, the Act hasn’t changed, but how councils apply it has. There’s a much stronger focus on prevention, keeping people out of hospital, and helping them stay independent for as long as possible.

Who Commissions These Services?

In England, it’s your local authority’s adult social care department. They set the budgets, write the specifications, and run the tenders. But in 2026, the relationship between councils and ICBs is closer than ever. Many adult social services are now jointly commissioned, which means the tender might come from the council but the specification reflects NHS priorities too. Understanding both sets of expectations is essential if you want to score well.

How Adult Social Services Are Being Commissioned Differently in 2026

The days of a council simply putting out a tender and waiting for whoever turns up are fading. In 2026, commissioning has become more strategic, more outcome-focused, and more demanding of the providers who want to be part of the picture.

Outcome-Based Commissioning Is Now the Default

Councils aren’t buying hours of care anymore. They’re buying outcomes. That means your tender response needs to show what difference your service makes, not just what tasks your staff carry out. If you’re delivering reablement, they want to know how many people regained independence. If you’re running a day service, they want to see reduced social isolation scores. If you can’t prove your impact with data, you’ll lose out to providers who can.

Prevention and Early Intervention

This is the golden word in adult social care commissioning right now. Councils are under enormous financial pressure, and they know that every crisis admission they can prevent saves thousands of pounds down the line. That’s why we’re seeing more tenders for things like community wellbeing hubs, falls prevention programmes, technology-enabled care, and social prescribing services. If your organisation can demonstrate that you stop problems before they escalate, you are exactly what commissioners are looking for.

The Growing Role of Direct Payments and Personal Budgets

More and more people are choosing to manage their own care through Direct Payments. For providers, this means a shift in how you win work. It’s not just about impressing a commissioner in a tender anymore. It’s about being visible, approachable, and trusted enough that individuals choose to spend their personal budget with you. Your reputation in the local community matters more than ever.

What Commissioners Want to See in Adult Social Services Tenders

We work with providers across the UK who deliver adult social services, and we review a lot of tender responses. The ones that score well in 2026 have a few things in common.

A Genuine Understanding of the Local Population

Generic responses don’t win contracts. If you’re bidding for a domiciliary care contract in Bradford, the commissioner wants to see that you understand Bradford’s demographics, health inequalities, cultural diversity, and transport challenges. They want to know you’ve read the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and that your service model reflects the real needs of the people in that area, not just a templated approach copied from your last bid.

Strong Workforce Evidence

This is the section where most providers lose marks. Commissioners know the sector is struggling with recruitment and retention, and they’re not expecting miracles. But they are expecting honesty and a clear plan. Tell them your actual retention rate. Explain your career progression pathways. Show them your training programme goes beyond mandatory compliance. If you’ve introduced something innovative, like a wellbeing fund for staff or a partnership with a local college for apprenticeships, make sure it’s in the bid with real numbers behind it.

Social Value That Means Something Locally

Social value now carries serious weight in adult social services tenders, often 20% or more of the total score. But commissioners have seen enough vague promises to last a lifetime. What scores well is specific, measurable, and rooted in the local area. “We will recruit two apprentices from the local authority area within the first six months of the contract” scores far higher than “we are committed to supporting local employment.”

This kind of targeted, locally rooted approach is what we help our clients develop every day. As one provider shared, AssuredBID helped them understand their strengths and build a bid that stood out from the competition, resulting in a successful contract win. Read their story and others on our testimonials page.

Growing Your Organisation Through Adult Social Services Contracts

If you’re a care provider looking to grow, adult social services contracts offer some of the most stable, long-term opportunities in the sector. Framework agreements can run for four to seven years. Block contracts give you guaranteed income. And with councils under pressure to find reliable, high-quality providers, there’s genuine appetite for organisations that can deliver consistently.

Know Which Contracts Suit Your Size and Strengths

Not every tender is right for every provider. If you’re a smaller organisation, targeting a £10 million countywide framework might not be realistic. But a £500,000 specialist supported living contract in your local area could be perfect. The key is knowing where you fit and focusing your energy on the bids you can genuinely win.

Start Building Relationships Before the Tender Drops

In 2026, councils are running more market engagement events, publishing Pipeline Notices, and hosting “meet the buyer” sessions. If you’re not showing up to these, you’re invisible to the people who write the specifications and decide who gets shortlisted. Building a relationship with commissioners before the tender is published gives you a significant advantage when it’s time to bid.

To see how we helped a housing association in East London win a supported living contract through strong positioning and evidence-led bid writing, read the full case study here.

Getting the Right Support to Win Adult Social Services Contracts

Adult social services is a competitive space, and the commissioning landscape in 2026 demands more from providers than ever before. But the opportunity is real. If you can evidence your outcomes, understand your local market, and write bids that speak directly to what commissioners need, you’re in a strong position. If you’d like support in getting your tenders to that level, book a free consultation with our team.

Need support with tenders or compliance? AssuredBID helps UK social care providers prepare stronger bids and win the right opportunities. You can book a consultation with our tender experts, explore our services, and follow AssuredBID on social media for practical updates, insights, and guidance you can actually use.