BHCC Adults Community Support and Supported Living Light Touch DPS
Framework Description
Brighton & Hove City Council's Adults Community Support and Supported Living Light Touch DPS is a Dynamic Purchasing System for adult social care, run under the light-touch regime (Find a Tender notice 062572-2025). It has two lots, community support and supported living, each split into needs groups. The current term runs to 3 March 2029, with options to extend by three years and then by a further two years.
Context & Use Case
The Council uses the DPS to commission local support for adults with eligible Care Act needs, aiming to reduce the number of people placed in residential care outside Brighton and Hove. Commissioning follows a strengths-based approach that builds on people's abilities and community links. Admitted providers are invited to bid for individual packages or services, but admission does not guarantee work.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Community Support Lot 2: Supported Living Learning disabilities, including autistic adults Mental health needs Neurodivergent adults Acquired brain injury Physical disabilities and sensory needs Substance misuse with eligible Care Act needs
Lots
Lot 1: Community Support; Lot 2: Supported Living
Who Can Apply
Open to care and support providers with relevant experience in either or both lots. As a live DPS there is no cap on provider numbers, and organisations can apply at any time while it is open. Applications are evaluated on quality, and providers are not obliged to bid once admitted.
Buyer Benefits
The DPS supports the Council's aim of keeping people in the city, near family and community, rather than in residential care elsewhere. It also brings new providers into the local market, giving commissioners more choice. Buyers value a strengths-based approach, the ability to support complex needs, stable staff teams and clear outcomes such as increased independence.
Next Steps
Read Find a Tender notice 062572-2025 and follow its instructions to access the application documents. Choose the lot and needs groups where you have a track record, and prepare quality responses backed by outcome evidence. Once admitted, watch for opportunities from the Council and bid selectively for packages that fit your staffing and location.
How Athena Can Help
Applications to this Brighton & Hove DPS are scored on quality, so evidence matters. Athena's applications for dynamic purchasing systems cover lot choice, written responses and the policies commissioners expect, with a compliance check before you submit.
Once admitted, our tendering advice for care providers helps you decide which packages to bid for, and our bid writing consultants draft strengths-based responses that show outcomes, not just activity. That includes clear examples of reduced dependency and people moving on from out-of-area placements.
