Hotels Framework
Framework Description
Cheshire West and Chester Council plans a hotels framework to secure emergency accommodation for homeless households across the borough, likely to be a new version of its current framework. Hotels will be checked for suitability, condition and capacity before they are appointed. The Council's pipeline notice on Find a Tender (012326-2025) gave estimated dates of 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2030, with no extension listed.
Context & Use Case
The Council has a statutory duty to provide emergency accommodation for eligible homeless households, often at very short notice. It will use the framework to place households in pre-approved hotels without running a new procurement each time. Pre-assessing hotels for suitability, condition and capacity means officers know a room meets the Council's standards before a household arrives.
Scope of Services
Hotel accommodation for homeless households Emergency temporary accommodation placements Rooms available at short notice Pre-assessed suitability, condition and capacity
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Hotels and similar accommodation providers in or near Cheshire West and Chester that can take Council placements at short notice. The procurement is at the pipeline stage, so there is nothing to apply for yet; providers get on the framework by bidding when the tender is published.
Buyer Benefits
Officers can place a household quickly with a provider whose rooms, safety and terms have already been checked. That avoids ad hoc spot purchasing at uncontrolled rates. Agreed standards also help the Council meet its duties on the suitability of temporary accommodation, especially for families with children.
Next Steps
Follow Find a Tender notice 012326-2025 and watch for the tender notice. Check your rooms, fire safety, management cover and booking processes now. Decide how many rooms you could realistically commit and at what nightly rates, and what support you can give to households with children.
How Athena Can Help
Many hotels have never bid for council work, and this tender will ask about safeguarding, standards and capacity in ways a usual corporate booking does not. Athena can talk you through the documents and handle the whole submission. Our bid management help includes the written answers and a compliance check.
We can also help you set nightly rates that are competitive and still profitable, and decide whether the opportunity suits you, through our public sector bidding advice. Other councils run similar schemes, and our help finding similar council frameworks can find the ones near you.
