SME Secures Supported Living Framework Appointment With Coventry City Council

Sector: Supported Living / Care Services

SME size: SME (regional provider)
Previous public sector experience: Limited
Type of buyer: Local Authority

The client is an established supported living provider delivering high-quality services, with strong operational capability but limited experience of competitive framework tendering at this scale.

The Challenge

This opportunity was a multi-lot Supported Living framework with Coventry City Council, covering a range of service requirements and delivery models.

Securing a place on the framework was strategically important for the business, creating access to repeat opportunities with a key local authority buyer and supporting longer-term growth.

The main challenges were:

• Translating strong service delivery into scored, evaluator-friendly responses
• Demonstrating confidence across multiple lots, each with distinct requirements
• Managing the tender alongside day-to-day operational pressures
• Ensuring consistency, clarity, and compliance across a complex submission

While the client had the capability to deliver the services, they needed support ensuring this was clearly evidenced and easy for evaluators to score.

Our Role

Level of support: Full bid support
Scope: Bid strategy, response structuring, drafting and review
Timescales: Aligned to the authority’s submission deadline

We worked closely with the client to manage the end-to-end process, ensuring the submission was robust, well-structured, and aligned to how local authority evaluators assess quality.

Our Approach (Evaluator-Focused)

Our work focused on clarity, structure, and confidence:

• Interpreting each lot’s evaluation criteria to identify what would differentiate a high-scoring response
• Structuring answers so key evidence and controls were immediately visible to evaluators
• Demonstrating service delivery through clear methodologies, roles, and governance arrangements
• Positioning SME strengths, such as responsiveness, continuity of care, and local knowledge, as risk-reducing advantages
• Ensuring consistency across all lots while tailoring responses to specific service requirements

This approach ensured evaluators could clearly see how the client would deliver safely, consistently, and in line with council expectations.

The Outcome

Result: Successfully appointed to the framework
Lots: Awarded a place on all lots applied for
Buyer: Coventry City Council
Contract type: Supported Living Framework

The client was delighted to be awarded a place on the framework across every lot submitted, giving them access to future call-off opportunities and strengthening their public sector portfolio.

Why This Matters for Other SMEs

This result demonstrates that:

• SMEs with strong delivery models can compete successfully for local authority frameworks
• Winning is not about size, but about clarity and confidence on the page
• Multi-lot frameworks are achievable with the right structure and approach
• Public sector growth is repeatable when bidding is handled strategically

This approach is particularly relevant for care and supported living providers looking to secure sustainable, long-term public sector work.

Client Quote

“I am pleased to let you know we have been awarded the contract and we are now on the framework on all the lots applied for. Thank you so much for your assistance and support with this process, we look forward to working with you again in the near future.”