Open competition
Open procedure: the contract was advertised and any supplier could submit a bid.
Key facts
- Buyer
- Dumfries and Galloway Council · Regional or local authority
- Suppliers
- First Steps Nursery, Midget Gems Chilminder SME
- Value
- £146,058,429 across 3 lots
- Procedure
- Open procedure
- Sector
- Health & social care · Child daycare services (CPV 85312110)
- Region
- Scotland
- Official notice
- 002004-2026 on Find a Tender
- Timeline
-
- Contract date4 Dec 2025
- Published9 Jan 2026Published 36 days after the contract date
Description
The Council has a statutory duty to make pre-school education available for eligible children under the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and Statutory Guidance set out the increased entitlement to 1140 hours for eligible children which became a statutory duty from August 2021. The Funding Follows the Child approach places choice in parents’ and carers’ hands enabling them to access their child’s funded entitlement with a provider that best suits their needs. All providers who apply and meet the expected standard, legislation and the Council's procedural requirements as set out in the Invitation to Tender and accept the rates and contract terms set out by the Council shall be accepted to deliver funded provision through the Flexible Framework enabling them to register children in 2025 to commence Brokerage placements from Q2 2025 and funded Early Learning and Childcare placements from August 2025.
Lots in this award
| Lot | Supplier | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Early Learning, Childcare and Brokerage Services: ELC - Private and Third Sector Settings (excluding Childminders) | First Steps Nursery | £48.7m |
| Early Learning, Childcare and Brokerage Services: ELC - Childminders | Midget Gems Chilminder SME | £48.7m |
| Early Learning, Childcare and Brokerage Services: Lot 3- Childcare Brokerage | First Steps Nursery | £48.7m |
About the suppliers
First Steps Nursery: every public contract they have won.
Midget Gems Chilminder: every public contract they have won.