Ends in 2 days
ID405742 - Placement Type 1 - Standard Support (0-4, 5-10, 11-15, 16 -17years)
Darlington Borough Council · 4-year contract
Held by Reach Out Care
Independent fostering agency tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
575 independent fostering agency tenders and contracts, 99 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£170k
- Contracts a month1.7
- Won by SMEs38%
- Renewing in 6 months9
- Frameworks and DPSs10
- Live now6See them →
Independent fostering agency contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
40 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
6 independent fostering agency opportunities are open now
- OpenCloses Feb 2027Commissioning Homes for Children Looked After & Care Leavers PDPS - Lot 4 Rd 7London Borough of Newham · London
- Pre-market1 Oct 2026Forward to FosterDerbyshire County Council · East MidlandsEst.£8m
- Pre-market21 Sep 2026Expression of Interest (EOI): Soft Block Contract for Independent FosteringBristol City Council · South WestEst.£3m
- Awarded11 Sep 2026CALL-OFF: Children's Services Re-Opening of the Open Select List 2025 for all Independent PlacementLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by UK Fostering
- Awarded2 Sep 2026CALL-OFF: Children's Services Re-Opening of the Open Select List 2025 for all Independent Placement Provision of Independent Fostering Agency ServicesLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Outset Fostering Agency
- Awarded19 Jul 2026CALL-OFF: Children's Services Re-Opening of the Open Select List 2025 for all Independent PlacementLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Phoenix Community Care
- Awarded7 Jul 2026CALL-OFF: Children's Services Re-Opening of the Open Select List 2025 for all Independent PlacementLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Thrive Fostering Ltd
- Awarded10 Jun 2026CP2706-25 Growing Futures - Strategic PartnerDevon County Council · South WestWon by Catch22 Charity Limited
- Awarded1 Apr 2026Fostering and Continuing Care ServicesScottish Borders Council · ScotlandWon by Barnardo's and 3 more£411k
- Awarded31 Mar 2026Fostering & Continuing CareFife Council · ScotlandWon by The City of Edinburgh Council and 12 more£4.9m
- Awarded20 Feb 2026IFA Placement for 5566913Darlington Borough Council · North EastWon by Sunbeam Fostering Agency£135k
- Awarded22 Dec 2025IFA placement for Children's Services CaseBedford Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Barnardo's£101k
- Awarded28 Nov 2025Edge of Care ServiceWest Dunbartonshire Council · ScotlandWon by Includem£200k
- Awarded29 Oct 2025FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Attuned to Children Limited£52k
- Awarded27 Oct 2025FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by National Fostering Group£53k
- Awarded17 Sep 2025FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Team Fostering£87k
- Awarded4 Sep 2025FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Apex Fostering Ltd£77k
- Awarded18 Aug 2025FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Fostering Dimensions Ltd£57k
- Awarded8 Aug 2025Placement of a young person in Foster CareOldham Council · North WestWon by Flourish Fostering Limited£40k
- Awarded8 Aug 2025Placement of a young person in Foster CareOldham Council · North WestWon by Flourish Fostering Limited£40k
- Awarded8 Aug 2025Placement of a young person in Foster CareOldham Council · North WestWon by Flourish Fostering Limited£40k
- Awarded8 Aug 2025Placement of a young person in Foster CareOldham Council · North WestWon by Flourish Fostering Limited£40k
- Awarded8 Aug 2025Placement of a young person in Foster CareOldham Council · North WestWon by Flourish Fostering Limited£40k
- Awarded21 Jul 2025Independent FosteringLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services£123k
- Awarded31 Mar 2025IFA Placements - NexusBristol City Council · South WestWon by Nexus Fostering£570k
- Awarded12 Feb 2025Independent Fostering Agency PlacementBedford Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Stepping Stones Fostering Limited£84k
- Awarded10 Feb 2025Independent Fostering Agency PlacementBedford Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency£131k
- Awarded7 Feb 2025RFE - Foster care placementLuton Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by 5AB Care Ltd£398k
- Awarded6 Feb 2025RFE - Foster Care PlacementLuton Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Kasper Fostering£223k
- Awarded28 Jan 2025PB2024-01647 - Foster placement - ID 389697Darlington Borough Council · North EastWon by Acorn Fostering Services Ltd£277k
- Awarded20 Jan 2025RFE - Supported accommodation agency for child placementLuton Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Sublime Care Solutions Limited£234k
- Awarded18 Dec 2024IFA- Non-Framework - Standard (Placement) December 2024Bedford Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by Aim High Fostering Services£62k
- Open to joinApply by 9 Feb 2030UK-wide DPS
- Open to joinOpen nowLondon DPS
- Open to joinOpen nowLondon DPS
Get new independent fostering agency tenders every morning →
Where to bid
Where independent fostering agency tenders are run
ProContract6 67%
In-Tend1 11%
London Tenders Portal1 11%
Open (NEPO)1 11%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
Frameworks and DPS
10 frameworks and DPSs for independent fostering agency work are running. 3 are open to join now.
Flourish Fostering Limited won the most independent fostering agency contracts
Amber Fostering won the most by value. Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
Councils
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flourish Fostering Limited North West · SME · See every contract | 5 | £200k | 1 | ||
| 2joint | Amber Fostering East of England · SME · See every contract | 3 | £988k | 2 | ||
| 2joint | Barnardo's Scotland · 2 framework places · See every contract | 3 | £101k | 3 | ||
| 2joint | National Fostering Group Scotland · 4 framework places · See every contract | 3 | £53k | 3 | ||
| 5joint | Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services East Midlands · See every contract | 2 | £186k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | Aberlour Children's Charity Scotland · 1 framework place · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 2 | ||
| 7joint | Nexus Fostering South West · See every contract | 1 | £570k | 1 | ||
| 7joint | Integrated Fostering Services East of England · SME · See every contract | 1 | £445k | 1 | ||
| 7joint | 5AB Care Ltd East of England · See every contract | 1 | £398k | 1 | ||
| 7joint | Acorn Fostering Services Ltd North East · SME · See every contract | 1 | £277k | 1 |
33 more independent fostering agency contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win independent fostering agency contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 100% of independent fostering agency contracts
Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
5 buyers bought independent fostering agency more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many independent fostering agency contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many independent fostering agency contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
Councils
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincolnshire County Council | 17 | £848k |
| 2 | Luton Borough Council | 6 | £2.2m |
| 3 | Bedford Borough Council | 5 | £630k |
| 4 | Oldham Council | 5 | £200k |
| 5 | Darlington Borough Council | 2 | £411k |
| 6 | Fife Council | 1 | £4.9m |
| 7 | Bristol City Council | 1 | £570k |
| 8 | Scottish Borders Council | 1 | £411k |
| 9 | West Dunbartonshire Council | 1 | £200k |
| 10 | Devon County Council | 1 | Not published |
297 independent fostering agency contracts awarded since 2021
- 872021
- 762022
- 572023
- 392024
- 282025
- 102026 so far
Prices
Half of independent fostering agency contracts are worth less than £84k
Councils
The 10 biggest independent fostering agency contracts
- Fife CouncilThe City of Edinburgh Council, Barnardo's, Aberlour Children's Charity, Foster Care Associates, Fostering People, Fosterplus, Swiis Foster Care, The Adolescent and Children's Trust (TACT), National Fostering Group, Fostering Relations Ltd, Care Visions, Carolina House Trust, Foster Care Connect Ltd · 31 Mar 2026
- Luton Borough CouncilAmber Fostering · 12 Nov 2024
- Bristol City CouncilNexus Fostering · 31 Mar 2025
- Luton Borough CouncilIntegrated Fostering Services · 22 Dec 2024
- Scottish Borders CouncilBarnardo's, Action for Children, Aberlour Children's Charity, National Fostering Group · 1 Apr 2026
- Luton Borough Council5AB Care Ltd · 7 Feb 2025
- Luton Borough CouncilAmber Fostering · 11 Jan 2025
- Darlington Borough CouncilAcorn Fostering Services Ltd · 28 Jan 2025
- Bedford Borough CouncilThree Circles Fostering Limited · 27 Nov 2024
- Luton Borough CouncilSublime Care Solutions Limited · 20 Jan 2025
Renewing contracts
25 independent fostering agency contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months
9 in the next 6 months. The 3 ending soonest are shown in full.
Ends in 2 days
ID5501277 - Placement Type 1 - Standard Support (0-4, 5-10, 11-15, 16 -17years)
Darlington Borough Council · 4-year contract
Held by Reach Out Care
Ends in 5 days
ID5520780 - Placement Type 1 - Standard Support (0-4, 5-10, 11-15, 16 -17years)
Darlington Borough Council · North East · 4-year contract
Held by Swiis
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilNorth East£100k to £1mEnds in 3 weeks
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilEast Midlands£1m or moreEnds in 4 weeks
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilNorth East£100k to £1mEnds in 6 weeks
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilNorth East£100k to £1mEnds in 6 weeks
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilNorth East£100k to £1mEnds Feb 2027
Independent fostering agency contract for a councilNorth East£100k to £1mEnds Mar 2027
Where and when
The East Midlands awards the most independent fostering agency contracts
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 1 | 17 | £848k | £61k | Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services (2) | Lincolnshire County Council (17) | 4 |
| East of England | 0 | 11 | £2.8m | £234k | Amber Fostering (2) | Luton Borough Council (6) | 0 |
| North West | 0 | 5 | £200k | £40k | Flourish Fostering Limited (5) | Oldham Council (5) | 1 |
| Scotland | 0 | 3 | £5.5m | £411k | Aberlour Children's Charity, Barnardo's and 1 more (2 each) | – | 0 |
| North East | 0 | 2 | £411k | – | – | Darlington Borough Council (2) | 15 |
| South West | 1 | 2 | £570k | – | – | – | 0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 3 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| London | 1 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| South East | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| Wales | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with independent fostering agency
Related services
Key findings
- £170k a month
of independent fostering agency contracts awarded.
Typical contract £200k x 0.8 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 1.7
independent fostering agency contracts are awarded in a typical month.
40 contracts in the last 2 years. - 9
independent fostering agency contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 5 May 2027. - 10
frameworks and DPSs are running for independent fostering agency work.
3 open to join now. - 38%
of independent fostering agency contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 37 award notices.
How many independent fostering agency tenders and contracts are there?
| Since November 2021 | Last 12 months | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 575 | 99 |
| Contracts awarded | 225 | 12 |
44 independent fostering agency contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 38 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 10 buyers awarded independent fostering agency contracts to 43 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many independent fostering agency contracts does the UK public sector award?
40 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 10 public buyers.
How long are independent fostering agency tenders open for?
The median independent fostering agency tender is open for 33 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector independent fostering agency contract worth?
The median is £84k, and 74% are worth less than £250k.
Who wins the most public sector independent fostering agency contracts?
Flourish Fostering Limited won the most (5). Amber Fostering won the most by value (£988k).
Which buyers award the most independent fostering agency contracts?
Councils award 100% of them.
Which part of the UK awards the most independent fostering agency contracts?
The East Midlands: 17 of 40 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then the East of England (11) and the North West (5).
How many independent fostering agency contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
25 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 7 November 2026. Another 6 ending are one-off work.
Are there frameworks or DPSs for independent fostering agency work that are open to join?
10 frameworks and DPSs for independent fostering agency work are running. 3 are open to join now.
What is included
Family placements for looked-after children with foster carers approved by independent fostering agencies, bought through fostering frameworks, individual placements or inter-agency fees, including continuing care with the same carers.
- Independent fostering agency frameworks
- Individual IFA placements
- Inter-agency fostering fees
- Standard, enhanced and specialist support levels
- Continuing care with former foster carers (Scotland)
What is not included
- Parent and child placements (see Parent and child assessment placements)
- Adoption placements and inter-agency adoption fees (see Adoption agency services)
- Supported lodgings with host households for 16-plus (see Semi independent living)
- Family-based overnight short breaks for disabled children (see Overnight short breaks for disabled children)
- Support for kinship carers (see Kinship and special guardianship support)
- Independent review of foster carer approval decisions (see Regulation 44 visits)
- Foster carer recruitment campaigns (another industry: marketing-creative)
- Foster carer training (another industry: education-training)