The LCR Market Reform programme is a multi-ed collaborative project designed to achieve strategic reform throughout the children’s social care placements sector across the Liverpool City Region (Halton Borough Council, St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, Wirral Borough Council and Liverpool City Council).

The aim is to ensure there is a diverse range of organisations committed to close working with LAs and which are best equipped to deliver high quality services and outcomes to our children and young people, sustainable long-term pricing and a greater social value contribution to our local communities.

As part of this programme, agreement was reached across all LCR LAs to tender a sub-regional children’s commissioning arrangement covering children’s residential and foster care placements. This will be called the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Partner Provider Arrangement (PPA) 2020.

It is intended to establish the LCR PPA in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Regulations 74-76 (Light Touch).

The LCR PPA includes two service categories. Category 1: Children’s residential care and Category 2: Foster Care.

At the discretion of the purchasing bodies, the application window for this PPA will reopen at regular intervals throughout the contract to allow new providers to apply.

The PPA period can be amended (extended, shortened, terminated) subject to the notification on the relevant OJEU standard form. There is no specific minimum or maximum duration of the PPA.