Heat-health alert for East of England

An amber heat-health warning has been issued by the UKHSA. The warning is in effect from the morning of 11 August 2026 through to the evening of 14 August 2026. Please ensure you keep up to date with weather reports reports and plan accordingly.

UKHSA weather warning guidance

Interim Deprivation of Liberty Practice Guidance (AGNI Judgment 2026)

New interim guidance has been published following the AGNI 2026 Supreme Court judgment. Adult Social Care providers are encouraged to review the guidance to understand Essex County Council's current interim approach while further national guidance is awaited.

Read the guidance

Essex County Council - Provider Hub
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Children's Procurement Opportunities

Children's Procurement Opportunities

All Essex County Council procurement opportunities are advertised through our local procurement portal, Open, where providers can view opportunities, access procurement documents and submit bids.

Open is Essex County Council's procurement and contract management system. Providers can register free of charge to view and respond to tender opportunities, receive notifications of relevant procurement activity, and access information about current an future contract opportunities.

To facilitate this process, we kindly invite you to register on our Open portal.

Guidance

About Open
Open is an e-procurement solution that is designed to:
  • Streamline the tendering process for faster, easier bidding.
  • Help you find competitive opportunities and stay connected with public sector organisations.
  • Provide an easy view of contracts, communications, milestones, and important dates.
  • Support contract management after award.
How to register on Open 
Registration is free, easy and can be done now. To register:
  • Click the ‘get started’ button.
  • On the ‘who are you’ tab, select supplier.
  • Select your company type.
  • Complete the form as directed.
Tips for smooth registration and accessing support.
  • Look out for the email with your temporary password which is only valid for 3 days. If expired, please email open.support@nepo.org to request a new temporary password.
  • If you don’t receive your temporary password, please check your junk/quarantine areas.
  • Add your Companies House number to populate fields for quicker setup.
  • Once registered, select Codes & Categories relevant to your business area to receive tender notifications
  • Add notifications@open-uk.org to your safe sender list.

Support for the system is available via the OPEN Hub: https://www.open-hub.org/

The Open Hub has resources to help you get the most out of the system.

There’s a range of how-to-guides so you can learn about Open at your pace and a Frequently Asked Questions section to answer common questions.

You will also find details of the latest news and supplier training sessions for Open (https://www.nepo.org/suppliers/nepo-supplier-partnership-programme).

Current Opportunities

To find our current live opportunities:

  1. Visit the ‘Browse Opportunities’ page on the Open website
  2. In the filter selection, select 'Essex County Council' in under ‘Authority’
  3. Read through our listed opportunities
  4. Register or login to respond or submit a bid (registration is free of charge)

Further Resources

Find a Tender is the UK government's public procurement service, where high-value contract opportunities from public sector organisations are advertised.

Providers can search for opportunities across the UK, monitor upcoming tenders, and identify new business opportunities beyond Essex County Council. Potential bidders should be aware that relevant procurement notices may also be published on Find a Tender alongside our local procurement portal (Open).

Open = Essex County Council's procurement portal

Find a Tender = UK-wide public sector procurement opportunities

You can access Find a Tender here.

Last updated: 31/07/2026