Award

North East Essex Mental Health Recovery College

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

Award

16 Mar 2026 at 16:51

Tender

08 Jan 2026 at 14:58

PlanningUpdate

14 Nov 2025 at 09:02

PlanningUpdate

14 Nov 2025 at 08:14

Planning

14 Nov 2025 at 08:10

Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is overseeing the procurement process for the North East Essex Mental Health Recovery College, which falls under the services industry category. The council, located in Chelmsford, has appointed BRIDGE 86 LIMITED as the active supplier for this tender, with the contract period commencing on 1st May 2026 and concluding on 30th April 2027. This procurement process, classified under the "lightTouch" special regime, followed an open competition method below the threshold. The key focus is on providing guidance services to support adults in Essex with mental health recovery, aligning closely with local community needs. Although the planning began in November 2025, the award was finalised on 16th March 2026, with the contract signature scheduled by 27th March 2026.

This tender offers significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in mental health services, guidance provision, and community-based support initiatives. Companies structured as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly well-suited to compete, given the emphasis on collaborative course creation and delivery involving individuals with lived mental health experiences. The winning bidder will provide flexible and locally-tailored recovery courses for adults, designed in collaboration with Essex County Council and North Essex ICB, presenting potential for innovative partnership models in health and social care sectors. The project’s emphasis on community engagement and co-creation paves the way for businesses focused on social value, quality service delivery, and commercial viability to thrive within this initiative.

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Notice Title

North East Essex Mental Health Recovery College

Notice Description

Essex County Council alongside North Essex ICB are commissioning a Recovery College to support adults in Essex experiencing poor mental health in their road to recovery. Supporting adults of Essex to remain well in their community is a priority that drives many of Essex County Councils strategies. This contract will look to deliver open access support for residents of North East Essex to support their mental health recovery. The winning provider will work closely with commissioners and operational teams across health and social care to ensure that adults with mental health needs are supported in the community in their recovery. Recovery courses will be co-created, co-designed and co-delivered with adults with lived experience of mental health. Course content will be flexible to meet local demand and will be shaped by those that are accessing the college defining the support they need. There will be a set list of courses that will be continuously delivered that the provider will work with commissioners to develop. Course development will require the development of specific courses to support local need

Planning Information

Essex County Council will be holding an engagement event via Microsoft Teams at 10AM on Tuesday 2nd December. This will be to discuss in further detail the requirement, commissioning intentions and full detail around the tender exercise being carried out. Please contact michael.rodway@essex.gov.uk to be added to the invitation list.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e0f8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023732-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85312310 - Guidance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
11 Feb 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
8 Dec 2025Expired
Award Date
16 Mar 20261 months ago
Contract Period
30 Apr 2026 - 30 Apr 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Additional Buyers

NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex

Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BRIDGE 86

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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