Notice Information
Notice Title
Student Counselling Services
Notice Description
Description: Key services required: 1. A 24-hour staffed telephone helpline for student self-referrals and/or direct referrals from Student Wellbeing staff. 2. Counselling via face to face, telephone and video sessions (per student preference). 3. Online self-help hub for students 4. Crisis intervention/Group counselling for students 1. Telephone helpline The University requires the provider to facilitate a 24-hour helpline staffed by appropriately qualified and trained professionals to provide advice, appropriate support, or referral to counselling (or referral back to Student Wellbeing) for all Ulster University students, including PhD Researchers. This helpline should also be the primary source of emotional, general wellbeing and crisis support for students outside of normal university working hours; to include evenings, weekends and all holiday periods throughout the year. 2. Face-to-Face Counselling The University requires the provider to provide students will access to counselling by appropriately professionally qualified and registered counsellors. Counselling should be available all year around and should be flexible to be facilitated at a time to meet student needs, which should also include evenings, weekends and during holiday periods. Counselling should be offered face-to-face (default), online (by video) or by telephone, depending on the student's preference. All counselling interventions should meet a service level response to timeframes as identified in the KPIs. The University requires the provider to measure the impact of these interventions using the relevant clinical outcomes measurements determined by the provider. 3. Online self-help resources and online guided self-help interventions The University requires the provider to provide an extensive range of evidence based digital resources designed to support university level students with mild to moderate wellbeing need, which should include access to clinical self-assessment tools, creative resources, interactive self-help programme, and other non-talking therapy tools appropriate to students. The University requires the provider to measure the impact of these interventions using the relevant clinical outcomes measurements (such as WEMWBS or other to be determined by the provider). Access to any interventions should meet a service level response to timeframes as identified in the KPIs 4. Crisis Intervention or Group Counselling The University requires the provider to be available to facilitate immediate (or at short notice) individual or group counselling/crisis response session in response to unforeseen crisis or critical incidents in the event of the University being unable to fully provide its own adequate response. This should include those incidents that may occur during evenings, weekends and holiday periods when the university is closed. 5. The provision of service marketing materials with up to date contact details for students to access counselling services and associated materials. 6. Service usage monitoring and reporting, including attended, DNA and cancelled appts, new referrals and engaged clients, risk monitoring as well as user
Procurement Information
This Direct Award (DAC) to a single supplier is being requested to ensure service coverage and allow Student Wellbeing and Employee Wellbeing teams to align their contract timeframes in consideration of a future joint bid for counselling services for students and staff. There will be a new Procurement exercise in collaboration with the Employee Wellbeing team to align our offer and seek best quality service and value for the University. Schedule 5, Paragraph 13 and 14 applies: (13) (a) Where the goods, services or works to be supplied under the public contract are strictly necessary for reasons of extreme and unavoidable urgency.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-05fbd6
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000575-2026
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK6 - Contract Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
98 - Other community, social and personal services
-
- CPV Codes
98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- £248,000 £100K-£500K
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 6 Jan 20261 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 22 Dec 20252 months ago
- Contract Period
- 19 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2026 6-12 months
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Pending
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- procurement_enquiries@ulster.ac.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- COLERAINE
- Postcode
- BT52 1SA
- Post Town
- Northern Ireland
- Country
- Northern Ireland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLN Northern Ireland
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLN0 Northern Ireland
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLN0C Causeway Coast and Glens
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- Causeway Coast and Glens
- Electoral Ward
- University
- Westminster Constituency
- East Londonderry
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000575-2026
6th January 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085520-2025
22nd December 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.
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