Award

Student Counselling Services

THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

06 Jan 2026 at 11:08

Award

22 Dec 2025 at 15:43

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process led by The University of Ulster for the "Student Counselling Services" contract has reached the award stage. This contract, identified as "DACPP-01835 EXP/2161", involves the provision of essential student support services, including a 24-hour helpline, varied counselling options, and an online self-help hub. Located in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, this opportunity is framed under the Northern Irish devolved regulations, with the legal basis provided by UKPGA 2023/54. The direct award procurement method was utilised due to urgency requirements to ensure continuous service delivery. The contract period is set from 19 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, and was awarded to Lena by Inspire, a large-scale supplier based in Belfast. The contract's gross value is £248,000, and the standstill period concludes on 16 January 2026.

This tender offers considerable opportunities for businesses specialising in community, social, and personal services. With a focus on providing comprehensive support to students, companies equipped with expertise in remote and crisis counselling services will find it advantageous to participate. Organisations similar to Lena by Inspire, which can offer large-scale service delivery and possess the capability to adapt quickly to the University's demanding schedule and high service standards, would be especially suited to compete. The nature of the procurement aims to align with broader wellbeing initiatives at the University, suggesting future tenders may present collaborative opportunities alongside employee wellbeing services, thus enlarging potential business growth prospects.

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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.

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

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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

LENA BY INSPIRE

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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