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Suffolk Individual Placement and Support for Severe Mental Illness (IPS SMI)

NHS NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

04 Aug 2026 at 09:19

Tender Notice
Award

21 Jul 2026 at 16:34

Award Notice
Tender

13 Mar 2026 at 09:29

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board commissioned an Individual Placement and Support service for people with severe mental ill health in Suffolk. The service supports individuals to secure and sustain employment, working with people interested in employment, local, regional and national employers, and clinical staff in Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust. It is a supported employment service within secondary mental health teams or primary care, rather than a general vocational training provision. The requirement is classified as health services. Delivery is centred on Suffolk, with collaboration involving the wider Norfolk and Suffolk health system and employers beyond the local area. The selected provider is expected to integrate employment support with clinical services and focus on employment outcomes for people experiencing severe mental ill health.

The procurement has been awarded through the Provider Selection Regime 2023 using a competitive open procedure. Norfolk and Waveney MIND was selected for the single lot, following four bids. The award was made on 21 July 2026, and the contract is active. Its value is £8,827,229 excluding VAT. Services are intended to run from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2030, with an option to extend by up to 24 months; the published contract period includes that possible extension. Submissions were electronic, in English, and the tender deadline was 24 April 2026 at noon. Evaluation was based entirely on quality, with cost carrying no weighting. The contract was formally awarded after the competitive process, with no standstill-period review.

This award indicates a defined need for evidence-based supported employment for people with severe mental ill health, integrated closely with NHS clinical teams and primary care. A credible future competitor would need employment specialists able to build effective working relationships with mental health professionals, service users and employers, and to identify suitable opportunities across local, regional and national labour markets. Providers should be able to demonstrate a clear commitment to the Individual Placement and Support model, including fidelity to its quality standards rather than relying mainly on training-only or traditional vocational approaches. Experience delivering measurable employment outcomes, supporting health, wellbeing and recovery, and participating actively in internal and external quality assurance would strengthen credibility. The award also shows that an SME-scale voluntary-sector provider can meet this requirement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Suffolk Individual Placement and Support for Severe Mental Illness (IPS SMI)

Notice Description

Service to deliver an individual placement and support employment service for people with severe mental ill health, whether based in secondary mental health teams or primary care in Suffolk.

Lot Information

Lot 1

We are looking for an employment specialist who will work in close collaboration with clinical staff in Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) who are currently in the process of developing a Service Operating Plan on what the Trust consider patients with severe mental ill health. They will also work with employers locally, regionally and nationally to seek employment opportunities for individuals, and with any individuals who express an interest in employment to achieve an employment outcome. IPS has been identified by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and NHS England, working in partnership with IPS Grow, as a key evidence-based intervention to tackle unemployment among people experiencing severe mental ill health. IPS is a replicable, quality-assured supported employment model that consistently delivers significantly improved employment outcomes, alongside wider benefits to health, wellbeing and recovery, when compared with traditional vocational or training-only approaches. Providers delivering IPS must therefore demonstrate a clear commitment to IPS fidelity and quality. This includes active participation in both internal and external quality assurance processes, ensuring delivery aligns with national IPS standards and contributes to improved outcomes for service users. The contract will commence on 1st October 2026 and expire 31st March 2030 and will have the the option to extend for up to a total additional 24 months.

Options: Contract can be extended for an additional 24 months - this possible extension is included in the contract period and contract value quoted within this notice.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066932
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/073451-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£8,385,070 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£8,385,070 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£8,827,229 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
24 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
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
NORWICH
Postcode
NR1 2DH
Postcode Area
Norwich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH5 Norfolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC
Local Authority
Norwich
Electoral Ward
Lakenham
Westminster Constituency
Norwich South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Norfolk and Waveney Mind

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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