Award

BSL Talking Therapy Service (Midlands Region)

NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

20 Mar 2026 at 17:16

Summary of the contracting process

The NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board plans to award a contract for the provision of a British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapy Service for adults who are deaf and use BSL. The service aims to adhere to NHS Talking Therapies guidance and NICE-recommended interventions. This initiative is set within the Midlands region, addressing the health services category. The procurement process is at the award stage, with the contract decision ratified on 9th January 2026, and the intention to award notice published on 20th March 2026. Providers have until 27th March 2026 to submit representations. NHS Derby and Derbyshire act as Lead Commissioner with regional partners. The contract, initially spanning three years from 1st April 2026, is extendable by up to two years based on performance metrics.

This specialised tender offers significant growth opportunities for qualified providers capable of delivering psychological therapies directly in BSL at a regional scale. The initiative focuses on enhancing accessibility and outcomes for Deaf BSL users, which suggests ideal competitive potential for businesses experienced in mental health service provision for specific communication needs. Given the specialist nature of the services required and market limitations, NHS guidelines preferred the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) process. SignHealth appears poised to secure the award due to their accredited therapists and demonstrable experience. This presents an opportunity for businesses in health services with the capability to leverage niche expertise in delivering accessible therapy solutions to compete in future procurement processes.

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Notice Title

BSL Talking Therapy Service (Midlands Region)

Notice Description

NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board ("the Authority") intends to award a contract for the a British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapy Service for adults who are Deaf and use BSL, in accordance with NHS Talking Therapies guidance and NICE?recommended interventions. DDICB intend to award this contract under the Most Suitable Provider process and the contract will be initially for 3 years with up to 2 years of extensions available dependent on performance. This a new service with a new provider - the contract will run from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2029 which is the initial period of the contract - extensions will be granted under due process according to contract monitoring conditions of KPIs to be met. The contract cost below is per annum. The supplier will be required to provide evidence that their workforce is qualified to the levels detailed in the NHS Talking Therapy guidance and the NICE-recommended interventions in order to be compliant for delivery of this service. This a regional contract with Derby & Derbyshire acting as Lead Commissioner with regional ICB partners as associates, therefore, we require a service provider to offer these services at regional scales. The service will provide assessment and evidence based psychological therapies delivered directly in BSL, improving accessibility and outcomes for Deaf BSL users.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Authority has utilised the Most Suitable Provider process under the Provider Selection Regime to identify a provider to deliver the BSL Talking Therapy Service. The Authority considers that the proposed approach is appropriate having regard to the nature of the service, the very specialist skills required, and the need to ensure continuity, quality, and accessibility of provision for a population with very specific communication needs. The contract will be awarded in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, subject to internal governance and approvals. The contract has been awarded to the provider according to the evidence provided to meet all key criteria of PSR Process Most Suitable Provider.

Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 27th March 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0670cf
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025983-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

85121270 - Psychiatrist or psychologist services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£491,036 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Mar 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
18 Mar 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE 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
DERBY
Postcode
DE1 2FS
Post Town
Derby
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF11 Derby
Delivery Location
TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England)

Local Authority
Derby
Electoral Ward
Darley
Westminster Constituency
Derby South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

SIGNHEALTH

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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