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NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems Services for NHS Essex ICB

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

01 Oct 2026 at 18:34

Award Notice
Tender

06 May 2026 at 18:01

Tender Notice
Planning

23 Mar 2026 at 18:02

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board commissioned an integrated service combining NHS Talking Therapies for people with depression and anxiety, and psychological therapies for people with severe mental health problems. The service is intended to provide accessible, person-centred care across Essex, with consistent delivery and partnership working across the wider health and social care system. It includes NICE-recommended, evidence-based therapies, using a stepped approach for depression and anxiety and tailored interventions for conditions including psychosis, complex emotional needs or personality disorder, bipolar disorder and eating disorders. The aims include earlier access, improved recovery and resilience, reduced health inequalities, better patient experience and communication, and less reliance on crisis and inpatient care. The work is delivered across the Essex health economy.

The competitive procurement has been awarded to Vita Health Solutions Ltd, which ranked first among four compliant bidders. The contract was signed on 18 September 2026. Its initial three-year term runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with an option to extend by up to two years, to 31 March 2032. The awarded value for the initial term is £93,177,260; the maximum value over five years is £156,223,810. The process used an open competition under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. Evaluation weighted technical quality at 90% and commercial price at 10%, considering delivery model and service delivery, integration and improvement, quality assurance, workforce and mobilisation, access and inclusion, digital innovation, social value, financial sustainability and value for money. The winner scored 81.01% overall, including 71.10% for quality.

For suppliers considering comparable future work for NHS Essex, this award demonstrates demand for a large, integrated mental health service spanning both common anxiety and depression and severe mental health conditions across Essex. Credible providers need the clinical capability to deliver NICE-recommended psychological therapies, alongside a flexible service model that supports timely access, personalisation, recovery and consistent provision across the area. Strong partnership working with the wider health and social care system is important, as are plans to improve access and reduce health inequalities. The evaluation also put substantial emphasis on quality and innovation, service integration and sustainability, workforce and capacity planning, mobilisation, performance and quality assurance, digital transformation, social value and financial sustainability. The successful bidder achieved the highest technical score and passed the basic selection requirements, showing that a competitive offer needs both demonstrable service quality and a sound commercial case.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NHS Talking Therapies and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems Services for NHS Essex ICB

Notice Description

This is a Contract Award Notice (Intention to Award) communicating NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board 's intention to award a public contract for provision of this 'NHS Talking Therapies (NHS TT) and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems (PT SMHP) services (the Service). The process will be conducted in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The proposed contract term is from 01st April 2027 - 31st March 2030, with the option to extend for a maximum of 24 months, until 31st March 2032.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new NHS Talking Therapies (NHS TT) and Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems (PT SMHP) services (the Service) to the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Vita Health Group. Approximate lifetime value of the contract: At the point of publication of the PIN, the Authority proposed that the aggregate contract value is PS94,118,443 pound sterling for the 3-year contract term (01st April 2027 - 31st March 2030). The financial envelope which acted as an affordability cap for the purposes of the procurement was based on the initial 3-year contract term. The maximum total contract value over the 5-year period (where optional extension provision is enacted) is PS156,223,810 pound sterling. The Proposed Contract for the first three years has been awarded at PS93,177,260. The Proposed Contract to be entered into by the Authority and the Preferred Bidder will be based on the NHS Standard Contract 2026/27 (full-length) and all subsequent variations thereof from time to time during the contract term. Services: NHS Talking Therapies (formally known as IAPT): The new service will provide a single integrated NHS Talking Therapies which should be accessible, person-centred, and integrated within the wider health system. This will support improvement in service provision, reduce health inequalities, improve patient experience, communication and waiting times for patients. Flexible provider, Partnership working, consistent service delivery across Essex. The aims of the delivery of the Service include: Improve Mental Health & Wellbeing, Ensure Equitable Access, Support Early Intervention & Prevention, Promote Patient Choice & Personalisation, Enhance Recovery & Long-Term Resilience, Integrate with Wider Health & Social Care Services, Deliver NICE-approved, evidence-based psychological therapies for people with depression and anxiety disorders using an integrated but stepped approach to care, appropriate to the needs of those people accessing the service. The new PT-SMHP service will ensure that individuals with severe mental health conditions receive timely, effective, and person-centred psychological interventions. By focusing on accessibility, integration, and recovery, the service can enhance quality of life, support long-term stability, and reduce demand on crisis and inpatient care. Flexible provider, Partnership working, consistent service delivery across Essex. To provide better quality care and improved outcomes through the delivery of NICE-recommended psychological therapies for people with severe mental health problems; to increase and ensure timely access to evidence-based psychological therapies, as recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), in order to improve outcomes for people with a diagnosis of psychosis, complex emotional needs/'personality disorder', bipolar disorder or eating disorder; to promote recovery, stability, and independence - Support patients in developing coping mechanisms, resilience, and skills for independent living and self-management of their condition. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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. See Additional information VI.3

Options: The proposed contract term is from 01st April 2027 - 31st March 2030, with the option to extend for a maximum of 24 months, until 31st March 2032.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067205
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093056-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£203,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£156,223,810 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£93,177,260 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
17 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
1 May 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 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 Essex Integrated Care Board
Additional Buyers

NHS Mid and South 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
Postcode Area
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Vita Health Solutions Ltd

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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