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NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL - PROVISION OF NICOTINE FREE MEDICINES FOR THE COUNCIL STOP SMOKING SERVICES

North Northamptonshire Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

26 Oct 2026 at 10:27

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

17 Jul 2026 at 16:33

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

24 Apr 2026 at 16:08

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North Northamptonshire Council commissioned an integrated online pharmacy service for its Stop Smoking Service. The provider assesses eligible residents referred by the Council, prescribes nicotine-free smoking cessation medicines under a Patient Group Direction, dispenses them and delivers them directly to clients. The medicines are Varenicline and Cytisinicline. The service is intended to improve access to evidence-based help to stop smoking, increase quit rates and reduce smoking-related health inequalities across North Northamptonshire. It combines clinical assessment, prescribing, pharmacy dispensing and home delivery in one service, rather than a medicines-only supply. The work is delivered for residents in North Northamptonshire.

The procurement is complete: Ashtons Hospital Pharmacy Services Limited was selected and the contract was signed. The Council used an open procedure, with one lot and one provider. The award date was 17 July 2026, and the contract was signed on 29 September 2026. The initial contract runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2029, with two optional 12-month extensions, subject to performance, continued need, funding and Council approval; the maximum period ends 31 March 2031. The awarded value is £937,923, including both extension options; the initial 30-month term is valued at £521,068. Bids were evaluated on quality (70%) and price (30%). Five bids were received, all from SMEs.

The award shows demand for a single supplier able to provide an end-to-end smoking cessation pharmacy service for North Northamptonshire residents. A credible competitor would need to combine online access and clinical assessment with the capability to prescribe under a Patient Group Direction, dispense Varenicline and Cytisinicline, and deliver medicines directly to clients. The requirement is broader than supplying pharmaceutical products: bidders need the clinical, pharmacy, digital-service and fulfilment capacity to manage referrals from the Council’s Stop Smoking Service. The Council weighted quality more heavily than price, so a strong future competitor would need to demonstrate a reliable integrated service and its ability to support access to treatment and smoking cessation outcomes, alongside a competitive commercial offer. SMEs can compete: all five bids in this procurement came from SMEs.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL - PROVISION OF NICOTINE FREE MEDICINES FOR THE COUNCIL STOP SMOKING SERVICES

Notice Description

North Northamptonshire Council ("the Council") conducted a procurement exercise through an Open Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 for the provision of Nicotine Free Medicines for the Council Stop Smoking Service. The procurement sought a single provider to deliver an integrated online pharmacy service for eligible residents referred through the Council's Stop Smoking Service, including clinical assessment, prescribing under a Patient Group Direction (PGD), dispensing and direct-to-client delivery of Varenicline and Cytisinicline. The service supports the Council's public health objectives by improving access to evidence-based smoking cessation medicines, increasing quit rates and reducing smoking-related health inequalities across North Northamptonshire. The Council proposes to enter into one (1) Contract for an initial period of thirty (30) months with the successful Supplier, with options to extend by up to twelve (12) months plus twelve (12) months, subject to satisfactory performance, funding availability and approval through the Council's governance processes

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract will run for an initial term of 2.5 years from 1st October 2026, with the option to extend for two additional 12-month periods, subject to performance, continued need, and available funding. These optional extensions allow the contract to align with the funding from the ringfenced Stop Smoking Services allocation within the Core Public Health Grant allocation.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068afa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100868-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

33140000 - Medical consumables

33600000 - Pharmaceutical products

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£937,921 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£937,921 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£937,923 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£937,923 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
5 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Jul 20263 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
2030-08-01

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
North Northamptonshire Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CORBY
Postcode
NN17 1QG
Postcode Area
Northampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF25 North Northamptonshire
Delivery Location
TLF25 North Northamptonshire
Local Authority
North Northamptonshire
Electoral Ward
Corby West
Westminster Constituency
Corby and East Northamptonshire

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ASHTONS HOSPITAL PHARMACY SERVICES LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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