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Cost of Living and Mental Health Support Programme

Wales & West Utilities Limited

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

29 Jul 2026 at 11:38

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

10 Jun 2026 at 08:45

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Wales & West Utilities Limited is buying an integrated cost-of-living and mental-health support service across England and Wales, working with Cadent Gas, Scotia Gas Networks and Northern Gas Networks. The programme combines national and local delivery. Mind will run a Welfare Benefits Helpline offering expert benefits advice, financial wellbeing support, energy guidance and signposting for people experiencing mental-health problems. Twenty-four local Mind organisations will provide community-based help, including one-to-one support, group sessions, drop-ins and workshops. Support includes welfare and energy advice, wellbeing assistance, hardship grants or vouchers, and access to schemes such as Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and the Priority Services Register. The service also aims to improve awareness of carbon-monoxide safety and energy protection.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to MIND (The National Association for Mental Health) on 22 June 2026 through a direct award for light-touch services, based on claimed unique technical capability and service delivery. The award value is £1,150,000 excluding VAT (£1,380,000 including VAT). The contract period is 7 August 2026 to 31 May 2028. It is a single lot and is above the relevant threshold. The programme is expected to support 8,230 people through the national helpline over 21 months and 6,000 people through local services over one year. The award is active, while the tender is recorded as complete. The procurement was evaluated on technical capability and the ability to deliver the integrated national and local model at scale.

This award indicates demand from major gas distribution network operators for services that combine mental-health expertise with welfare benefits, financial wellbeing and energy support. A credible future competitor would need an established national helpline or comparable advice infrastructure, strong safeguarding and specialist experience supporting people with mental-health problems, including those who may struggle to engage with mainstream services. It would also need a reliable network of locally embedded community partners capable of delivering both intensive one-to-one assistance and lighter-touch group activity. Experience helping vulnerable households access energy-support schemes, hardship assistance and priority services would be relevant, as would the ability to coordinate consistent delivery across England and Wales while adapting support to local communities. VCSE organisations with demonstrable reach, partnerships and outcome-focused service management are particularly well placed.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Cost of Living and Mental Health Support Programme

Notice Description

This collaborative programme will deliver integrated financial, mental health and energy related support across England and Wales through national and local service delivery. At a national level, Mind will deliver a Welfare Benefits Helpline supporting 8,230 individuals over a 21-month period. The helpline provides expert advice to individuals experiencing mental health problems, supporting them to navigate the benefits system improve financial wellbeing, and access additional support where required. Advisors will also be upskilled to provide awareness of the Priority Services Register and signpost individuals to relevant energy support services. At a local level, the programme will deliver community-based support through 24 local Mind organisations, supporting 6,000 individuals over one year. Each local Mind will support 250 people, including 100 individuals receiving in-depth one-to-one support and 150 individuals receiving lighter touch support such as group sessions, drop-ins and workshops. These services will provide tailored, flexible support, including financial guidance, welfare benefits support, energy advice, wellbeing support and access to practical assistance such as hardship grants or vouchers. Individuals will also be supported to access schemes such as Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Priority Services Register registration. The overall objectives are to: - Improve mental health and financial wellbeing outcomes. - Support vulnerable households to manage energy costs. - Increase access to energy safeguarding services, including PSR. - Provide integrated, accessible support across national and local pathways improve awareness of carbon monoxide safety and energy protection.

Procurement Information

This contract is proposed for direct award to Mind on the basis of technical capability and unique service delivery. Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, with an established national infrastructure and a federated network of local Mind organisations delivering community-based support at scale. Mind is uniquely positioned to provide integrated mental health, financial wellbeing, and energy-related support through a combination of a national Welfare Benefits Line and locally embedded services. This dual delivery model enables both nationwide reach and tailored, place-based support, addressing the complex and interrelated challenges of mental health, poverty, and fuel poverty. The organisations specialist expertise in supporting individuals experiencing mental health problems; particularly those facing barriers such as stigma, low confidence and difficulty engaging with services, ensures effective engagement with vulnerable households who are unlikely to access mainstream energy advice or support independently. Mind's established partnerships, national helpline infrastructure, and extensive local delivery network mean that no alternative provider is able to deliver this integrated, mental health-led model at the required scale and depth across all participating GDN regions. On this basis, Mind represents the only provider capable of delivering the required outcomes, ensuring consistent, accessible and effective support for vulnerable customers while maximising impact across the network.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b14b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071616-2026
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
VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80330000 - Safety education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,150,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 Jul 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
7 Aug 2026 - 31 May 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Wales & West Utilities Limited
Additional Buyers

CADENT GAS LIMITED

NORTHERN GAS NETWORKS LIMITED

SCOTIA GAS NETWORKS LIMITED

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
COLTON LEEDS
Postcode
NP10 8FZ
Postcode Area
Newport
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL54 Monmouthshire and Newport
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Newport
Electoral Ward
Tredegar Park and Marshfield
Westminster Constituency
Newport West and Islwyn

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH)

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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