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Intensive and Assertive Outreach Service: Recovery and Outreach Sub-Contracted Element

NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

31 Jul 2026 at 11:15

Tender Notice
Planning

18 Jun 2026 at 16:25

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is procuring an Intensive and Assertive Outreach Service: Recovery and Outreach Sub-Contracted Element across Norfolk and Suffolk. This is a community-based health service for people with serious mental illness who have complex needs or elevated risk, and who may struggle to engage with traditional mental health services. The sub-contractor will work as an integrated partner with the Trust’s clinical teams, providing assertive outreach, practical daily-living support, community participation and social inclusion, access to healthcare, non-clinical medication support, substance misuse and harm reduction, family and carer support, and contributions to risk management. Delivery will take place mainly in the community, including people’s homes, community settings, hospitals and prisons where required, across urban, rural and coastal communities, including for people placed outside their immediate locality.

The process has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through a Competitive Provider Selection Regime process using an open procedure. Submissions are electronic and must be made by 6 September 2026 at 23:59. The award period begins on 7 September 2026 at 08:00, when bids are also scheduled to open, and bids must remain valid until 31 December 2026 at 23:59. The contract is valued at £4,524,000 and runs from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2033. It has an initial 40-month term to 31 March 2030, with optional extensions of two years plus one year. The procurement has two lots, with a maximum of two lots awardable to one supplier; the second lot concerns pre-market engagement for shaping the specification. Providers must pass the Basic Selection Criteria, and variants are not allowed.

This opportunity suits organisations experienced in intensive community mental health outreach, particularly voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise providers able to complement NHS clinical teams with practical and relational support. Strong candidates will be able to engage people who are disengaged, hard to reach or living with complex social circumstances, sustain trust over extended periods and provide frequent contact, including daily visits where required by care plans. The service requires flexible outreach in homes, community locations and other settings, with the ability to accompany people to appointments and use informal or doorstep engagement. Suppliers should have the operational capacity, safeguarding and partnership arrangements to cover urban, rural and coastal areas across Norfolk and Suffolk, including service users outside their immediate locality. Experience supporting recovery, social inclusion, harm reduction, carers and risk management is directly relevant.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Intensive and Assertive Outreach Service: Recovery and Outreach Sub-Contracted Element

Notice Description

The contract for services will be awarded in the form of the NHS Standard Sub-contract. This Service is for the provision of an Intensive and Assertive Outreach (I&A) Service across Norfolk and Suffolk. The Service is designed to deliver intensive, proactive, and flexible community-based care for individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) who present with elevated levels of complexity and risk and for whom engagement with traditional mental health services is a challenge. Delivery will be through a blended model between Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) as the Head Provider and Sub-Contractors (encouraging Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) interest), ensuring a comprehensive offer that integrates clinical expertise with community-based engagement and recovery support. The Sub-Contractor will play a critical role in enabling engagement, promoting recovery, and addressing the wider determinants of health, working as a fully integrated partner alongside NSFT clinical teams. The Sub-Contractor(s) contribution is central to achieving the core ambition of the service: No individual is excluded from care due to disengagement, complexity, or social circumstances. Assertive Engagement and Outreach The Sub-Contractor must: * Deliver proactive, persistent outreach, particularly where individuals are disengaged * Provide frequent contact, including daily visits in line with the care plan * Engage individuals in a variety of settings, including: - Their home - Community settings - Places where they feel safe - In-reaching into hospitals or prisons if required to establish engagement and promote continuity of care * Use creative and flexible engagement approaches, including: - Doorstep engagement - Accompaniment to appointments - Informal relational contact - Demonstrate the ability to sustain engagement over extended periods, particularly where trust is low The sub-contractor(s) will provide: * Assertive Engagement and Outreach * Practical Support for Daily Living * Community Participation and Social Inclusion * Support to Access Healthcare (Including Mental Health Care) * Medication Support (Non-Clinical) * Substance Misuse and Harm Reduction * Carer and Family Support * Contribution to Risk Management Sub-Contractors will work mainly in the Community travelling to Service Users and must demonstrate their ability to deliver outreach across urban, rural and coastal communities, including service users placed outside their immediate locality. The service would be well suited for providers in the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise sector. The full service specification, along with the full set of procurement documents, is available upon request by contacting ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk

Lot Information

Lot 1

This procurement will follow the Competitive Provider Selection Regime (PSR) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of The Procurement Act 2023 Regulations do not apply to this award. The full set of procurement documents (the tender pack) can be obtained on request by contacting ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk

Options: The contract will be awarded with an initial term of 40 months (01 December 2026 - 31 March 2030) with an optional extension period of 2 + 1 years

Lot 2

This notice is intended to notify interested parties of the opportunity to attend a pre-market engagement event to discuss and contribute to the drafting of the service specification ahead of commencing a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Competitive process for Intensive and Assertive Outreach Service: Recovery and Outreach Sub-Contracted Element. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Jo Zenzer jo.zenzer@nsft.nhs.uk, copying in contractsteam@nsft.nhs.uk to request a formal invitation, venue and meeting details for the event (invitation only). Pre-market Engagement event is scheduled on Wednesday 8th July 2026 at 9.30 - 11.30am.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b872
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072615-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£4,524,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£4,524,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
31 Jul 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
6 Sep 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
1 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Dec 2026 - 31 Mar 2033 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active, Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
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, TLH15 Norwich and East Norfolk, TLH16 North and West Norfolk, TLH17 Breckland and South Norfolk
Local Authority
Norwich
Electoral Ward
Lakenham
Westminster Constituency
Norwich South

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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