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Feel Good Suffolk AI and Digital Offer Development

Suffolk County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

27 Jul 2026 at 12:14

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council’s Public Health and Communities service is exploring an AI-enabled digital solution for Feel Good Suffolk, a lifestyle service helping residents stop smoking, manage a healthy weight and increase physical activity. The work is a digital and software development service covering improvements to the service’s digital front door. Potential functionality includes a chatbot within the existing website, evidence-based information and service navigation, personalised pathways, predictions about engagement and outcomes, and tailored prompts and follow-up to help maintain behaviour change. The solution is intended to improve user engagement and access, provide personalised and accessible support, and generate data-driven insights. Delivery will support Feel Good Suffolk services for residents in Suffolk.

This procurement is at the planning stage and is currently soft market testing, not an invitation to tender. The Council expects to use the market responses to shape a future procurement strategy, including delivery models, technical options, implementation considerations and indicative costs. Suppliers were invited to submit voluntary expressions of interest by 16 August 2026, with further engagement potentially including presentations and clarification discussions. A future notice is expected on 15 October 2026. The anticipated initial pilot is for up to 12 months from 1 January to 31 December 2027, with an option to extend by up to six months, ending no later than 30 June 2028. The description gives an approximate pilot budget of £113,000; the stated estimated value is £169,500 excluding VAT (£203,400 including VAT). There is one planned lot, suitable for SMEs.

This will suit technology businesses able to design, develop and support AI-enabled digital health or behaviour-change services, particularly suppliers combining chatbot development, website integration, personalisation, analytics and ongoing user engagement tools. Strong candidates are likely to demonstrate experience delivering accessible digital services for public or health-related users, with the ability to provide evidence-based information and measurable support for smoking cessation, healthy weight management or physical activity. The Council is looking for practical delivery approaches and technical options that can operate within a pilot and produce useful data-driven insights. Suppliers should be prepared to address data protection, safeguarding and ethical AI requirements, as well as implementation and support. The early market engagement is useful for businesses wishing to help shape the eventual specification and procurement strategy.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Feel Good Suffolk AI and Digital Offer Development

Notice Description

Suffolk County Council (Public Health and Communities) is undertaking soft market testing to inform a potential future procurement of an AI-enabled digital solution to support the Feel Good Suffolk (FGS) service. FGS is a lifestyle service supporting residents to stop smoking, manage a healthy weight and increase physical activity. The current digital offer is primarily static and does not provide personalised, adaptive support to users. The Council is exploring opportunities to enhance the digital front door through the introduction of an AI-enabled solution which may include: * A chatbot embedded within the existing FGS website to support user navigation, provide evidence-based information and improve access to services * AI-driven functionality to support pathway personalisation, including predicting user engagement, adherence and outcomes * Ongoing digital support to maintain behaviour change through tailored follow-up, prompts and engagement tools The proposed solution should support improved user engagement, provide personalised and accessible support, generate data-driven insights and align with relevant data protection, safeguarding and ethical AI requirements. This soft market testing exercise is exploratory and non-evaluative. It is intended to inform the Council's understanding of market capability, delivery models, timescales and indicative costs within an anticipated budget envelope of approximately PS113,000 for an initial pilot period of up to 12 months. Subject to future requirements and approvals, there may be an option to extend the contract for up to a further 6 months. This notice does not constitute a call for competition or a commitment to procure.

Planning Information

Potential suppliers are invited to participate in a soft market testing exercise by completing an Expression of Interest response available via the following link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/s2c7brgVZH Deadline for responses: 16/08/2026 This engagement aims to: • understand market capability and available solutions • explore delivery approaches and technical options • gather indicative costs and implementation considerations • inform the development of a future procurement strategy • identify potential suppliers that may be able to deliver the required services The Council may undertake further market engagement activities, which could include supplier presentations, clarification discussions and/or wider engagement sessions. Participation is voluntary and will not influence any future procurement process.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d42e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070741-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£169,500 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Oct 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Suffolk County 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
IPSWICH
Postcode
IP1 2BX
Postcode Area
Ipswich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC
Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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