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Specialist Support Service for People Bereaved by Suicide

Kent County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

04 Aug 2026 at 12:18

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kent County Council is planning a countywide Specialist Bereavement Support Service for people affected by suicide across Kent and Medway. The service will provide timely, accessible, trauma-informed emotional and practical support to family members, friends, colleagues, witnesses and professionals. It is a community health and wider health service, delivered through face-to-face, telephone and virtual support. The provider will work with the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme, the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, and partners across health, community and voluntary services. The council intends to appoint a single provider. Delivery will take place across Kent, with effective referral pathways involving health, education, policing, coronial services and voluntary-sector organisations.

This procurement is at the planning stage and currently concerns market engagement to help shape the future service; it is not an invitation to tender. Kent County Council expects to use an open tender procedure for the planned services procurement. The anticipated contract start date is 1 April 2027, with an initial three-year term and an option to extend for up to two further years. The estimated contract value is £650,000 including the stated contract scope. A future notice is expected on 31 August 2026. The service is planned as one countywide lot, covering emotional and practical bereavement support, referral pathways, outcomes measurement and performance reporting.

This will suit a specialist bereavement, suicide-prevention, mental-health or community-support provider able to operate a flexible countywide service for people with varied and potentially complex needs. Relevant organisations are likely to include charities, social enterprises, voluntary-sector providers, health and community organisations, or partnerships with the reach to provide face-to-face, telephone and virtual support. Strong trauma-informed practice, accessible service design and practical as well as emotional support capability will be important. Providers should be prepared to work across health, education, policing, coronial and voluntary-sector networks, maintain reliable referral routes, measure outcomes and report performance. The council is seeking innovative, high-quality support that builds on the current model and strengthens partnership working.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Specialist Support Service for People Bereaved by Suicide

Notice Description

Kent County Council, on behalf of the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme and in partnership with the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, is seeking market engagement to inform the future procurement of a Specialist Bereavement Support Service for people affected by suicide across Kent and Medway. The service will provide timely, accessible and trauma-informed emotional and practical support to individuals impacted by suicide, including family members, friends, colleagues, witnesses and professionals. The future provider will be expected to deliver a flexible countywide service through a combination of face-to-face, telephone and virtual support, working closely with health, community and voluntary sector partners. The contract is anticipated to commence on 1 April 2027 for an initial period of three years, with the option to extend for up to two further years. Kent County Council welcomes engagement from organisations interested in helping to shape the future service and deliver innovative, high-quality support for residents affected by suicide bereavement.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Kent County Council, on behalf of the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme and in partnership with the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, intends to procure a single provider to deliver a countywide Specialist Bereavement Support Service for people affected by suicide. The service will provide timely, trauma-informed emotional and practical support to individuals bereaved or impacted by suicide, including family members, friends, colleagues, witnesses and professionals. The provider will be required to deliver a flexible and accessible service through a combination of face-to-face, telephone and virtual support, maintain effective referral pathways with key partners across health, education, policing, coronial services and the voluntary sector, and support a minimum of 250 individuals per year. The new service will build on the strengths of the current model while strengthening accessibility, partnership working, outcomes measurement and performance reporting to ensure high-quality support is available across Kent and Medway from 1st April 2027.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06db1c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/073653-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
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

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£650,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Aug 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
31 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Kent 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
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME14 1XQ
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
Penenden Heath
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

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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