Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Admission Prevention and Early Discharge

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

13 Aug 2026 at 16:29

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is procuring Admission Prevention and Early Discharge services for patients across the Essex ICB geographical footprint. The service supports the urgent and community mental health pathway across Mid and South Essex, helping prevent hospital admissions and enable early discharge. It forms part of wider health and community care provision and includes access to personalised and trauma-informed interventions, psychological therapies, physical health checks, medicine management, follow-up care and support to access relevant services. The procurement is for health services, delivered in Essex. The Authority is based at Seax House, Victoria Road South, Chelmsford. The selected supplier is Choice Support, a large organisation based in Maidstone, Kent.

The procurement has reached the award stage under Direct Award Process C of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, using a limited procedure without a prior call for competition. Choice Support was selected for the Admission Prevention and Early Discharge contract, with an active award and contract. The contract was signed on 20 January 2026. It runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, with an option for a further year, and has an aggregate value of £194,768 including VAT. The decision used five equally weighted criteria: quality and innovation, value, integration, collaboration and service sustainability, improving access and reducing health inequalities, and social value. One bid was recorded.

This requirement is relevant to providers of community and mental health services able to prevent admissions and support safe early discharge across a health-system footprint. Credible competitors would need to demonstrate sustained delivery against the NHS service requirements, measurable patient outcomes and an established operating model for urgent and community mental health pathways. Relevant capability includes multidisciplinary mental health provision, personalised and trauma-informed care, psychological therapies, severe mental illness physical health checks, follow-up support and medicine management. Strong integration with primary care, NHS community services and wider statutory and voluntary-sector partners would be important. The assessment also favoured providers able to improve access, address health inequalities, offer patient choice, use local staff and volunteers, and create wider social value through partnership working.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Admission Prevention and Early Discharge

Notice Description

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (herein "the Authority")'s intention to award a contract to Choice Support to deliver Admission Prevention and Early Discharge to the patients within NHS Essex's ICB geographical footprint. The contract will be for 12 months months from 01st April 2026 - 31st March 2027 with an option to extend for an additional year. The aggregate contract value is PS194768 inc VAT. The provider is an existing provider, who is currently satisfying the requirements of the existing contract. The provider has been assessed against the criteria specified for this DAP C process: Quality & Innovation 20%. Value 20%. Integration, Collaboration & Service Sustainability 20%, Access Health Inequalities and Choice 20%; Social Value 20%. Key criteria were specified, and assessment against each criterion was assessed based on the current service delivery model and performance. and the supplier meets all the requirements specified to the satisfaction of the ICB, and it is expected that they will satisfy the requirements of the new contract. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) intends to award a contract for the provision of Admission Prevention and Early Discharge services in to the existing provider, Thurrock & Brentwood Mind following Direct Award Process C under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board, acting as the Relevant Authority, is commissioning these services to support will be provided in line with the NHS Essex ICB Service Restriction Policy: Assisted Conception Commissioning Policy. Further details can be found at II.2.4) Description of the procurement

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Authority intends to award this contract via Direct Award Process C under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is the Relevant Authority undertaking this process. The services comprise the provision of Admission Prevention and Early Discharge Services. The Admission Prevention & Early Discharge (APED) Service, will continues to provide a critical function within the urgent and community mental health pathway across Mid and South Essex. The Provider has been meeting the qualitative indicators specified in the Standard NHS Contract with measured outcomes providing evidence of significant impact. The provider is an existing provider of these services to NHS Essex Integrated Care Board and has demonstrated their ability to deliver the services to the required standard, following assessment against the five key Provider Selection Regime criteria. The contract period is from 01 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 with an option to extend for an additional year. The total aggregate contract value is PS194768 inc VAT.

Procurement Information

This is a Direct Award Process C intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight on Wednesday 26th August 2026. The contract has not yet formally been awarded, this notice serves as an intention to award under PSR. The Authority has undertaken an appropriate and proportionate review of declarations and is satisfied that effective arrangements are in place to identify and manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Where relevant, mitigation measures have been applied to ensure that no conflict is capable of conferring any undue advantage or disadvantage. On this basis, the Authority is satisfied that no conflict of interest has adversely affected, or is capable of adversely affecting, the integrity of the procurement. On this basis, the Authority is satisfied that no conflict of interest has adversely affected, or is capable of a] All five key criteria were utilised in determining the suitability and continuation of the provider. The criteria were applied with equal weighting, comprising: Quality and Innovation (20%) - The provider is currently delivering the existing contract and is satisfying the requirements of the service. Assessment against the specified criteria demonstrated that the provider meets the required standards, and it is expected that they will continue to deliver the service to a satisfactory standard under the new contract. Value (20%) - The provider has been assessed against the specified criteria and has demonstrated their ability to deliver the service in line with the current service delivery model and performance expectations. The contract value reflects an activity-based model, ensuring that payment aligns with the level of service delivered. Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability (20%) - The provider is an existing provider of Mental Health Practitioners in PCNs and SMI Health Checks services and is currently embedded within the system. Their continued delivery supports service continuity and integration across primary care and wider system partners, based on the established delivery model and performance. Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice (20%) - The service provides access to a wide range of interventions, including personalised and trauma-informed care, psychological therapies, physical health checks, and medicine management. The SMI Health Checks element ensures that individuals with severe mental illness receive annual physical health checks, follow-up care, and support to access relevant interventions, improving access and addressing health inequalities. Social Value (20%) - The provider contributes to social value through partnership working across a range of statutory and non-statutory organisations, including NHS community services and primary care, which supports improved access to services. In addition, the provider utilises a local workforce, including both employed staff and volunteers, thereby contributing to the economic and social wellbeing of the local area. The assessment confirmed the provider is currently delivering the existing contract and is satisfying the requirements of the service. Assessment against the specified criteria demonstrated that the provider meets the required standards, and it is expected that they will continue to deliver the service to a satisfactory standard under the new contract. .

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e3eb
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077386-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£194,768 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Jan 20267 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS Essex Integrated Care Board
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Postcode Area
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Choice Support

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.

Loading OCDS record...