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Student Counselling Service

University of Lincoln

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

09 Sep 2026 at 15:32

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Lincoln appointed a provider for a student counselling service. The requirement covers 24/7 student counselling as a high-risk, student-facing service, supporting the university’s wider responsibilities for student wellbeing, mental health, safeguarding, risk management and suicide prevention. It is intended to support the University’s Mental Health Charter and relevant statutory requirements. The procurement is for services, including counselling and guidance, delivered for students in Lincoln. The buyer is the University of Lincoln, a public authority and higher education institution. The service requires an organisation able to provide continuous access and to manage sensitive student support within a university setting, linking counselling provision with wider wellbeing, safeguarding and risk-management arrangements.

This procurement has been awarded and the tender is complete. The University of Lincoln used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition, under the light-touch regime. Health Assured Ltd was selected as the supplier for the single lot. The contract was signed on 6 August 2026 and runs from 16 September 2026 to 16 September 2029. Its value is £265,500 excluding VAT, or £318,600 including VAT. The award and contract are recorded as active. The requirement was evaluated through the direct-award route rather than a competitive tender, so no competitive scoring basis is stated. The contract covers the full student counselling service described above and is below the relevant threshold.

This outcome identifies a recurring institutional need for a specialist provider capable of delivering round-the-clock counselling to university students. Competitors would need credible capacity for continuous service coverage, experience handling high-risk and sensitive student-facing cases, and robust arrangements for mental-health support, safeguarding, risk management and suicide-prevention responsibilities. They would also need to show how counselling integrates with a university’s wider student-wellbeing service and supports its Mental Health Charter and statutory duties. Health Assured Ltd, the appointed supplier, is recorded as an SME, indicating that the requirement is not confined to the largest organisations. Providers with established guidance and counselling capability, suitable escalation and safeguarding processes, and the operational resilience to support students continuously would be best placed to pursue this buyer’s future requirement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Student Counselling Service

Notice Description

This contract is being awarded as a below threshold contract under the light touch regime, as describe within Section 9 of the Procurement Act. The University is appointing this supplier to provide 24/7 student counselling services, which is a high-risk student-facing service that is linked to the University's wider duties around student wellbeing, mental health, safeguarding, risk management and suicide prevention. It's aim is to help the University's Mental Health Charter and meet the relevant statutory requirements.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f5db
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085480-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85312310 - Guidance services

85312320 - Counselling services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£265,500 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
16 Sep 2026 - 16 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
University of Lincoln
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LINCOLN
Postcode
LN6 7TS
Postcode Area
Lincoln
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF3 Lincolnshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF30 Lincolnshire CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Lincoln
Electoral Ward
Boultham
Westminster Constituency
Lincoln

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Health Assured

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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