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Communication advice and strategic consultancy services

Velindre University NHS Trust

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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05 Oct 2026 at 09:29

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Velindre University NHS Trust is procuring strategic communications advice and consultancy for its executives and board. The work covers specialist communications and reputational management, including support on sensitive, ongoing issues involving confidential information, stakeholders and public, political and media scrutiny. It also includes communications support for the Trust’s transition to the new Velindre Cancer Centre, a major programme requiring consistent messaging across audiences. The Trust is based in Cardiff, and the procurement identifies delivery in Wales. NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership manages the procurement on the Trust’s behalf. This is a focused communications and public relations requirement, rather than general management consultancy.

The process is complete and the contract has been awarded to Scruffy Dog Public Relations Ltd. The Trust used a below-threshold direct award without competition, proposing continuation of its incumbent supplier’s services. The stated rationale is that the work extends specialist advice already under way and a change of supplier could create continuity, delay, confidentiality and compatibility risks. The award value is £50,000 excluding VAT (£60,000 including VAT). The contract period runs from 16 October 2026 to 14 March 2027; the award was published on 5 October 2026, and contract signature was scheduled for 15 October 2026. There is one lot, marked as suitable for SMEs. The release gives no separate scoring or evaluation criteria; the decision rationale centres on continuity and the supplier’s established knowledge of the Trust’s issues and stakeholders.

For future work of this kind, credible suppliers will need to show strong strategic communications and public relations capability, including senior-level advice to executives and boards. Relevant experience would include managing sensitive reputational issues, handling confidential context, advising through complex stakeholder situations, and maintaining accurate, proportionate and consistent messaging as public, political and media circumstances evolve. Suppliers should be able to demonstrate they can get up to speed quickly, protect confidentiality and respond at pace without disrupting ongoing communications work. Familiarity with healthcare organisations and major service or facility transitions would be pertinent to the Trust’s requirement, particularly communications across varied audiences. This award also shows that continuity and established knowledge of the buyer’s priorities can carry significant weight in its chosen route to market.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Communication advice and strategic consultancy services

Notice Description

This notice is to inform of the intent to direct award a contract for continuation of services to Velindre University NHS Trust incumbent PR supplier. It is proposed that Scruffy Dog PR continues to support the Trust on the basis that the services required are a direct extension of the specialist communications and reputational management support already being provided. The Trust is currently managing a number of ongoing and highly sensitive reputational issues, some of which involve confidential information, complex stakeholder considerations and an evolving public, political and media context. Scruffy Dog PR has developed a detailed understanding of these matters, the associated risks, the Trust's risk appetite, and the careful handling required to ensure that communications remain accurate, proportionate and appropriately aligned with the Trust's position. Changing supplier at this stage would create a material risk of loss of continuity, duplication of effort and delay. A new supplier would need to be fully briefed on the background to the current reputational issues, including highly sensitive contextual information, stakeholder history, live risks and previous communications advice. This would be disproportionate given the pace and sensitivity of the work required and could compromise the Trust's ability to respond quickly, consistently and effectively to emerging issues. In addition, Scruffy Dog PR has an established understanding of the Trust's priorities over the coming months, particularly the communications brief relating to the transition into the new Velindre Cancer Centre in spring 2027. This is a significant strategic programme for the Trust and will require careful, consistent and well-informed communications support across a range of audiences. The supplier's existing knowledge of the Trust, its operating context, stakeholder landscape and current reputational challenges will enable the communications approach to be delivered with the necessary pace, sensitivity and consistency. For these reasons, appointing an alternative supplier at this point would be likely to result in services that are materially different from, and potentially incompatible with, the existing work already undertaken. It would also create disproportionate operational and technical difficulties in maintaining continuity of advice, protecting confidentiality, ensuring consistent messaging and supporting the Trust's ability to manage its communications workload effectively and efficiently. Please note NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust) will manage this procurement on behalf of the contracting authority. Due to having the same identifiers, we're unable to reflect this in the notice options.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078054
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093624-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£50,000 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
16 Oct 2026 - 14 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Velindre University NHS 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
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF15 7QZ
Postcode Area
Cardiff
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Electoral Ward
Taff's Well
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Scruffy Dog Public Relations Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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