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SPS-02366 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Welfare Services to Scottish Central Government

Scottish Prison Service

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

14 Oct 2026 at 16:14

Planning Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Scottish Prison Service is planning a collaborative Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for around 40 Scottish public sector organisations, supporting a combined workforce of about 34,000 employees. The service is intended to provide confidential help with personal and work-related issues affecting health, wellbeing, attendance or performance. It includes telephone counselling and emotional support, information and signposting, support for carers, advice for managers, structured counselling through face-to-face, telephone and digital channels, specialist referrals, and trauma support. Some partner organisations also require welfare services, including crisis intervention, home visits where appropriate, advocacy and help facilitating meetings. Services will be delivered across Scotland. The Scottish Prison Service is leading the procurement for itself and other eligible public bodies.

The procurement is at the planning stage: the buyer has expressed an intention to procure, but there is no invitation to tender yet. The Scottish Prison Service intends to award a framework and expects to publish a contract notice on 14 December 2026, followed by tender documents and evaluation against the invitation to tender. This is an indicative publication date, not a deadline for suppliers to respond. The planned process is presented as one lot. No estimated contract value, budget, contract duration, eligibility requirements or evaluation criteria are stated in the available procurement details. The framework is intended to serve the participating organisations, with the wider eligible public bodies described by the buyer also able to be covered.

This planned framework is relevant to providers able to deliver employee assistance and workplace wellbeing services at scale across a varied Scottish public sector workforce. Strong fit would require confidential counselling and emotional support across telephone, face-to-face and digital channels, alongside information, advice and signposting, carer support and management guidance. Providers with specialist referral networks and trauma-response capability, including a dedicated helpline and post-incident support, should also be well placed. For the welfare element, relevant experience includes crisis intervention, advocacy, home visits where appropriate and supporting individuals in meetings. Suppliers will need to handle sensitive employee information while providing management information under agreed governance and confidentiality arrangements. The service is intended to support employee resilience and give organisations information for wellbeing initiatives and service evaluation; the buyer has not yet set out accreditation or formal capacity thresholds.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

SPS-02366 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Welfare Services to Scottish Central Government

Notice Description

SPS is leading a collaborative procurement on behalf of approximately 40 Scottish public sector organisations (Collaborative Partners), representing a combined workforce of approximately 34,000 employees, to secure the provision of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). The Services are intended to support employees by providing access to confidential advice, guidance and supportive interventions to assist with personal and work-related issues that may impact health, wellbeing, attendance or performance. The required Services include, but are not limited to: -Telephone counselling and emotional support services; -Information, advice and signposting services; -Support and advice for carers; -Management support services, including consultation and guidance for managers; -Structured counselling interventions, delivered through face-to-face, telephone and digital channels as appropriate; -Referral arrangements to specialist support services where required; and -Trauma support services, including access to a dedicated trauma helpline and specialist post-traumatic incident support for employees affected by actual or potential exposure to traumatic events. In addition, there is a requirement to provide Welfare Services to a number of the Collaborative Partners. The Welfare Service shall include crisis intervention, welfare support services (including home visits where appropriate), advocacy services, and support in facilitating meetings on behalf of individuals where required. The Welfare Service is intended to provide both direct support to employees experiencing personal, health, wellbeing or workplace difficulties and management information reporting to Human Resources representatives, in accordance with agreed governance arrangements and applicable confidentiality requirements. The Services are expected to support the health, wellbeing and resilience of employees, whilst providing Collaborative Partners with access to appropriate management information to inform organisational wellbeing initiatives and service evaluation.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The SPS will commence this procurement process in good faith and with the intention of awarding a framework. Following publication of the Contract Notice, an Invitation to Tender (ITT) including the Single Procurement Document (Scotland) (SPD) will be published by SPS and will be made available to bidders on Public Contract Scotland-Tender (PCS-T). Tender responses will then be evaluated by the SPS in accordance with the ITT

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0787e9
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097178-2026
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

85312400 - Welfare services not delivered through residential institutions

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Dec 20262 months to go
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
Scottish Prison Service
Additional Buyers

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service

Scottish Government

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH12 9DJ
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
Drum Brae/Gyle
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh West

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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