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'Function Forward' Mental Health Programme

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

16 Oct 2026 at 14:54

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust bought a community mental health support service for children and young people aged 12–18 whose functional or complex presentations significantly affect daily life. The Function Forward programme brings paediatric, psychological and youth work expertise together to build a shared understanding of symptoms, reduce uncertainty and agree personalised care plans with each young person and their family. The service is intended to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary, biopsychosocial support, rather than a single-discipline intervention. Delivery is centred on Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and is intended to extend across Somerset, with county-wide pathways and improved access for underserved communities forming part of the service aims.

The procurement is complete: Young Somerset was selected and the contract is active. The contract was signed on 15 October 2026, with a stated value of £200,000. The award followed a limited procedure without prior publication of a competition, under the Provider Selection Regime. One supplier submitted a bid. Evaluation placed 80% of the weighting on quality and 20% on price. The stated quality and service considerations included innovation, safe and evidence-informed person-centred care, efficient resource use, collaboration between agencies, service and workforce sustainability, improved access and reduced health inequalities, choice, and social value. This was a single-lot service; the available process data gives no contract duration or end date.

For providers preparing for comparable work from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, this award indicates demand for integrated community mental health support for young people with complex needs, delivered in partnership across paediatric, psychological and youth work disciplines. A credible provider would need to demonstrate safe, evidence-informed and person-centred practice, the ability to develop individual care plans with young people and families, and effective multi-agency collaboration. The buyer also valued service innovation and improvement, sustainable staffing and county-wide pathways, efficient use of resources, and the ability to broaden access for underserved communities while reducing health inequalities. Local partnerships and wider community, workforce and wellbeing benefits were relevant, but secondary to core service quality. The award was made through the Provider Selection Regime rather than an openly advertised competition.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

'Function Forward' Mental Health Programme

Notice Description

Co-ordinated, multidisciplinary and biopsychosocial support for children and young people aged 12-18 with functional or complex presentations that significantly affect their daily functioning.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The aim of Function Forward is to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary and biopsychosocial support for children and young people aged 12-18 with functional or complex presentations that significantly affect their daily functioning. The service will bring together paediatric, psychological and youth work expertise to develop a shared understanding of the young person's symptoms, reduce uncertainty and agree a personalised care plan with the young person and their family. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made by 27 October 2026 via email to carrie-anne.hiscock@somersetft.nhs.uk. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Quality and Innovation (30%) - Weighted highest to ensure the service continues to deliver safe, evidence-informed and person-centred care for children and young people with complex needs while supporting ongoing service development and improvement.

Value (20%) - Weighted to reflect the need for efficient use of resources, reduction of duplication and demonstration of sustainable benefits as the service expands across Somerset.

Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability (20%) - Weighted to emphasise the importance of effective multi-agency working and the development of a sustainable workforce and consistent county-wide pathways.

Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice (20%) - Weighted to support the expansion of services across Somerset, improving access for underserved communities and increasing choice for children, young people and their families.

Social Value (10%) - Weighted to recognise the additional community, workforce and wellbeing benefits delivered through local partnerships, whilst remaining secondary to the core service objectives.

Overall Justification - The weighting structure prioritises high-quality, safe and effective service delivery while maintaining a balanced focus on value, collaboration, sustainability and equitable access across Somerset.

Decision maker: Deputy Head of CAMHS and Paediatrics
No conflicts of interest were identified.

Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0789b1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098038-2026
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
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£200,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
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
Somerset NHS Foundation 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
TAUNTON
Postcode
TA1 5DA
Postcode Area
Taunton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK62 Somerset
Delivery Location
TLK23 Somerset CC
Local Authority
Somerset
Electoral Ward
Bishop's Hull & Taunton West
Westminster Constituency
Taunton and Wellington

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Young Somerset

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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