Planning

Mental Health Sanctuary Service

NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP-PROCUREMENT SERVICES (HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS TRUST)

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

11 Mar 2026 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, is in the planning stage for a contract to provide an out-of-hours Mental Health Sanctuary Service targeting adults facing emotional distress or crisis. This service will operate daily in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, offering support from a non-clinical environment during evenings and nighttime hours. The planned procurement notice was released on 11th March 2026, with a future notice date set for 26th March 2026. This procurement falls under the health services category and adheres to the Health Services (Provider Selection Regime) (Wales) Regulations 2025, utilising the Most Suitable Provider Process.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for organisations specialising in peer-led mental health support models to expand their service offerings. Ideal candidates are providers with a history of delivering compassionate, grassroot interventions, particularly those capable of managing a community-based facility complete with comprehensive operational oversight. Businesses proficient in engaging with diverse communities and offering transport solutions will be particularly suited to this service requirement. With the NHS Wales focusing on early intervention and crisis care improvements, firms that can demonstrate a robust service delivery model while adapting to fluctuating demand will find ample growth potential through participation in this tender.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Mental Health Sanctuary Service

Notice Description

The contract is for an out-of-hours Mental Health Sanctuary Service for adults in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan experiencing emotional distress or crisis. The service provides a non-clinical safe space offering same-day telephone and face-to-face support, operating daily from 5pm to 1am with appointments from 7pm. Referrals come exclusively through the 111 Press 2 mental health triage service. The provider delivers a peer-led crisis model, manages the premises, ensures appropriate staffing, arranges transport for service users, and provides required performance and outcomes reporting to Cardiff & Vale UHB.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The contract is for the provision of a Mental Health Sanctuary Service designed to support adults aged 17 years and 9 months and over across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan who are experiencing emotional distress, escalating anxiety, or a mental health crisis. The service provides a safe, welcoming, non-clinical environment where individuals can access immediate support outside of traditional service hours, reducing reliance on emergency and acute mental health pathways. Operating seven days a week between 5pm and 1am, with face-to-face appointments from 7pm, the Sanctuary offers both telephone-based and in-person support, enabling individuals to receive timely assistance based on their preferences and level of need. Referrals into the service are made exclusively via the NHS 111 Press 2 mental health triage service, ensuring that every individual accessing the Sanctuary has received an initial professional assessment and is appropriately directed to this community-based alternative to A&E, crisis teams, or police involvement. The service places strong emphasis on early intervention, compassionate listening, de-escalation, and providing a calming space away from the home environment. The provider will deliver a peer-led model utilising support workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, helping to reduce stigma, increase trust, and improve engagement for those who may struggle to access more formal types of mental health care. Under this contract, the provider is responsible for the full operational management of the Sanctuary, including staffing, supervision, safeguarding compliance, and ensuring a workforce that reflects the diversity of the local community. The provider will also manage the premises allocated by the Health Board, ensuring the environment supports recovery-focused practice and offers quiet, comfortable, and emotionally safe surroundings. Free transport must be arranged for any individual who requires assistance travelling to the Sanctuary, ensuring equitable access across the Cardiff and Vale region. The provider must deliver both immediate crisis support and short-term follow-up where appropriate, working closely with local mental health pathways to ensure continuity of care. In addition, the provider will supply regular performance, activity and quality reports, capturing both quantitative data (such as referral volumes, activity levels, demographics and outcomes) and qualitative insights (including patient stories and feedback). The service is expected to respond flexibly to changing levels of demand and participate in monthly review meetings during the first nine months, moving to quarterly contract monitoring thereafter, with ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement forming a core part of service delivery. This Sanctuary Service forms part of Cardiff & Vale University Health Board's commitment to improving crisis care, strengthening early intervention, and offering safe, accessible alternatives to emergency services for individuals in distress.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-kuma6s-162757
Publication Source
Sell2Wales
Latest Notice
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=162757
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F1 - Prior Information 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

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Mar 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
26 Mar 20262 weeks 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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP-PROCUREMENT SERVICES (HOSTED BY 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
CF14 4HH
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Heath
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR596975
    Mental Health Sanctuary Service - The contract is for an out-of-hours Mental Health Sanctuary Service for adults in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan experiencing emotional distress or crisis. The service provides a non-clinical safe space offering same-day telephone and face-to-face support, operating daily from 5pm to 1am with appointments from 7pm. Referrals come exclusively through the 111 Press 2 mental health triage service. The provider delivers a peer-led crisis model, manages the premises, ensures appropriate staffing, arranges transport for service users, and provides required performance and outcomes reporting to Cardiff & Vale UHB.

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-kuma6s-162757-2026-03-11T00:00:00Z",
    "date": "2026-03-11T00:00:00Z",
    "ocid": "ocds-kuma6s-162757",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "org-1",
            "name": "NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)",
            "identifier": {
                "legalName": "NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "2nd Floor, Woodland House, Maes-Y-Coed Road",
                "locality": "Cardiff",
                "region": "UKL22",
                "postalCode": "CF144HH"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Marisa Riley",
                "email": "marisa.riley2@wales.nhs.uk",
                "telephone": "+44 2921501085"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "Body governed by public law",
                        "scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "07",
                        "description": "Health",
                        "scheme": "COFOG"
                    }
                ],
                "url": "http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/"
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "name": "NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)",
        "id": "org-1"
    },
    "planning": {
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "MAR596975",
                "documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
                "title": "Mental Health Sanctuary Service",
                "description": "The contract is for an out-of-hours Mental Health Sanctuary Service for adults in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan experiencing emotional distress or crisis. The service provides a non-clinical safe space offering same-day telephone and face-to-face support, operating daily from 5pm to 1am with appointments from 7pm. Referrals come exclusively through the 111 Press 2 mental health triage service. The provider delivers a peer-led crisis model, manages the premises, ensures appropriate staffing, arranges transport for service users, and provides required performance and outcomes reporting to Cardiff & Vale UHB.",
                "url": "https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR596975",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-kuma6s-162757-tender-162757-CAV-MSPP-(25-26) 322",
        "title": "Mental Health Sanctuary Service",
        "description": "The contract is for an out-of-hours Mental Health Sanctuary Service for adults in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan experiencing emotional distress or crisis. The service provides a non-clinical safe space offering same-day telephone and face-to-face support, operating daily from 5pm to 1am with appointments from 7pm. Referrals come exclusively through the 111 Press 2 mental health triage service. The provider delivers a peer-led crisis model, manages the premises, ensures appropriate staffing, arranges transport for service users, and provides required performance and outcomes reporting to Cardiff & Vale UHB.",
        "status": "planned",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "85100000",
                        "scheme": "CPV"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKL22"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "description": "The contract is for the provision of a Mental Health Sanctuary Service designed to support adults aged 17 years and 9 months and over across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan who are experiencing emotional distress, escalating anxiety, or a mental health crisis. The service provides a safe, welcoming, non-clinical environment where individuals can access immediate support outside of traditional service hours, reducing reliance on emergency and acute mental health pathways. Operating seven days a week between 5pm and 1am, with face-to-face appointments from 7pm, the Sanctuary offers both telephone-based and in-person support, enabling individuals to receive timely assistance based on their preferences and level of need. Referrals into the service are made exclusively via the NHS 111 Press 2 mental health triage service, ensuring that every individual accessing the Sanctuary has received an initial professional assessment and is appropriately directed to this community-based alternative to A&E, crisis teams, or police involvement. The service places strong emphasis on early intervention, compassionate listening, de-escalation, and providing a calming space away from the home environment. The provider will deliver a peer-led model utilising support workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, helping to reduce stigma, increase trust, and improve engagement for those who may struggle to access more formal types of mental health care. Under this contract, the provider is responsible for the full operational management of the Sanctuary, including staffing, supervision, safeguarding compliance, and ensuring a workforce that reflects the diversity of the local community. The provider will also manage the premises allocated by the Health Board, ensuring the environment supports recovery-focused practice and offers quiet, comfortable, and emotionally safe surroundings. Free transport must be arranged for any individual who requires assistance travelling to the Sanctuary, ensuring equitable access across the Cardiff and Vale region. The provider must deliver both immediate crisis support and short-term follow-up where appropriate, working closely with local mental health pathways to ensure continuity of care. In addition, the provider will supply regular performance, activity and quality reports, capturing both quantitative data (such as referral volumes, activity levels, demographics and outcomes) and qualitative insights (including patient stories and feedback). The service is expected to respond flexibly to changing levels of demand and participate in monthly review meetings during the first nine months, moving to quarterly contract monitoring thereafter, with ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement forming a core part of service delivery. This Sanctuary Service forms part of Cardiff & Vale University Health Board's commitment to improving crisis care, strengthening early intervention, and offering safe, accessible alternatives to emergency services for individuals in distress.",
                "status": "planned"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-03-26T00:00:00Z"
        },
        "coveredBy": [
            "GPA"
        ],
        "classification": {
            "id": "85100000",
            "scheme": "CPV"
        },
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "32014L0024",
            "scheme": "CELEX"
        }
    },
    "language": "EN",
    "description": "This is a Provider Selection Regime Wales (PSR Wales) intended approach notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Services (Provider Selection Regime) (Wales) Regulations 2025. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015/Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The award decision makers for this Contract will be the relevant people within Mental Health Clinical Board of the Health Board The intention is to utilise the Most Suitable Provider Process. NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=162757. (WA Ref:162757)",
    "links": [
        {
            "rel": "canonical",
            "href": "https://api.sell2wales.gov.wales/v1?lang=cy/Notice?id=ocds-kuma6s-162757"
        }
    ],
    "noticetype": "OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice"
}