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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 01:00

OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Scottish Prison Service is leading a joint procurement for an employee assistance programme and welfare support services for Scottish public sector employers. The programme is intended to give employees confidential advice and support for personal and work-related issues affecting health, wellbeing, attendance or performance. Services include telephone counselling, emotional support, information and signposting, advice for carers and managers, and structured counselling through face-to-face, telephone and digital channels. It also requires referrals to specialist support and trauma services, including a dedicated helpline and post-incident support. Welfare provision for some participating organisations adds crisis intervention, home visits where appropriate, advocacy and help facilitating meetings. The service should also provide management information to HR under agreed governance and confidentiality arrangements. Delivery is across Scotland.

This is at the planning stage: the Scottish Prison Service has stated its intention to procure the services through a framework, but no invitation to tender has been issued. The authority expects to publish a contract notice and tender documents on 14 December 2026; this is an indicative publication date, not a bid deadline. The procurement is planned as a single lot. The Scottish Prison Service is leading the process for around 40 public sector organisations, with a combined workforce of approximately 34,000. The stated aim is to evaluate tender responses against requirements in the future tender documents. No procurement budget or estimated contract value is stated in this planning information.

This should suit providers able to deliver a broad employee assistance service across multiple Scottish public bodies, combining confidential counselling and practical welfare support. Suppliers will need to be able to provide support through telephone, face-to-face and digital channels, with appropriate referral pathways to specialist services and capacity for trauma response, including urgent support following traumatic incidents. Welfare capability is also relevant: the service may involve crisis intervention, advocacy, home visits and support with meetings, alongside management guidance and HR reporting. The scale calls for a service that can support a workforce of around 34,000 across approximately 40 organisations. Providers should be prepared to work within agreed governance and confidentiality arrangements and to demonstrate how management information can inform wellbeing initiatives and service evaluation. The stated scope does not set out specific accreditations or minimum experience requirements.

How relevant is this notice?

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-r6ebe6-0000841127
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT566681
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

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

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT566681
    SPS-02366 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Welfare Services to Scottish Central Government - 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.

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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