---
title: "Communications and Engagement Support Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-036646"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-036646"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036646.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036646.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
published: "2022-09-06"
---

# Communications and Engagement Support Services

Buyer: NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-036646

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## Summary

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, in response to a recent CQC inspection and improvement plan, has completed the award of a contract for "Communications and Engagement Support Services". The procurement method used was a limited tender with an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition. The Trust urgently required external support to deliver strategic communications and engagement services involving crisis communications, strategic communications, tactical communications, and advice on reshaping internal communications. The awarded contract of GBP 161,280 was signed with Hood & Woolf Limited on 6th September 2022.

This tender offers opportunities for businesses specializing in development consultancy services to work with the NHS Trust. Companies experienced in providing strategic communications and engagement support services in the healthcare sector would be well-suited to compete. The procurement process aimed to address urgent needs identified in response to critical inspection outcomes. For businesses looking to grow through public procurement contracts, understanding the specific expertise required by the buyer organisation and the urgent nature of the project are key factors in preparing competitive bids.

## Notice

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, working with NHS England as part of the Trust's response to a recent CQC inspection and improvement plan, requires external support to deliver a programme of communications and engagement support services.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Trust requires support and development services with four clear elements of support: crisis communications, strategic communications, tactical communications, and advice on re-shaping and developing the internal communications function. The work will provide the Trust with fixed-term, strategic communications and engagement expertise in order to rapidly improve the management of reactive and proactive communications with the complex mapping of external stakeholders and staff working across the Trust's 50 sites, to help engage with a greater mass of clinical and corporate staff. The timescales for this work preclude the ability to undertake a competitive procurement process, due to the urgent need for works to commence, and are for a very specific project agreed with, and supported by, NHS England as part of a response package to a recent CQC inspection.

### Procurement Information

As per section 32 (2c) of the Public Contract Regulations, the Trust is awarding works where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with. The timescales for this work preclude the ability to undertake a competitive procurement process, due to the urgent need for works to commence, and are for a very specific project agreed with NHS England as the result of a recent CQC inspection. The request to contract with the identified partner is supported by NHS England, and has been approved via the Consultancy Expenditure Business Case approval process as part of the Trust's immediate improvement action plan.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024983-2022 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Sep 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 5 Sep 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £161,280 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| Locality | NORWICH |
| Post town | Norwich |
| Postcode | NR6 5BE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH5 Norfolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk |
| Local authority | Broadland |
| Electoral ward | Hellesdon North West |
| Westminster constituency | Norwich North |
| Delivery location | TLH East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HOOD & WOOLF |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73220000 - Development consultancy services

## Release History

- 6 Sep 2022 at 14:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024983-2022

## Notice URLs

- https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-036646. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-036646.json.