---
title: "DHSC: OHID: National Breast Feeding Helpline 2026"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-052446"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-052446"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-052446.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-052446.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE"
published: "2026-04-30"
---

# DHSC: OHID: National Breast Feeding Helpline 2026

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-052446

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## Summary

The Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) is currently in the tender stage for the "National Breast Feeding Helpline 2026" project, seeking an external provider to manage the helpline services across the United Kingdom. The contract, valued at £3,198,500 for the initial term and potentially up to £5,598,500 including extensions, entails managing phone and digital support, user guidance, and maintaining a public website to ensure accessible assistance on breastfeeding. This procurement, set to conclude its tender phase by 4th June 2026, operates under an open procedure, with a planned contract period starting on 1st July 2026 and ending on 31st March 2029. The procurement targets services in guidance and call centre operations within regions including UKC, UKD, UKF, and others. The deadline for submitting tenders is set for 17:00 on 4th June 2026.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs). Firms experienced in managing call centres or offering digital guidance services are well-suited due to the emphasis on non-judgemental advice and comprehensive support systems. Moreover, businesses with a strategic focus on digital engagement or those holding cyber security certifications will find the criteria aligned with their operational capacities. Winning this contract could enhance a company's profile in the public sector while contributing to policy objectives concerning public health and family support services.

## Notice

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is seeking to commission an external provider to deliver and operate the National Breastfeeding Helpline (NBH). The NBH provides free, non-judgemental and evidence-based breastfeeding information and support to families across the United Kingdom. The service operates nationally and supports individuals seeking guidance, reassurance and signposting in relation to breastfeeding and infant feeding. The appointed supplier will be responsible for the delivery of a fully managed helpline service, including the provision of advice and support via telephone and digital channels, governance and quality assurance arrangements, safeguarding processes, reporting, and the operation of a public-facing website to support access to the service. The service shall include, but not be limited to, the following: Provision of a national helpline offering timely, non-judgemental breastfeeding information, advice and support; Call handling and digital engagement, including appropriate referral and signposting to other services where required; Safeguarding processes and escalation arrangements appropriate to the service user group; Governance, quality assurance and performance reporting arrangements in line with the Specification; Operation and maintenance of a public-facing website providing information about the service and how to access it. The contract will be awarded for an initial period of two years and nine months, with options to extend for up to two further periods of up to twelve months each, subject to the terms of the contract. The estimated total value of the contract for the initial term is PS3,198,500 excluding VAT. The total contract value including extension options is PS5, 598,500 excluding VAT (PS1,200,000 for each twelve month extension option).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract has the option to extend for a further 24 months, in 12 month periods

### Planning Information

As described in this preliminary engagement notice, DHSC is seeking potential providers who are interested in bidding for the National Breastfeeding Helpline, which will provide breastfeeding information, guidance and applicable support via a 24-hour helpline for families across the UK. Potential providers should register their interest by the date specified within this notice. Following the market engagement event, DHSC will issue follow-up questionnaires to attendees to obtain feedback on the outline specification, and the likelihood of success of the procurement.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040116-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 4 Jun 2026 |
| Future notice date | 20 Oct 2025 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | 2029-01-01 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £5,598,500 |
| Lots value | £5,598,500 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE |
| Additional buyers | DHSC, LONDON |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1H 0EU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLL Wales, TLL1 West Wales and The Valleys, TLL14 South West Wales, TLL2 East Wales, TLM Scotland, TLM5 North Eastern Scotland, TLM7 Eastern Scotland, TLM8 West Central Scotland, TLM9 Southern Scotland, TLN Northern Ireland, TLN0 Northern Ireland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 79512000 - Call centre
- 85312310 - Guidance services

## Release History

- 30 Apr 2026 at 15:27 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040116-2026
- 30 Apr 2026 at 15:06 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040093-2026
- 18 Aug 2025 at 21:17 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049663-2025
- 18 Aug 2025 at 21:15 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049662-2025
- 23 May 2025 at 15:08 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026881-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040116-2026
  30th April 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040093-2026
  30th April 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049663-2025
  18th August 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/049662-2025
  18th August 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026881-2025
  23rd May 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-052446. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-052446.json.