--- title: "STEAM cafes / wellbeing hubs and crisis sanctuary 'safe havens'" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD" published: "2026-02-26" --- # STEAM cafes / wellbeing hubs and crisis sanctuary 'safe havens' Buyer: NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db.json) ## Summary The recent procurement process executed by NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board focuses on providing services for STEAM cafés, wellbeing hubs, and crisis sanctuary 'safe havens' in the Ipswich area, under the UKH14 region. This initiative falls under the health services category, with the contract valued at £382,031, excluding VAT. Awarded through a Direct Award process as per Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, the contract commences on 1st April 2026 and ends on 31st March 2027. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, based in Ipswich, leads this procurement, which is in the 'Award' stage as of 7th October 2025. This contract presents significant opportunities for growth, especially for businesses involved in health services, social care, and community support. Organisations like Access Community Trust, listed as the supplier, are instrumental in providing these crisis alternative services. This tender is particularly suited for businesses focused on mental health support services and those with expertise in community-based health initiatives. Firms capable of delivering innovative support, integrating social value, and effectively collaborating with local health institutions can leverage this opportunity to contribute to public health objectives and expand their service offerings in the region. ## Notice Daytime Hub (10-4pm) The hub offers day-time support for a range of mental health problems and for episodes of mental distress. It will be based in a static facility, providing a range of activities, advice, information and support. It will use a navigation and enabling approach, to empower people to stay well in their community and at home. Safe Haven (Evening support) 6pm-10pm The Safe Haven offers sanctuary for people experiencing mental ill-health and mental distress. It will offer a calm and safe space, providing practical and emotional support, which can be used as an alternative to admission if appropriate. Includes de-escalate users in crisis and seek support from other services in dealing with critical incidents and provide support in accessing other support services. An appropriate plan of care for the evening will be agreed with the person at assessment. Expectations will be managed so that all people will go home when the hub closes for the evening. A short-term care plan will be agreed to cover the period immediately following the person's use of the Safe Haven. An appointment will be made for the following day at the Wellbeing Hub to review the plans made the previous night. ### Lot Information Lot 1 * The aim of this crisis alternative service is to establish a Daytime Wellbeing Hub and Evening Safe Haven model that sits at the heart of the community and operates a safe and friendly environment. The Safe Haven will work closely with 111, Police, Ambulance and A&E to support people, where the hub is a more appropriate venue. The objectives of this crisis alternative service is to: * Offer day-time support for a range of mental health problems and for episodes of mental distress, to be based in a static facility, providing advice and information. * Offer an evening support for people who are in crisis (self-defined) and an alternative to admission to statutory services. * Use a social navigation and enabling approach, to empower people to stay well in their community and at home, rather than employing a more traditional 'problem-solving' approach. * Offer sanctuary for people experiencing mental ill-health and mental distress. It will include a calm and safe space, providing practical and emotional support, which can be used as an alternative to admission if appropriate. * Use existing Crisis response triage telephone lines that will receive all referrals to the Safe Haven in the evening. * To work in partnership with the local Mental Health NHS provider (Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust) to develop protocols and a standard operating procedure, with the guarantee that the Mental Health provider will provide clinical oversight of the hub model, offering advice, support, and formal triage and assessment. * Link to the existing support services; Suffolk Community Connector Network, Suffolk Night owls and the Crisis Response Service support telephone line to support people who present as being in crisis and help to de-escalate. * Create links to other day time services for people with complex emotional needs and provide space and venues in rural locations through a hub and spoke model (daytime only). * Create a seamless peer support model working alongside the local Mental Health NHS provider (Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust) to provide employment and volunteering opportunities. The NHS Standard Contract Service Variation will run from 1st April 2026 through to 31st March 2027. This enables a full review of the crisis alternative services and population needs to be undertaken. This contract is being extended to align to both the Suffolk VCSE Alternative Crisis services expiration dates and the clustering with Norfolk and Waveney ICB. No extension has been planned for this service. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. ### 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 publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight Friday 17th October 2025 (8 working days following publication of intention to award notice). They should be submitted in writing to procurement@snee.nhs.uk. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Award decision-makers: the Suffolk Mental Health Collaborative 26th July 2025 * No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makers. Procurement to insert - The decision to award this contract in line with Direct Award Process C was based on evaluation against the five required key criteria as follows: * Quality and Innovation - Assured- SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering a safe and effective service as required by the specification and contract they are currently delivering. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Quality Impact Assessment. * Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering value to the integrated care system and the cost of change would not be outweighed by the potential benefit of a new provider. * Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is positively impacting on the integrated care system through their integration and collaboration delivered as a requirement of the specification or alternative elements linked to the delivery. * Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is meeting needs of the population to ensure equitable access and choice as required by the specification and contract. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Equality Impact Assessment. * Social Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering in line with the SNEE Green Plan, supporting with the implementation of carbon reduction and increase in initiatives which positively impact on the wider determinants of health. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Sustainability Impact Assessment. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017348-2026 | | Notice type | Tender 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 | Tender, Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 26 Feb 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 25 Jul 2025 | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | £382,031 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Cancelled | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Active | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | | Locality | IPSWICH | | Post town | Ipswich | | Postcode | IP1 2BX | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk | | ITL 3 | TLH62 Ipswich | | Local authority | Ipswich | | Electoral ward | Gipping | | Westminster constituency | Ipswich | | Delivery location | TLH14 Suffolk CC | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | ACCESS COMMUNITY TRUST | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85100000 - Health services ## Release History - 26 Feb 2026 at 13:45 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017348-2026 - 7 Oct 2025 at 15:10 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063001-2025 ## Notice URLs - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/snee-icb/aspx/Home - https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.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-05a9db. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a9db.json.