--- title: "DHSC: Mental Health Impact on Families with Critically Ill Children Report 2026" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06666c" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06666c" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06666c.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06666c.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE" published: "2026-03-10" --- # DHSC: Mental Health Impact on Families with Critically Ill Children Report 2026 Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06666c [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06666c) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06666c.json) ## Summary The Department of Health & Social Care is in the planning stage of a procurement process for commissioning an independent report titled "Mental Health Impact on Families with Critically Ill Children Report 2026". This initiative is part of the government's commitment to improving mental health interventions and identifying families at risk under the 10 Year Health Plan. The procurement is focused on social and economic research services, and is valued at £170,000, with a gross amount of £204,000, indicating it is above the threshold. The process includes market engagement to refine specifications and strategy, with feedback welcomed until 31 March 2026. Prospective opportunities are available across multiple regions in the United Kingdom, encompassing UKC, UKD, UKF, UKG, UKH, UKJ, and UKK. Businesses specialising in social or economic research services, particularly those experienced in mental health interventions, are ideal candidates for this tender, which supports the Department's efforts to enhance mental health support for families dealing with childhood critical illness. The procurement caters to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), promoting participation from diverse market sectors. With a planned contract period from July 2026 to January 2027, and potential for renewal, this opportunity enables eligible businesses to contribute actionable insights and recommendations for future policy enhancements, thereby fostering their business growth through impactful public sector collaboration. ## Notice The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking to commission an external partner to produce an independent written report on the impact that a childhood diagnosis of critical illness has on families. This work supports the government's wider commitment to expanding mental health and wellbeing provision under the 10 Year Health Plan, where identifying and supporting groups at risk is a key part of effective early intervention. The report (Hugh's Report) will generate a robust evidence base to inform policy decisions on how best to strengthen support for affected families. It will examine the mental health needs of parents, guardians and siblings, assess the availability and effectiveness of current support, and highlight where gaps or barriers exist so that future interventions can be better targeted. Key Deliverables Identify evidence on the mental health impact of a critical illness diagnosis of a child on their families. Determine what forms of emotional and psychological support affected families need. Assess whether the needs and barriers for families of critically ill children differ from other groups with mental health needs. Examine the cost, accessibility and effectiveness of existing interventions supporting these families. Provide recommendations for: Further research areas, data sources or data collection needed. Practical, actionable next steps based on what works. Improvements to existing support. This is not a call for competition, but an opportunity to gather feedback to better understand market capabilities, refine final specifications, decide the procurement strategy, and encourage supplier engagement. ### Planning Information We are sharing the draft specifications, proposed procurement approach, and timetable with the market to invite feedback from potential bidders. The objective of the preliminary market engagement is: - Understanding market capability - Decide on final Procurement Strategy - Get feedback on Specifications - Identify any barriers - Encouraging Supplier Participation and Competition Interested parties can access the relevant documents via the Atamis system at https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome using the contract reference (C424742). You can submit the Questionnaire and capability assessment by sending a message via Atamis or by sending an email to ccsinbox@dhsc.gov.uk quoting “Mental Health Impact - Hugh's report” 31/03/2026 at 5pm. The input by suppliers may help shape the final approach and procurement strategy. The questionnaire will also allow suppliers to raise any additional questions. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021373-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 10 Mar 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 27 Apr 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 8 Jul 2026 - 8 Jan 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £170,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE | | 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) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79311400 - Economic research services - 79315000 - Social research services ## Release History - 10 Mar 2026 at 14:34 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021373-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021373-2026 10th March 2026 - Preliminary market engagement 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-06666c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06666c.json.