---
title: "Discharge to Assess (D2A) beds contract for Ipswich & East."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-069a06"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069a06"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069a06.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069a06.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-05-20"
---

# Discharge to Assess (D2A) beds contract for Ipswich & East.

Buyer: SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-069a06

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## Summary

The procurement process for the "Discharge to Assess (D2A) beds contract for Ipswich & East" was conducted by Suffolk County Council, a public authority in the United Kingdom. The contract relates to the health and social work services industry, with a specific focus on bed-based nursing services to facilitate swift discharge of medically optimised customers. This contract, awarded directly to Athena Care Homes (UK) Limited, commences on 8th August 2026 and spans three years with options for two additional one-year extensions, potentially extending to 7th August 2031. Located in Ipswich, the tender has moved past the award stage, with the contract award notice published on 20th May 2026.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs within the health and social care sectors, aiming to partner with public authorities to deliver essential services. The direct award due to the absence of viable alternatives underscores the potential for businesses capable of providing superior service and fulfilling governmental criteria. Firms adept in health services and capable of delivering within specified budgets and timelines could greatly benefit from such contracts, enhancing their market presence and contributing to the public welfare by ensuring continuity and quality of care.

## Notice

The provision of bed based nursing services commissioned by Suffolk County Council in Partnership with (Athena Care Homes UK Limited) to provide a swift discharge of medically optimised customers from the acute as part of the Discharge to Assess model. This will be a 3 year contract with optional extension periods of 1 year + 1 year.

### Procurement Information

This is required due to the absence of viable market alternatives, the need to maintain service continuity in order to effectively discharge our statutory duties and the significant financial benefit offered by the only provider capable of meeting the full specification and budget envelope following market engagement.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046156-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 15 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 7 Aug 2026 - 7 Aug 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £7,590,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL |
| 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 | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ATHENA CARE HOMES (UK |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 20 May 2026 at 09:26 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046156-2026
- 15 May 2026 at 12:38 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044918-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046156-2026
  20th May 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044918-2026
  15th May 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://suffolk.gov.uk
- http://www.athenacarehomes.co.uk
- 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-069a06. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069a06.json.