---
title: "The Provision of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) For Residents Who Access Drug and Alcohol Services in the City of Sunderland Council Area"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06a200"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06a200"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a200.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a200.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-06-05"
---

# The Provision of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) For Residents Who Access Drug and Alcohol Services in the City of Sunderland Council Area

Buyer: SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06a200

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## Summary

The Sunderland City Council has awarded a contract for the provision of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Services aimed at residents accessing drug and alcohol services within the Sunderland Council area. This initiative, classified under health services, is intended for individuals aged 16 and above who are undergoing structured treatment for substance misuse and are currently unemployed. The contract was awarded to Recovery Connections, Middlesbrough, on 5th June 2026 through a direct award process without a prior call for competition, as per the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The service is catered to ensure bespoke support packages for sustainable, paid employment and spans from 8th June 2026 to 31st March 2029, with a total estimated value of £590,256.80. Funding for the second and third years is contingent upon confirmation from the central government.

This contract presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in the health and community support sectors, particularly those focusing on employment support and rehabilitation services for individuals with substance misuse challenges. Recovery Connections' successful bid highlights the importance of having a stable organisational structure, sound financial standing, and the capacity to meet national service delivery targets. Businesses looking to grow in this sector should align their offerings with these criteria, encompassing qualities such as quality and innovation, value for money, collaboration, sustainability, and social value. This procurement process is an exemplary opportunity for entities capable of meeting complex health and social care demands while promoting community welfare and addressing employment inequalities.

## Notice

A contract for provision of an Individual Placement and Support Services (IPS) for Residents who Access Drug and Alcohol Services in the City of Sunderland Council Area. The Sunderland IPS Scheme will be available to individuals of working age (16+), resident in the Sunderland area, who are engaged in structured treatment for drug and/or alcohol issues and are out of work. The 'structured treatment' can be provided by either a young person's community-based specialist substance use service; an adult's community-based specialist substance use service; or an 'all age' community-based specialist substance use service, (hereafter these services will be collectively referred to as 'specialist community drug and alcohol treatment services). The Scheme will provide bespoke 'packages' of support to assist service users into sustainable, paid employment.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Authority intends to award a contract for the Service to the existing provider pursuant to Direct Award Process C under Regulation 9 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 ("PSR"). This is a notice under Regulation 9 (3) of the Authority's intention to award the contract for the Service as described below to the existing provider. The contract is for the provision of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for residents who access drug and alcohol services in the city of Sunderland council area and will be available to individuals of working age (16+), resident in the Sunderland area, who are engaged in structured drug and/or alcohol treatment and are out of work. The 'structured treatment' can be provided by either a young person's community-based specialist substance use service; an adult's community based specialist substance use service; or an 'all age' community based specialist substance use service. The Scheme will provide bespoke 'packages' of support to assist service users into sustainable, paid employment. The Scheme will work flexibly across all the Sunderland area, ensuring equity of service provision, and adjusting delivery in response to any geographical changes in demand. The contract will run from the 8th June 2026 to the 31st March 2029. The lifetime value of the contract is estimated to be PS590,256.80. The value of year 1 of the contract is PS194,366.13 (pro-rata). Year 2 and Year 3 of the contract are subject to confirmation of public health funding from central government. Additional information: This is a notice under Regulation 9 (3) of the PSR of the Authority's intention to award the contract for the Service to the existing provider pursuant to Direct Award Process C. The award 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 or Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this proposed award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made in writing in accordance with Regulation 12 (3) of the PSR to the Authority before midnight on 04/06/2026 via email: issy.langley@sunderland.gov.uk The proposed contract period is for up to three years. Year 2 and Year 3 of the contract is subject to funding from the Funder.

### Procurement Information

The Authority intends to award a contract for the Service to the existing provider pursuant to Direct Award Process C under Regulation 9 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 ("PSR").

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053180-2026 |
| 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 | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 May 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £590,256 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | SUNDERLAND |
| Post town | Sunderland |
| Postcode | SR1 3AA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC44 Sunderland |
| Local authority | Sunderland |
| Electoral ward | Millfield |
| Westminster constituency | Sunderland Central |
| Delivery location | TLC23 Sunderland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | RECOVERY CONNECTIONS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 5 Jun 2026 at 09:32 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053180-2026
- 22 May 2026 at 14:59 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048176-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.sunderland.gov.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-06a200. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06a200.json.