---
title: "PR Agency Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0773de"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0773de"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0773de.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0773de.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
published: "2026-09-18"
---

# PR Agency Services

Buyer: COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0773de

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0773de.json)

## Summary

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a public relations agency for Fresh and Balance, the North East’s integrated programme to reduce tobacco and alcohol harm. The single contract covers both campaign brands and supports behaviour-change communications, including campaigns, social media and content for FreshQuit.co.uk and ReduceMyRisk.tv. It also covers communicating the health, social and economic harms of tobacco and alcohol, campaigning for policy change, and building support among politicians, decision-makers, health partners, communities and the voluntary sector. The agency will provide year-round news and social media reach, secure content across traditional and online media, and support internal communications, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. The work is delivered across the North East and nationally, within public relations and social marketing services.

The procurement has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through a selective, competitive flexible procedure with two stages. Expressions of interest are due by 12:00 on 12 October 2026; enquiries close at 12:00 on 5 October 2026. The authority expects to shortlist up to four suppliers for the tender stage, estimated for 30 October 2026, and expects evaluation at that stage to be 70% quality and 30% price. The current participation-stage quality assessment is based on demonstrated experience (30%), relevant contracts and impact (40%), and supporting partnerships (30%). The estimated contract value is £1,200,000 excluding VAT, or £1,440,000 including VAT. The contract runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, with extensions potentially taking it to 31 March 2035, subject to funding and performance reviews. Award decisions are due by 23 October 2026.

This opportunity suits PR agencies with proven experience developing and delivering communications across traditional, digital and social media, particularly campaigns designed to influence behaviour and public policy. Strong candidates will be able to secure news and online content, maintain year-round audience engagement, and translate evidence about smoking, second-hand smoke, alcohol use and related harms into effective public-facing messages. The requirement also favours agencies able to work with senior stakeholders, politicians, health systems, local communities and voluntary-sector organisations, while building partnerships and identifying credible messengers and champions. Experience of social marketing across both tobacco and alcohol agendas is important, as is the ability to serve two established brands through one coordinated service. The opportunity is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises.

## Notice

Synchronicity Care Limited on behalf of Fresh and Balance are seeking a provider of PR Agency Services. Fresh and Balance is the North East's integrated programme for reducing tobacco and alcohol harm in the region. They are one single joint programme carrying out much of the public and partner facing work under the two separate, well recognised brands of Fresh and Balance. Fresh and Balance remit is to reduce smoking rates and the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol amongst the local population and key audiences using a multi-strand approach based on best national and international evidence. This includes mass media campaigns, campaigning and advocacy, effective internal communications, and making voices heard on the national stage to politicians and decision makers. A key element of their work and priority of local funders is the delivery of all year round news and social media reach/engagement to ensure issues and messages in the public eye all year round on the channels that people see, read and hear, providing a highly cost effective return on investment. This also involves working with a range of senior stakeholders for messengers and champions, building support for measures to reduce smoking and harmful drinking, motivating and triggering behaviour change, and engaging and motivating key partners to prioritise these agendas regionally and nationally. Communications cover three main strands: * Behaviour change - highlighting the risks and signposting positive behaviour change around quitting smoking, reducing second hand smoke and reducing drinking - via campaigns, socials and two key websites FreshQuit.co.uk and ReduceMyRisk.tv. * Highlighting the harm - the cost of tobacco and alcohol across the region and nationally to motivate regional stakeholders and the public * Campaigning for change - a strong policy focus to call for more action nationally on tobacco and alcohol, increasing public and partner support for this. This also includes an increasing focus on building partnerships across the health system, local communities and community and voluntary sector. Fresh and Balance are looking for a PR agency with the experience, skills and knowledge to develop communications across the increasing range of available media channels to secure content - both traditional and online. Since we are a joint programme, this will be one contract serving both campaign brands, while still requiring the insight and experience in social marketing approaches to plan campaigns and approaches around both tobacco and alcohol. The successful agency will be expected to provide PR support to support the programme from 1st April 2027 with the potential for contract extensions and subject to satisfactory performance and reviews and funding.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Please note the intitial contract duration and extensions is dependent on funding.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088465-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,200,000 |
| Lots value | £1,200,000 |
| 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 | COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| Locality | DARLINGTON |
| Postcode area | Darlington |
| Postcode | DL3 6HX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington |
| Local authority | Darlington |
| Electoral ward | Pierremont |
| Westminster constituency | Darlington |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79416000 - Public relations services

## Release History

- 18 Sep 2026 at 08:58 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088465-2026
- 16 Sep 2026 at 16:51 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087961-2026
- 16 Sep 2026 at 16:45 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087957-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088465-2026
  18th September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087961-2026
  16th September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087957-2026
  16th September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.cddft.nhs.uk
- https://atamis-1928--prospend.vf.force.com/apex/CS_ContractPage?filters=&page=1&Preview=Yes&searchStr=&SearchType=Projects&sortStr=Alphabetical&uid=a07Pz00001w8Nv5IAE&sfdcIFrameOrigin=https://atamis-1928.lightning.force.com
- 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-0773de. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0773de.json.