Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Phoenix House, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Severalls Business Park, Aspen House, Stephenson Rd,
Colchester
CO4 9QR
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House Parkway Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL8 6JL
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH35 - West Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk/
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ASD Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex
Reference number
ACE-0650-2022-MSE
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Following a compliant negotiated procedure without prior publication, the Authority has made a decision to award a contract to KIDS for the design, development, digitisation and pilot implementation of two psychoeducational resources, across Essex, Southend, and Thurrock. These will be evidence-based therapeutic interventions, that provide information and support to better understand and cope with autism for CYP and for parents and carers of CYP, following diagnosis. The contract commences 23rd January 2023, expiring 31st March 2026, at an aggregate value of £398,000.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £398,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 48190000 - Educational software package
- 48500000 - Communication and multimedia software package
- 72211000 - Programming services of systems and user software
- 72212500 - Communication and multimedia software development services
- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
Main site or place of performance
North east Essex, West Essex, Mid and South Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Contracting Authority(s) (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) for this Due Diligence are NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB and NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB.
The Authority has awarded a contract to KIDS for the design, development, digitisation and pilot implementation of two psychoeducational resources, across Essex, Southend, and Thurrock. These will be evidence-based therapeutic interventions, that provide information and support to better understand and cope with autism for CYP and for parents and carers of CYP, following diagnosis.
The project aims to deliver the national and local ambition to design and implement a psychoeducational resource which:
- Provides information about autism as a diagnosis.
- Helps people come to terms with their diagnosis.
- Identifies additional coping strategies for everyday challenges (such as managing difficult sensory environments or stigma).
-Provides opportunities to engage with other autistic people who may have had similar experiences.
-Helps the parent/carer or young person feel empowered in living with their diagnosis.
Is available to parents/carers and young people on an ongoing basis, to be accessible as and when required.
The content will be evidence based, co-produced with families and professionals, and include a range of topics including financial advice, relational peer support, relationship management, emotional adjustment, long term stress management, resilience, stigma protection etc.
Successful delivery will require a combination of expertise, skills and experience in terms of the digital sphere, alongside experience of working with children, young people and families with SEND.
The contract commences 23rd January 2023 for a period of c. 39 months, expiring 31st March 2026, at an aggregate value of £398,000.
The contract is awarded as a result of a due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015") (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020), following an unsuccessful open tender procedure published 16 September 2022 and conducted in compliance with the same Regulations (2022/S 000-026063).
The due diligence process and intention to award was supported by a Voluntary Ex Ante Standstill Notice published in Find a Tender Service on 30th November 2022 (2022-043964), the standstill for which expired midnight on 5th January 2023.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100
Price - Weighting: 0
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
See VI.3) Additional information.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to open procedure
Explanation:
The Authority is lawfully permitted to make this award under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 ("PCR 2015") (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) (the Regulations).
The NHS Long Term Plan is committed to improving the assessment and support of children and young people (CYP) who may be autistic. To help achieve this, Contracting Authorities from health and care across Southend, Essex and Thurrock successfully secured investment from NHS England to carry out a project which delivers innovation to autism diagnostic and post-diagnostic pathways for children and young people.
A decision was made to undertake market engagement and a procurement exercise to seek a suitable provider who could support them to achieve their aims with the funding available.
The Authority issued an Invitation to Tender on 16th September in connection with the competitive procurement of an autism spectrum disorder post-diagnostic psychoeducational resource for parents and carers and young people in Essex. The process was conducted under the 'non-light touch' regime within the Regulations.
To ensure that the provider market was given an equal opportunity to fully understand the requirements of the procurement, a market engagement event was publicised on 30th August 2022 in Find a Tender Service and Contracts Finder and held via MS Teams Webinar on 12th September 2022 at 13:00 - 14:30pm. The event informed all potential bidders of the service, procurement principles, processes, and next steps.
The tender deadline expired at 12:00 noon on 19th October 2022 and unfortunately, on this occasion, the procurement exercise resulted in no tenders being received.
The Authority took a decision to conduct some further market engagement with interested and suitable providers (both those who did and did not express interest in the original tender), with an aim to run a negotiated procedure using the same Specification, to select a suitable provider, under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. As such the Authority contacted several organisations to understand what their potential interest was in working with us on this next phase of our project to ensure the Authority did not lose access and have to return NHSE funding, which is an outcome that is unacceptable to the ICBs and our partners on the project team, and one which we wished to avoid.
A series of 1-2-1 meetings were held, followed by a scored presentation to arrive at the award decision based on highest technical (quality) score. Thereafter a due diligence exercise was undertaken with the Preferred Bidder (utilising the Crown Commercial Service's standard selection questionnaire) to ensure they are suitably qualified and experienced, supporting the award decision being made.
The Authority has awarded the contract to Kids Charity after expiry of a standstill period of 10 days (accommodating the three bank holidays in the interim period), concluding midnight on 5th January 2023.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2022/S 000-026063
Section five. Award of contract
Title
ASD Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
21 December 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
KIDS Charity
7-9 Elliott's Place
London
N1 8HX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
National registration number
275936
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £398,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
When advertised in September 2022, the Authority was looking to appoint a single Preferred Bidder to manage all aspects of the Service. As such, a Lotting Strategy was deemed inappropriate as it risked creation of unnecessary fragmentation and complexity. Accordingly, the service was procured as a single contract awarded to a single Preferred Bidder.
The requirement to which this procurement related, fall within the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) (the "Regulations").
As previously indicated in the Contract Notice, and the Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice, the Authority may wish to expand the Services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modification(s)"). To this end, interested parties should be aware that after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation(s) to the contract in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020), in the potential circumstances and or situations as previously communicated in the FTS Contract Notice and ITT Process Overview:
1. Appropriate alignment of the Service / Contract because of changes stipulated either nationally by NHSE or required locally by the Authority or its partners in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSE ICS), either to expand the service provision to include complementary Services, or to align the service to changes in need from the eligible service user population.
2. As a result of unanticipated changes in demand for the Service, to support the successful Bidder to evolve the service slowly and sustainability to ensure successful implementation, and to ensure service safety and positive service user experience is maintained.
3. To enable the Authority to extend the contract for an additional duration, to accommodate any necessary and ongoing Subscription or License Fees that may be required as a result of any digital solution developed by the Preferred Bidder, in relation to this procurement and contract award.
4. Where additional funding becomes available to the Authority for delivery of service requirements that are similar and or complementary to the Service already included in the Specification, at any given time, and do not modify the overall nature of the contract and or for delivery of the Service over a longer duration in order to support sustainability of the Service and thorough evaluation of its effectiveness across the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Transforming Care Partnership (SET TCP). Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority or its partners across the MSE ICS, where the business case provides objective evidence that contract variation is the most appropriate course of action, taking account of one or more of the following considerations; service safety, financial and economic impact, innovation, patient and public acceptability, impact on health inequalities, strategic alignment with National/Regional/Local strategic priorities, ability to improve multiple pathways, positive contribution to improved supply / improving service responsiveness, patient experience and health economy impact.
5. Where any forthcoming changes in public procurement law for health care and non-healthcare services allows for such
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice of England and Wales
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10 Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon
Essex
SS14 3HG
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/about/boards/integrated-care-board/