Scope
Reference
002213
Description
This notice is an intention to award a contract under the competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
This is re-procurement of an existing service being awarded to a new provider and the contract period is 1/4/2026 - 31/3/2029 with an option to extend for a further 3 periods of 12 months each from the actual end date subject to funding and commissioner approval. The estimated contract value is £10,000,000.
The specialist stop smoking support service is for people who live / work in County Durham, and is comprised of evidence-based interventions including behavioural support and access to
pharmacotherapy to support quit attempts.
The service is to offer support that includes dedicated Stop Smoking Advisors (Level 3 provision) - responsible for direct support to key target groups.
The Provider will be responsible for a coordinated approach to delivery of stop smoking support including but not limited to:
•Promotion of services through the coordination and management of effective marketing and communications strategies.
•Development and maintenance of local referral pathways and networks across a range of services including primary and secondary care within the NHS.
•Direct provision of specialist stop-smoking support for targeted groups and people with complex needs.
•Management, payment and coordination of universal stop smoking support provision (Level 2).
•Provision of the recruitment, training, support and resource for the Vape + and NRT + offer (Level 1.5).
•Sub-contract of the Smokefree App, or equivalent in consultation with commissioners, to ensure that there is a coordinated regional approach to app-based support to compliment behavioural support for those in service, but also to provide self-support for those who are not ready or do not feel that traditional stop smoking service support is for them.
•Training of stop smoking support providers.
•Building capacity of the wider health and social care workforce (Primary Care Networks, acute trust, mental health trust), and voluntary and community sector in very brief advice.
•Contribution to place-based and settings work facilitated by Public Health.
•Development of and access to self-help support, including, but not limited to the Smokefree App.
•Coordination and management of data collection for the quarterly submissions to the Department of Health and Social Care.
•Management of referrals and allocation to the correct advisor.
•Membership of the Tobacco Control Alliance.
•Supply a case management system from Year 2 of the contract.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding 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 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice.
Five tenders were received of which one was successful.
Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by midnight on the 20th January 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the competitive process of the PSR.
There were no conflicts of interest identified.
Decision makers were officers of the Public Health team and Commissioning Team.
The evaluation criteria included :
contract specific essential pass/fail criteria
seven technical questions - 100% (1. Quality & Innovation 25%, 2. Value 10%, 3. Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 20%, 4. Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 20%, 5. Performance Monitoring 15%, 6. Social Value 5%, 7. County Durham Approach to Wellbeing 5%)
Pricing - Pass / Fail Criteria
Five tenders were received of which one was successful.
Written representations should be raised via the correspondence section on Open (www.open-uk.org) on the Smokefree County Durham project.
Contract 1
Supplier
Contract value
- £10,000,000 excluding VAT
- £10,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
7 January 2026
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
8 January 2026
Standstill period
- End: 20 January 2026
- 8 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
1 February 2026
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
- Possible extension to 31 March 2032
- 6 years
Description of possible extension:
The proposed contract is to be let with an option to extend for a further 3 periods of 12 months each from the actual end date subject to funding and commissioner approval
Main procurement category
Services
Options
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid.
*Funding for these services is reliant upon the continued availability of funds from the Council's Public Health core budget. Funding amounts and sources are uncertain over the contract term, including available extensions, and therefore DCC may need to invoke either contract extensions, modifications or termination as permitted under the relevant sections of the contract terms and conditions.
At the Council's discretion, should the Council acquire further funding, including from different sources, additional services may be required and may differ to that detailed in the Specification but will fall under the remit or compliment delivery of stop smoking services.
The Council reserves the right to apply inflationary uplifts to the contract value at its sole discretion and will be based upon the availability of funding and commissioning priorities.
The Council reserves the right to modify the contract specification if new legislation and/or guidance regarding stop smoking services is published by the Government and or Governing Bodies.
The case management system must meet the essential requirements of Appendix B, as a minimum however, please note, Appendix B requirements may change subject to policy, legislation and future needs and should be reviewed with commissioners before proceeding.
CPV classifications
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
Contract locations
- UKC14 - Durham CC
Information about tenders
- 1 tender received
- 1 tender assessed in the final stage:
- 0 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 1 supplier awarded contracts
- 0 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Supplier
THRIVE TRIBE LIMITED
- Companies House: 06763541
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPDH-7629-BLMT
167 - 169 Great Portland Street
London
W1W 5PF
United Kingdom
Email: ben.middleton@thrivetribe.org.uk
Website: http://www.thrivetribe.org.uk
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: Yes
Contract 1
Contracting authority
Durham County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMPB-8772-VYWM
Corten House, Dunholme Close
Durham
DH1 5WB
United Kingdom
Email: corporate.procurement@durham.gov.uk
Website: http://www.durham.gov.uk/
Region: UKC14 - Durham CC
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government