Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
Contact
Mr Matt Wellard
Telephone
+44 3000413221
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ4 - Kent
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People
Reference number
DN759960
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a call to competition under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.
The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.
The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.
At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals
through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support
delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community;
in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.
Please visit https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/ to access documentation relating to this opportunity.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £12,080,084
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a call to competition under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.
The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.
The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.
At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals
through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support
delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community;
in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.
Please visit https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/ to access documentation relating to this opportunity.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £12,080,084
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
125
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
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
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
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: 2025/S 000-009347
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
28 April 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Kent County Council
Maidstone
Country
United Kingdom