Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices, Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
PO12AL
phcontracts@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ31 - Portsmouth
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Breastfeeding Peer Support Service
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Portsmouth City Council ('the Council') is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified providers for the provision of a Breastfeeding Peer Support Service.
The Council wishes to award a contract via the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulation 2023, Most Suitable Provider Process.
This notice is to enable providers to approach the Council and express their interest in being considered as the most suitable provider. Expressions of interest should be sent via email to phcontracts@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. This will be published for 14 days as per the requirements of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulation 2023.
The Council is envisaging awarding on 26th June 2025 with a contract commencement on 1st September 2025. The contract term will be for 2 (two) years with the possibility to extend for a further 12 (twelve) months.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £148,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ31 - Portsmouth
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
We want all children and young people in Portsmouth to get a good start in life, be happy and healthy, ready for lifelong learning and to go on to have successful opportunities in adulthood. The evidence is unequivocal that early intervention is the best way to support this, whilst tackling health and social inequalities. A good start in life lays the foundations for better outcomes for children at school, and improved life chances.
To achieve the vision set out above, the Council is intending to commission a Breastfeeding Peer Support Service, to work alongside the Integrated Public Health Nursing and Prevention and Early Intervention offer to families. In particular the Health Visiting Service, Early Intervention Service and Family Hubs, plus work with wider system partners e.g. Maternity, Voluntary Sector etc. With seamless pathways and a common set of outcomes around infant feeding, delivered through a holistic family centred, strengths-based approach.
Key principles include:
• Focus on prevention and early intervention within a whole family approach.
• Building community capacity, through training and upskilling community members.
• Empowering families to seek support and work to find their own solutions (where relevant).
• Supporting the building of resilience and positive infant-caregiver relationships.
• Evidence-based, flexible and consistent, messaging and support.
• Integrated and seamless across all pathways.
• Simple and proportionate, positively impacting on health inequalities.
This is a short-term contract to allow for insight-driven sustainable affordable transformations, to inform long-term planning. The aim is to discover how to optimise resources across the wider system (i.e. both within and external of this contract) to improve the quality and reach of the infant feeding support going forward. Delivery during this transformation period will require working in collaboration (commissioner, provider and system partners), undertaking service reviews and primary research throughout the contract period and working with the successful provider to set meaningful measures both in the short and longer-term.
The estimated value over the lifetime of the contract (including total extension period) is £148,000.00. The funding for the services is the anticipated total value, based on the current funding available.
The lifetime contract value includes:
- Funding through core Public Health funds (£40,000 per year).
- Guaranteed uplift of £28,000 from September 2025 to March 2026 via a national funding stream and is subject to changes in guidance and priorities linked to the First 1,001 days agenda.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
26 June 2025
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intended approach 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 or the Procurement Act Regulations 2023 do not apply to this award. The intention is to award a contract using the most suitable provider process.
The Award decision makers will be commissioners of the Public Health Directorate from Portsmouth City Council.