Scope
Description
Suicide is an individual tragedy, life-altering for those bereaved and a traumatic event for the community and local services involved. The impact on family, friends, workplaces,
schools and communities can be devastating; it carries a huge financial burden for the local economy and contributes to worsening inequalities. Suicide is a major public health
issue and a leading cause of years of life lost.
Suicide can have a profound effect on the local community, and in addition to immediate family and friends, many others will be affected in some way. They include neighbours, school friends and work colleagues, but also people whose work brings them into contact with suicide such as emergency and rescue workers, healthcare professionals, teachers, the police, faith leaders and witnesses to the incident. There may be a risk of copycat
suicides in a community, particularly among young people, if another young person or a high-profile celebrity dies by suicide.
Effective and timely emotional and practical support for individuals and families bereaved or affected by suicide is essential to help the grieving process, prevent further or longerterm emotional distress and to support recovery. There is some evidence that referral to specialist bereavement counselling and other bereavement support can be helpful for
people who actively seek it.
The provision of support after a suicide is critical to addressing suicide risk and to improve the mental wellbeing of people who have been bereaved by suicide. Children, young
people and adults who are bereaved or affected by a suspected suicide are themselves at increased risk of suicide , psychiatric admission and depression . Providing support after a
suspected suicide can reduce this risk, especially when tailored to the person's needs . In addition, post suicide interventions can promote community mental health awareness and
resilience and support wider initiatives to tackle health inequalities and social exclusion.
Thus, suicide bereavement support can mitigate the following:
• Risk - those bereaved by suicide have a greater risk of dying by suicide;
• Impact - the impact of bereavement by suicide is significant and different in nature to
other sudden deaths with subsequent impacts on the wider community linking to social
exclusion, poor education and employment outcomes;
• Demand - the increased demands on health, social care and support services.
A person's death by suicide has far reaching implications that stretch beyond the
immediate family, with it being suggested that 135 people can be affected by each suicide
. This notion is supported by a recent large-scale national study on bereavement by
suicide where the most common relationship reported was the loss of a friend to suicide .
Therefore, interventions that support those bereaved by suicide (i.e. postvention) can
have a significant impact both to the bereaved and to the wider economy.
The impact of suicide on the bereaved can vary depending on the relationship and time
since the death. Adverse effects of bereavement by suicide include financial problems,
unemployment, relationship break-up, deterioration in physical and mental health,
substance use, increase in casual sexual relationships, suicidal thoughts and also dying
by suicide , , . These behaviours can continue to be problematic for the bereaved well
beyond 12 months after the death of a loved one.
The evidence revealed in the literature indicates that the nature of suicide bereavement
support should necessarily be different to other forms of bereavement support. The range of impacts is wide and can be particularly significant, not least the fact that those people bereaved by suicide are at greater risk of suicide themselves. Research conducted in 2016 by UCL found that people bereaved by the sudden death of a friend or family member were 65 per cent more likely to attempt suicide themselves if the deceased friend
or family themselves died by suicide .
Total value (estimated)
- £495,000 excluding VAT
- £495,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2029
- 2 years, 9 months
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85100000 - Health services
Contract locations
- UKD6 - Cheshire
- UKD7 - Merseyside
Participation
This procurement is reserved for
- UK suppliers
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
13 March 2026, 5:00pm
Tender submission deadline
20 March 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
https://procontract.due-north.com/
The Chest Portal DN806410
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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. Utilising The competitive process of the PSR.
All the submissions must be made via Chest Portal. Award criteria as follows:
Quality and innovation 30%
Value for Money (Including Pricing Schedule) 20%
Integration, collaboration, and service sustainability 20%
Improving access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice 20%
Social value - 10%
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Special regime
Light touch
Contracting authority
Wirral Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBCP-8675-BHWT
Town Hall, Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH44 8ED
United Kingdom
Region: UKD74 - Wirral
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government