Contract

St Helens Arts On Prescription Service

  • St Helens Council

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-031460

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-054686

Published 11 June 2025, 10:58am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

St Helens Council

Town Hall

St Helens

WA101HP

Contact

peter smith

Email

peter.smith@star-procurement.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKD71 - East Merseyside

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

www.sthelens.gov.uk

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

St Helens Arts On Prescription Service

Reference number

UID13459

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85100000 - Health services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

An Arts on Prescription programme to adults in the borough of St Helens, with the primary aim of being to improve mental health and wellbeing to participants. The programme will run on a weekly basis with two sessions per week which are currently held at St Helens Town Hall. Other location options can be explored but need to be in a central/accessible location for residents and have good transport links. The contractor will supply all the materials and tutors who will be trained to not only deliver engaging and interesting sessions but have qualifications skills or experience with working with adults with mild to moderate mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress or low-level depression. The contractor will be able to work in a self-sufficient basis to achieve positive outcomes in mental health and wellbeing via key performance indicators.

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: £234,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 85000000 - Health and social work services
  • 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKD71 - East Merseyside

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

An Arts on Prescription programme to adults in the borough of St Helens, with the primary aim of being to improve mental health and wellbeing to participants. The programme will run on a weekly basis with two sessions per week which are currently held at St Helens Town Hall. Other location options can be explored but need to be in a central/accessible location for residents and have good transport links. The contractor will supply all the materials and tutors who will be trained to not only deliver engaging and interesting sessions but have qualifications skills or experience with working with adults with mild to moderate mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress or low-level depression. The contractor will be able to work in a self-sufficient basis to achieve positive outcomes in mental health and wellbeing via key performance indicators.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Value / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Integration, collaboration and service sustainability / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 20

Price - Weighting: 0

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

Three year contract with options to extend by an additional two twelve month periods. I.E. 3+1+1


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

  • The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations

Explanation:

This is a notification of the Intention to Award a contract for an existing service to an existing provider following a direct award process C under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

8 May 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

ALEF TRUST CIC

Wirral

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKD74 - Wirral
Companies House

08303520

The contractor is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £234,000

Total value of the contract/lot: £234,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

This procurement is conducted in accordance with the direct award process C (Part 2 (9)) of The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR).

Service in scope: Arts on Prescription Service - St Helens Borough Council.

The existing contract is due to expire on the 30th September 2025.

The procurement for the new contract meets the tests for use of PSR and for applying the direct award process C.

Alef Trust CIC is satisfying the existing contract and is likely to continue to satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard.

The provider was assessed against a review of Key Performance Indicators based on a narrative assessment completed by the St Helens Public Health Team, taking account of contract management information held.

Benchmarking of costs and service provision was undertaken with neighbouring authorities.

The basic selection criteria were also assessed as met, as listed in PSR Regulations 2023 (schedule 16)

This notification is for the intention to award a contract to the existing service provider from 1st October 2025 to 30th September 2028 with two options to extend, each for one year, to 30th September 2030.

Following publication of this Intention to Award Notice, a standstill period of 8 business days will be observed in accordance with Part 2 (12) of The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. There were no conflicts of interest declared by the decision makers.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court of England and Wales

London

WC2A 2LL

Country

United Kingdom