Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10, Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ASD Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex
Reference number
ACE-0650-2022-MSE
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice to communicate a contract award made by the Authority to KIDS for provision of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex ("the Service") from 9th January 2023 for a period of three years, expiring 8th January 2026, at an aggregate value of £398,000.
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: £398,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 48190000 - Educational software package
- 48500000 - Communication and multimedia software package
- 72211000 - Programming services of systems and user software
- 72212500 - Communication and multimedia software development services
- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
Main site or place of performance
North east Essex, West Essex, Mid and South Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Authority intends to award a contract to KIDS Charity (Company limited by guarantee No: 1346252 Registered Charity Number 275936) for provision of ASD Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex. These will be evidence-based therapeutic interventions, that provide information and support to better understand and cope with autism for CYP and for parents and carers of CYP, following diagnosis.
The contract commences 9th January 2023 for a period of three years, expiring 8th January 2026, at an aggregate value of £398,000.
The contract award decision is as a result of a due diligence process undertaken as a negotiation without prior publication, under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020), following an unsuccessful open tender procedure published 16 September 2022 and conducted in compliance with the same Regulations (2022/S 000-026063).
The project aims to deliver the national and local ambition to design and implement a psychoeducational resource which:
- Provides information about autism as a diagnosis.
- Helps people come to terms with their diagnosis.
- Identifies additional coping strategies for everyday challenges (such as managing difficult sensory environments or stigma).
-Provides opportunities to engage with other autistic people who may have had similar experiences.
-Helps the parent/carer or young person feel empowered in living with their diagnosis.
Is available to parents/carers and young people on an ongoing basis, to be accessible as and when required.
The content will be evidence based, co-produced with families and professionals, and include a range of topics including financial advice, relational peer support, relationship management, emotional adjustment, long term stress management, resilience, stigma protection etc.
Successful delivery will require a combination of expertise, skills and experience in terms of the digital sphere, alongside experience of working with children, young people and families with SEND.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 100
Cost criterion - Name: Acceptance of Authority's budget over the term (Pass/Fail) / Weighting: 0
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
two.2.14) Additional information
Please see VI.3) Additional information.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- No tenders or no suitable tenders/requests to participate in response to open procedure
Explanation:
The Authority is lawfully permitted to make this award under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”) (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) (the Regulations).
The NHS Long Term Plan is committed to improving the assessment and support of children and young people (CYP) who may be autistic. To help achieve this, Contracting Authorities from health and care across Southend, Essex and Thurrock successfully secured investment from NHS England to carry out a project which delivers innovation to autism diagnostic and post-diagnostic pathways for children and young people.
A decision was made to undertake market engagement and a procurement exercise to seek a suitable provider who could support them to achieve their aims with the funding available.
The Authority issued an Invitation to Tender on 16th September in connection with the competitive procurement of an autism spectrum disorder post-diagnostic psychoeducational resource for parents and carers and young people in Essex. The process was conducted under the ‘non-light touch’ regime within the Regulations.
To ensure that the provider market was given an equal opportunity to fully understand the requirements of the procurement, a market engagement event was publicised on 30th August 2022 in Find a Tender Service and Contracts Finder and held via MS Teams Webinar on 12th September 2022 at 13:00 – 14:30pm. The event informed all potential bidders of the service, procurement principles, processes, and next steps.
The tender deadline expired at 12:00 noon on 19th October 2022 and unfortunately, on this occasion, the procurement exercise resulted in no tenders being received.
The Authority took a decision to conduct some further market engagement with interested and suitable providers (both those who did and did not express interest in the original tender), with an aim to run a different process using the same Specification, to select a suitable provider, under Regulation 32 (1) (a) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. As such the Authority contacted several organisations to understand what their potential interest was in working with us on this next phase of our project to ensure the Authority did not lose access and have to return NHSE funding, which is an outcome that is unacceptable to the ICBs and our partners on the project team, and one which we wished to avoid.
A series of 121 meetings were held, followed by a scored presentation to arrive at the award decision based on highest technical (quality) score. Thereafter a due diligence exercise is being undertaken with the Preferred Bidder (utilising the Crown Commercial Service's standard selection questionnaire) to ensure they are suitably qualified and experienced, supporting the award decision being made.
The Authority intends to award the contract to Kids Charity after expiry of a standstill period of 10 days (accommodating the three bank holidays in the interim period), concluding midnight on 5th January 2023.
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: 2022/S 000-026063
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Title
ASD Post-Diagnostic Psychoeducational Resource for Parents/Carers and Young People in Greater Essex
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
14 December 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
KIDS Charity
7 to 9 Elliott's Place
London
N1 8HX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKH3 - Essex
National registration number
Company limited by guarantee No: 1346252 - Registered Charity Number 275936
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £398,000
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £398,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Section I: Contracting authority
Name and addresses:
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10, Phoenix House, Christopher Martin Rd,
Basildon
SS14 3HG
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://https://www.midandsouthesssex.icb.nhs.uk
Name and addresses
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
Severalls Business Park, Aspen House, Stephenson Rd,
Colchester
CO4 9QR
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH3 - Essex
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk
Name and addresses
NHS Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House, Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk
Information about joint procurement:
The contract involves joint procurement
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice of England and Wales
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
Unit 10, Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road
Basildon
SS14 3HG
Country
United Kingdom