Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Kent County Council
County Hall
Maidstone
ME141XQ
Contact
Jordan Gurr
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ45 - Mid Kent
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Local Authority
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CN220350 (previously SC21032) Therapies - SEN, Adoption Support Service and VSK
Reference number
DN757681
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service : Tender Notice
Kent County Council is seeking to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, that supports children and young people in mainstream schools and across community settings, such as Family Hubs, during both term time and school holiday periods.
The service will hold a key role in supporting those children and young people who are either in mainstream schools and those who for various reasons are not attending school regularly (e.g. such as those home educated, non/low-school attendance, living in Refuges, etc) and have Speech and Language needs. This will be referred to as place-based settings.
This service will initially sit alongside the wider Community Services provided by the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) with an ambition for the services to be seamless provision to those accessing the Services.
The Balanced System® Framework is a framework for commissioning Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) for children and young people. The aim is to use the framework to understand, plan and evaluate services to support children and young people with SLCN within place-based settings across Kent. The Framework has been developed in line with both national policy and legislation, as well as professional guidance for Speech and Language Therapists, to deliver integrated services for children and young people.
Subject to acquiring approval, it is Kent County Council's intention to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, commencing 27 October 2025.
Service delivery will be in partnership and working with the wider stakeholders, including, but not limited to NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 District and Borough Councils, Medway Council.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award 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.
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: £13,020,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service : Tender Notice
Kent County Council is seeking to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, that supports children and young people in mainstream schools and across community settings, such as Family Hubs, during both term time and school holiday periods.
The service will hold a key role in supporting those children and young people who are either in mainstream schools and those who for various reasons are not attending school regularly (e.g. such as those home educated, non/low-school attendance, living in Refuges, etc) and have Speech and Language needs. This will be referred to as place-based settings.
This service will initially sit alongside the wider Community Services provided by the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) with an ambition for the services to be seamless provision to those accessing the Services.
The Balanced System® Framework is a framework for commissioning Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) for children and young people. The aim is to use the framework to understand, plan and evaluate services to support children and young people with SLCN within place-based settings across Kent. The Framework has been developed in line with both national policy and legislation, as well as professional guidance for Speech and Language Therapists, to deliver integrated services for children and young people.
Subject to acquiring approval, it is Kent County Council's intention to commission a Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Delivering Inclusion within the Curriculum for Education (DICE) Service, commencing 27 October 2025.
Service delivery will be in partnership and working with the wider stakeholders, including, but not limited to NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 District and Borough Councils, Medway Council.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award 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.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 1 - Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 25
Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 2 - Mobilisation and Contract Resourcing / Weighting: 20
Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 3 - Integration and Collaboration / Weighting: 20
Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 4 - Improving access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice / Weighting: 20
Quality criterion - Name: Key Criteria 5 - Social Value / Weighting: 15
Price - Weighting: 50
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.14) Additional information
To ensure that the successful bid meets an acceptable standard, the quality score must be at least 50%. The Council will award the contract using the Value per Other Key Criteria Point evaluation method.
This method involves dividing the total price of the bid by the score achieved against the key criteria. The formula used is:
Value per Other Key Criteria Point = Price (£) / Key Criteria Score
Only bids that meet the minimum quality threshold will be considered. Among those, the bid with the lowest Value per Other Key Criteria Point will be ranked highest. This bidder will be selected as the Council's Preferred Supplier.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open 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 000-030734
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
1 September 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Trinity House 110/120 Upper Pemberton Eureka Business Park
Ashford
TN25 4AZ
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £13,020,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £13,020,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice through a Competitive Process. 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.
Procured under PSR Provider Selection Regime - Competitive Process - no option to select 'Competitive Process' in drop down menu.
Standstill period is due to end at midnight on 11 September 2025.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Kent County Council
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
A standstill period of 8 working days will apply from the day after the publication of this notice. Concluding at midnight on 11 September 2025. During this period, representations may be made to the contracting authority using the contact details provided.
The contract will not be awarded until the standstill period has expired.