Tender

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Procurement of a Neurodivergence Support Service for Children, Young People (age 0-25 years) and their Families

NHS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

UK4: Tender notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-053541

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-05932c

Published 3 September 2025, 1:48pm

Scope

Description

This is a Procurement Act 2023 (Act) Contract Notice. The awarding of the contract is subject to Section 20 under the Act which came into force on 24th February 2025. The above service is classed as a Light Touch Regime service contract pursuant to the Act Regulation 9.

Following market engagement activities which took place between 19th June 2025 and 15th July 2025 including a virtual Market Engagement Event on 15th July 2025, NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Procurement Unit is issuing this Contract Notice on behalf of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) who is seeking to procure a Neurodivergence Support Service for Children, Young People and Families for the registered populations of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, UK.

The ICB intends to award one contract for the provision of a Neurodivergence Support Service for Children, Young People and Families to cover the population of the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, UK.

The contract will mobilise from the 1st May 2026 following a formal Competitive Tendering Procedure in accordance with Section 20 under the Act.

The aim of the service will be to support children, young people with neurodivergent needs and their families/support networks to understand their unique circumstances, strengths and challenges, and develop strategies that will enhance and improve day to day living for all.

This service will be independent of the Autism and ADHD diagnostic services, however, it will wrap around the core assessment pathway, providing a wide range of advice, information, support and other activities in environments that help people to feel safe and part of a wider network.

As the service will hold specialist expertise in supporting neurodivergent children, young people and their families, it is expected to play a key role in working with the Autism and ADHD diagnostic service and other key organisations, to support system-wide understanding of neurodivergent conditions and drive implementation of best-practice strategies that will enhance and improve day to day living for all.

The contract duration shall be for a period of 3 years with the option to extend for up to another 2 years, at the ICB's discretion.

The total lifetime value of the contract is £3,000,000 (i.e., for 3 years including the 2-year optional extension period ).

The ICB reserves the right to reject Bids that are unaffordable and above the affordability envelope of the project, where the proposed value exceeds the affordability threshold of £600,000.00 per annum and £3,000,000.00 for the total lifetime value of the contract (i.e for the 3-year contract period including the optional extension period of an additional 2 years.

Where VAT is recoverable by the ICB, this applies to the net cost (excluding VAT). Where VAT is not recoverable, the £600,000 per annum must cover the gross cost (including VAT).

Interested parties are invited to submit bids within Atamis project C373050 with regards to provision of the above service.

Full details of the service are set out in the Service Specification and accompanying tender documentation which are available to view in the Atamis Documents section of the above project.

Total value (estimated)

£2,400,000 excluding VAT
£3,000,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

1 May 2026 to 30 April 2029
Possible extension to 30 April 2031
5 years

Description of possible extension:

Up to 2 year optional extension, subject to mutual agreement.

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

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

Contract locations

UKG11 - Herefordshire, County of
UKG12 - Worcestershire

Participation

Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

Technical ability conditions of participation

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

Particular suitability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Submission

Enquiry deadline

22 September 2025, 5:00pm

Tender submission deadline

10 October 2025, 5:00pm

Submission address and any special instructions

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT BIDS:

NHS Midlands and Lancashire CSU is conducting this procurement exercise on behalf of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board with whom the successful bidder(s) will enter into a contract for the supply of the healthcare services.

The contract conditions will be set out in the Invitation to Tender.

This procurement exercise will be conducted via the Atamis e-tendering portal at:

https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

Please search for Atamis Project Reference: C373050

(i) Candidates should register on the portal at

https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome (registration and use of the website is free of charge). If your organisation has registered previously, you do not need to reregister.

(ii) Once registered, candidates must submit your bid(s) via the Atamis e-tendering portal by the deadline stated.

Should providers have any queries, or having problems

using the portal, you should contact the Atamis Helpdesk at:

Phone: 0800 9956035

E-mail: support-health@atamis.co.uk

Tenders may be submitted electronically

Yes

Languages that may be used for submission

English

Award decision date (estimated)

5 January 2026

Award criteria

This table contains award criteria for this lot
Name	Type	Weighting
Quality and Innovation	Quality	45.00%
Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability	Quality	25.00%
Improving Access, reducing health inequalities and Facilitating Choice /	Quality	20.00%
Social Value	Quality	10.00%

Other information

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes

Procedure

Procedure type

Open procedure

Special regime

Light touch

Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice

Market engagement activities which took place between 19th June 2025 and 15th July 2025 including a virtual Market Engagement Event on 15th July 2025, The Previous publication concerning the Market Engagement procedure was Notice number: 2025/S 000-033705, which was published on FTS on 19 June 2025, at 1:27pm.

Contracting authority