Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB)
No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park
Warrington
WA1 1QY
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKD - North West (England)
NHS Organisation Data Service
QYG
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.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
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB - Adult Autism Post-Diagnosis Support Service (AAPDSS) - Halton and Warrington Place
Reference number
WHISP345
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU) is acting as an agent on behalf of NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) who were looking to undertake a Competitive Process for the provision of a Adult Autism Post Diagnosis Support Service (AAPDSS) covering Halton and Warrington Places.
The service will offer psychosocial support to adults registered with a Halton or Warrington General Practice who have received an Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis. People who are awaiting a diagnosis and have been identified as needing support whilst waiting may also be referred.
The service will be accessed through referral only. Referrals will mainly be initiated by the adult autism assessment provider or via self-referral (or carer/family referring on behalf of individual as appropriate). Referrals can additionally be made by other service providers who work with adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC).
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: £600,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKD6 - Cheshire
- UKD7 - Merseyside
Main site or place of performance
Halton and Warrington
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice is an intention to award a contract under the competitive process for Adult Autism Post-Diagnosis Support Service (AAPDSS) - Halton and Warrington Place.
The current service was due to end on Thursday 31st July 2025 with the intended start date being 1st August 2025. However, due to a delay within the ICB, the current contract will now end Friday 31st October 2025 and it is the intention of the ICB to start commissioning a new contract from Monday 3rd November 2025 for 3 years (until 2nd November 2028), with an option to extend for a further 2 years (until 2nd November 2030).
Contract Start Date: 3rd November 2025
Contract End Date: 2nd November 2030
This one contract will cover both Halton and Warrington places.
The approximate lifetime value of the contract is £600,000. The total financial envelope was £120,000 per annum for both places (£600,000 for 3 years with an option to extend for 2 years), excl. VAT. The cost analysis was based on the lowest total overall price submitted (for 3 years + 2 year optional extension).
Any bid was not to exceed the maximum financial envelope of £60,000 per annum per place (Halton Place - £60,000 and Warrington Place - £60,000).
Any bid that exceeded this criterion was to be viewed as Non-Compliant and would take no further part in the procurement exercise.
The service will offer psychosocial support to adults registered with a Halton or Warrington General Practice who have received an Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis. People who are awaiting a diagnosis and have been identified as needing support whilst waiting may also be referred.
1 bidder has been selected as the highest overall scoring bidder and has been recommended as a successful bidder.
This service is an existing service. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust will be a new provider.
The contract award criteria was specified in the procurement documents. The procurement documents included the contract award criteria, including the agreed relative importance of key criteria (e.g., weighting, prioritisation) against which, bids were evaluated.
This process was a competitive process, in accordance with regulation 11 of the provider selection regime 2023 for the award of a contract with a competition.
This ITT was made available to all Bidders who have expressed a potential interest in delivering this service in line with the requirements which fall under Regulation 11 for the award of a contract with a competition, and Schedule 1 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. As such, the competitive tendering of these Services was run as a bespoke, single-stage tender process as described in the documentation in this ITT, and in the Find a Tender contract notice advertisement.
The ITT was live on Wednesday 19th February 2025 on the Atamis Portal. The deadline for submission was 28th March 2025 12:00pm mid day.
The Atamis contract reference was C336385 - 'C&M ICB Adult Autism Post-Diagnosis Support Service - Warrington and Halton Feb 2025'.
The questionnaires were located within the requirements.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Section A - Quality and Innovation / Weighting: 37
Quality criterion - Name: Section C - integration, collaboration and service sustainability / Weighting: 13
Quality criterion - Name: Section D - improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Section E - Social Value / Weighting: 10
Cost criterion - Name: Section B - Value (Price) / Weighting: 20
Cost criterion - Name: Section B - Value (Risk) / Weighting: 10
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
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 000-007333
Section five. Award of contract
Title
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB - Adult Autism Post-Diagnosis Support Service (AAPDSS) - Halton and Warrington Place
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
12 September 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 7
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Prescot
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKD - North West (England)
Companies House
00130163
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £600,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
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.
From the next working day after the publication of this notice, marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by midnight 8th October 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the competitive process of the PSR.
Representations should be sent to Claire Tyghe, Senior Contract Manager (Health), NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB, via claire.tyghe@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk.
- The decision to award the contract was approved by the Senior Leadership Team (Halton) and the Senior Leadership Team (Warrington).
No conflicts were identified from individuals making the decision.
Bidders who submitted a bid over the maximum contract value, for would not achieve the score of a pass.
Bids which achieved pass / provisional pass criteria in the basic selection and quality pass/fail questions, were to be assessed for the below scored questions.
As part of the tender, for questions in '01 Basic Selection' (Basic Selection and Quality Pass/Fail questions) and '02 Common Questions', completion was required once only.
The bidder then had to complete the Technical envelope which included the below relative key criteria.
- Quality & Innovation - 37.00%
- Value - 30.00%
- Integration, Collaboration, Service Sustainability - 13.00%
- Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities, Facilitating Choice - 10.00%
- Social Value - 10.00%
The highest weighted key criteria was considered by the Trust to be of higher importance.
Following the completed evaluation and moderation process, the Bidder having passed the pass / fail criteria and with the highest combined scores, has been named as the successful Bidder for that lot.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB
Warrington
Country
United Kingdom