Scope
Reference
C396416
Description
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is seeking to commission an external provider to deliver a pilot "waiting well" service, designed to offer accessible, non-clinical support to adults (aged 18 and over) who are on the waiting list for an adult gender clinic in the southwest of England.
The pilot service will take a holistic approach, offering comprehensive support to eligible users as they prepare for their first clinic appointment as well as providing tailored advice and information, promoting healthier lifestyle choices such as smoking cessation and weight management, and promptly identifying individuals in crisis for rapid referral or signposting to appropriate services.
The overarching aims of the service are to:
-Improved self-reported wellbeing and resilience
-Increased readiness for first appointment with gender dysphoria clinic
-Increased ability to self-manage symptoms while awaiting clinical care.
-Reduced isolation and increased social connectedness.
The appointed provider will also work closely with an oversight and monitoring group to agree on outcome measures and systematically gather data, enabling robust, evidence-based evaluation of the service's effectiveness and efficiency.
Contract Project Reference: C396416
Contract term: 12 months. The contract may be extended by a maximum of 3 months. The option to extend is optional to the Authority and is not planned at this stage, and if the option is exercised, additional funding must be obtained through internal approval processes.
Estimated contract value (Excluding extensions): £125,000 excluding VAT (£150,000 including VAT). Any contract extension will be remunerated on a pro-rata basis, proportionate to the original contract value.
Total value (estimated)
- £125,000 excluding VAT
- £150,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 28 January 2026 to 27 January 2027
- Possible extension to 27 March 2027
- 1 year, 2 months
Description of possible extension:
The contract may be extended. The option to extend is optional to the Authority and is not planned at this stage, and if the option is exercised, additional funding must be obtained through internal approval processes.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services
- 85323000 - Community health services
- 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services
Contract locations
- UKK - South West (England)
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
8 December 2025, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
15 December 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tender must be submitted via esourcing portal Atamis.
The opportunity will be available on the Health Family Atamis eTendering System. You must be registered to have full access to all documents. Select this link to access and register your organisation to the Atamis system https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome, if you have not already done so. Registration is free of charge. You can search for the project by using the contract reference.
Once you have found the Opportunity, press the 'Register Interest' button to register your interest. This will make the project to appear on 'My proposals and quotes'. From there you can review documents, send clarification messages, submit the response, or decline to respond, if you decide not to participate in the opportunity. For full details on the instruction to tender and terms of participations please refer to the Invitation to Tender document.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
This tender will be evaluated on 100% quality with 5 award criteria questions.
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Special regime
Light touch
Contracting authority
Department of Health & Social Care
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PMQG-9965-CHZR
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
United Kingdom
Email: victoria.mclaren@dhsc.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Organisation type: Public authority - central government