Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
RMY
County Hall
Norwich
NR1 2DH
UK
Contact person: Amanda Roberts
E-mail: ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk
NUTS: UKH1
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://nsft.nhs.uk
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Intensive and Assertive Outreach Service: Recovery and Outreach Sub-Contracted Element
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The contract for services will be awarded in the form of the NHS Standard Sub-contract. This Service is for the provision of an Intensive and Assertive Outreach (I&A) Service across Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Service is designed to deliver intensive, proactive, and flexible community-based care for individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) who present with elevated levels of complexity and risk and for whom engagement with traditional mental health services is a challenge.
Delivery will be through a blended model between Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) as the Head Provider and Sub-Contractors (encouraging Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) interest), ensuring a comprehensive offer that integrates clinical expertise with community-based engagement and recovery support.
The Sub-Contractor will play a critical role in enabling engagement, promoting recovery, and addressing the wider determinants of health, working as a fully integrated partner alongside NSFT clinical teams.
The Sub-Contractor(s) contribution is central to achieving the core ambition of the service:
No individual is excluded from care due to disengagement, complexity, or social circumstances.
Assertive Engagement and Outreach
The Sub-Contractor must:
• Deliver proactive, persistent outreach, particularly where individuals are disengaged
• Provide frequent contact, including daily visits in line with the care plan
• Engage individuals in a variety of settings, including:
- Their home
- Community settings
- Places where they feel safe
- In-reaching into hospitals or prisons if required to establish engagement and promote continuity of care
• Use creative and flexible engagement approaches, including:
- Doorstep engagement
- Accompaniment to appointments
- Informal relational contact
- Demonstrate the ability to sustain engagement over extended periods, particularly where trust is low
The sub-contractor(s) will provide:
• Assertive Engagement and Outreach
• Practical Support for Daily Living
• Community Participation and Social Inclusion
• Support to Access Healthcare (Including Mental Health Care)
• Medication Support (Non-Clinical)
• Substance Misuse and Harm Reduction
• Carer and Family Support
• Contribution to Risk Management
Sub-Contractors will work mainly in the Community travelling to Service Users and must demonstrate their ability to deliver outreach across urban, rural and coastal communities, including service users placed outside their immediate locality.
The service would be well suited for providers in the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise sector.
The full service specification, along with the full set of procurement documents, is available upon request by contacting ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
4 524 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKH14
UKH15
UKH16
UKH17
Main site or place of performance:
The service will be delivered across the Norfolk and Suffolk ICB boundary
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This procurement will follow the Competitive Provider Selection Regime (PSR) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of The Procurement Act 2023 Regulations do not apply to this award.
The full set of procurement documents (the tender pack) can be obtained on request by contacting ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
4 524 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/12/2026
End:
31/03/2033
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
The contract will be awarded with an initial term of 40 months (01 December 2026 - 31 March 2030) with an optional extension period of 2 + 1 years
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
Potential providers will be required to complete and pass the Basic Selection Criteria (Document 3 of the tender pack)
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2026/S 000-057746
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
06/09/2026
Local time: 23:59
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until:
31/12/2026
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
07/09/2026
Local time: 08:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.
Requests for the full set of procurement documents can be made via ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk and submissions must be made to the same address.
For the full set of instructions and the process overview please see Document 1 of the tender pack
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
County Hall, Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
UK
E-mail: ContractsTeam@nsft.nhs.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
31/07/2026