Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department for Work & Pensions
Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA
London
SW1H 9NA
UK
E-mail: cd.workwellnst@dwp.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
Social protection
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
WorkWell (Expansion) National Support Team
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80521000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The WorkWell (Expansion) National Support Team ("NST") Services are “learning and support services” under the Light-Touch Regime as set out in Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Department of Work and Pensions (“DWP”) (“Buyer”) intends to use the Crown Commercial Services ("CCS") RM6219 Learning and Training Services Dynamic Purchasing System (“DPS”) RM6219 to procure for the WorkWell (Expansion) NST. <br/><br/>Pursuant to regulation 48(1) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, the purpose of this Prior Information Notice (“PIN”) is to notify the market that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions plans to host a Supplier Engagement Event (“SEE”) to inform the market of a prospective tender opportunity for WorkWell (Expansion) NST Services. To provide a NST as part of the National Support Offer (“NSO”) to support the WorkWell programme. This PIN does not constitute and does not replace any invite the Buyer may issue to Suppliers to submit a tender in writing for any Order Contract for the provision of the WorkWell (Expansion) NST Services in accordance with the Order Procedure set out in Schedule 7 of DPS RM6219.<br/><br/>WorkWell is a programme which aims to better integrate local employment and health support for disabled people and people with health conditions to get in and get on in work. The NSO is designed to be made up of three interconnected elements, delivered nationally, regionally and locally. As described in the background sections. DWP is seeking to procure one supplier for one contract for the NST element of the NSO. The NST is a central team made up of experts providing bespoke learning and service improvement, coaching and best practice with a view to developing capabilities of Integrated Care Boards (“ICBs”) in England in all areas where the WorkWell programme is being delivered. This will be across three Core Functions, including but limited to:<br/> <br/>• Planning and Support - using insights from the pilot phase and the WorkWell Toolkit to guide both refinement and new design.<br/>• Learning and Evidence – lead the delivery of a structured programme of learning and change activities.<br/>• Service Improvement – lead the service improvement component of a current Performance and Assurance Framework. Integrating standards into all assurance tools and processes from day one.<br/><br/>The Order Contract is for the provision of WorkWell (Expansion) NST Services. Funding for the second and third years of the contract is expected to be granted in March 2027, the intention to have a 33-month contract period. Funding will be split as follows an initial term of 9 months + 12 months + 12 months.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
6 600 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC
UKD
UKE
UKF
UKG
UKH
UKI
UKJ
UKK
Main site or place of performance:
England
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Background:<br/><br/>WorkWell offers low-intensity holistic support for participants who are in-work or who have recently fallen out of work, and who have a health-related barrier to employment. WorkWell is delivered in local areas through cross-system partnerships led by ICBs. Locally led design and delivery are a key principle of the WorkWell model. <br/><br/>For further information about WorkWell please follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workwell<br/><br/>During the pilot phase and following a grant competition, 15 ICBs were awarded grant funding to pilot the WorkWell model over an 18-month period between October 2024 and March 2026. The learning from these pilot areas has been used to support the design of the next phase of the programme.<br/><br/>The next phase will be the roll-out of WorkWell to the remaining ICBs within England. This roll-out will also take into account geographical changes resulting from two tranches of ICB reform which will occur over the next two years with some ICBs formally merging whilst others informally cluster. More information can be found in the link below:<br/>https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/integrated-care-in-your-area/more-about-each-integrated-care-system/<br/><br/>The objectives of the WorkWell programme are supported by the delivery of a NSO. The NSOs key aim is to maximise the WorkWell programme’s potential for success. The NSO is an integral part of the delivery of WorkWell programme and will continue to support the national expansion of the WorkWell programme.<br/><br/>The NSO comprises of 3 elements:<br/><br/>1. The NST made up of experts providing bespoke learning and service improvement, coaching and best practice with a view to developing capabilities of ICBs in all areas where the WorkWell programme is being delivered.<br/>2. Regional advisors to support ICBs at a regional level to implement the WorkWell programme.<br/>3. A Learning and Change Manager to be an NHS advocate for WorkWell, and advisor to ICBs in each area within which the WorkWell is being delivered.<br/><br/>This DPS RM6219 Order Procedure will focus on procuring the NST element of the NSO.<br/><br/>Registration and Expression of Interest:<br/><br/>To be part of this procurement competition all interested suppliers are required to:<br/><br/>- Be registered on the Atamis e-procurement system – by 4th March 2026. <br/>- Be appointed on the Crown Commercial Service (“CCS”) – DPS RM6219 before 9th March 2026. Applications can take up to 3 weeks from the date an application is submitted if any clarification is required.<br/>- Be appointed onto the DPS RM6219 to be invited to the Invitation to Tender.<br/>- Be available under the following filters which will be applied to the DPS RM6219 to shortlist suppliers for this opportunity, please ensure when registering that you are available under the following categories:<br/><br/>• Service – Bespoke Training<br/>• Learning Category – Specialist/Niche<br/>• Training Services – Learning Consultancy and Advice<br/><br/>- Complete a Capability Assessment – which can be found within the WorkWell (Expansion) NST Opportunity Notice in the Atamis e-procurement system - Deadline 11th March 2026 at 05:00pm GMT<br/><br/>The Buyer intends to undertake a Capability Assessment exercise with suppliers appointed to the DPS RM6219. The purpose of this assessment is to identify those suppliers with the demonstrable capacity, capability, and relevant experience to deliver the services required under the forthcoming procurement.<br/><br/>Once suppliers are registered on Atamis they will be required to complete the Capability Assessment which can be found within the WorkWell (Expansion) NST Opportunity Notice in the Atamis e-procurement system. Completion of the assessment will be mandatory for participation in the subsequent tender stage. Only suppliers who meet all aspects of the Capability Assessment and who have been successfully appointed by CCS on DPS RM6219 will be shortlisted and issued with the Invitation to Tender (ITT) scheduled 13th March 2026.<br/><br/>The Capability Assessment will cover the following questions:<br/>• Do you have knowledge and expertise of the inter-relationships between work and health and its significance for individuals and communities?<br/>• Do you have experience of working with ICBs in England?<br/>• Do you have experience of problem solving and managing change in a whole system context?<br/>• Do you have experience of implementing a quality assurance and continuous improvement programme? <br/>• Do you have the ability and capacity to deliver an effective learning programme to support service improvement across all ICBs?<br/><br/>Suppliers will need to submit their responses on the Atamis e-procurement system by Wednesday 11th March 2026 05:00pm GMT. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to verify information provided and to exclude suppliers who do not meet the required standards.<br/>In order to attend the virtual Supplier Engagement event due to take place on 19th March 2026 at 11:00am GMT, suppliers will need to register their interest via DWP’s Atamis e-procurement system. <br/><br/>Registration to Atamis can be made by following this link : https://dwp2.my.site.com/s/Welcome<br/><br/>For a list of supplier minimum requirements and instructions on how to apply to join the DPS RM6219 download CCS’s ‘Quick supplier guide’ from the ‘Documents’ section of CCS’s RM6219 webpage (https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6219).<br/>Before applying, suppliers should first read the DPS RM6219 bid pack (https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/download/open?fr=DPS_PROFILE_LEARNING), to check they agree to the standard terms and conditions associated with the DPS RM6219.<br/><br/>The WorkWell (Expansion) NST Services are required to be delivered between 1st July 2026 and 31st March 2029. Further details will be provided at the Supplier Engagement event.<br/><br/>For further information about the WorkWell programme please follow this link: WorkWell - (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workwell)
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
12/06/2026
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
17/02/2026