Social and other specific services – public contracts
Contract award notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Brighton and Hove City Council
Hove Town Hall, Norton Road
Hove
BN33BQ
UK
Contact person: Procurement Team
E-mail: procurement@brighton-hove.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ21
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/sesharedservices/aspx/Home
I.1) Name and addresses
East Sussex County Council
County Hall, St Anne's Crescent, Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1UE
UK
Contact person: Procurement Team
E-mail: procurement@brighton-hove.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ22
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
West Sussex County Council
County Hall, Chichester
East Sussex
PO19 1RQ
UK
Contact person: Procurement Team
E-mail: procurement@brighton-hove.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ2
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board
Sackville House, Brooks Close, Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2FZ
UK
Contact person: Procurement Team
E-mail: procurement@brighton-hove.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ2
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Advocacy Services for Adults
Reference number: BHCC - 038104
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board invited applications to tender for a contract to provide an integrated advocacy service for the Commissioners with a central point of access. This is a contract award notice.
This commission is outcome focused and the Commissioners would welcome new and creative approaches to service provision that could deliver the outcomes through different ways of working and/or by building on existing good practice.
The Commissioners will award one contract with one Service Provider. The Service Provider may Sub-Contract with specialist providers ('Sub-Contractors') in the delivery of elements of the Services as a Lead Provider Model. However, the Service Provider will remain responsible for the delivery of all elements of the Services and will deliver the different elements within a single service structure using uniform processes and systems for management and monitoring of the Services.
The Service Provider will directly provide or work in partnership or sub-contract to deliver:
i. Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex
ii. Relevant Person's Paid Representative (RPPR) service across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex;
iii. Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex;
iv. Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex;
v. Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) for Brighton & Hove;
vi. Community Mental Health Advocacy for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex;
vii. and Specialist Community Advocacy for Brighton & Hove.
The Commissioners wish to appoint a Service Provider suitably experienced in leading and developing advocacy provision with an excellent track record of providing the relevant statutory and non-statutory advocacy services. Service Providers will need to demonstrate how the model will be implemented and work in practice and particularly how the Service Provider will manage its supply chain, if any, to ensure compliance with the contract requirements in terms of quality.
The Service Provider will need to demonstrate their understanding of the unique and diverse make-up each local authority area and how they will ensure that their proposed service will be accessible, engaging and reflect need and also demonstrate impact of the Services.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
6 658 308.41
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85300000
98000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ2
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Procurement Contract Regulations 2015 classifies some social care services and other specific services as "Light Touch". These services are subject to different, more flexible rules and thresholds than ordinary public contracts under the Act. The Advocacy services required fall under 'Light Touch Regime'.
This procurement is governed by the Procurement Contract Regulations 2015.
The Commissioners are using the Open Procedure.
The contract for the provision of Advocacy Services will be for an initial period of five (5) years, plus an optional extension period of two (2) years. The Contract will be for a maximum of seven (7) years.
Any interested organisation with the experience, capability and capacity to deliver the ambition laid out in the tender documents may submit a tender return in response to this contract notice.
The Commissioners welcome collaborations and partnerships, subject to them appointing a lead provider to act on their behalf as the lead contracting party taking overall responsibility for delivery of the Advocacy services in accordance with the requirements of the Contract.
Please see the published tender documentation for details of award criteria.
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 IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2024/S 000-035803
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: 1
Title: Advocacy Services for Adults
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
25/03/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
The Advocacy People
3963421
Hastings
UK
NUTS: UKJ22
Internet address(es)
URL: www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 6 658 308.41
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
08/07/2025