Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
MERSEY CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
RW4
V7 Building, Kings Business Park, Prescot
Liverpool
L341PJ
UK
Contact person: Rebecca Mottershaw-King
E-mail: rebecca.mottershaw-king@merseycare.nhs.uk
NUTS: UKD71
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.merseycare.nhs.uk
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
Independent Sector Bed Use for Cheshire and Merseyside adult secure patients
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85111000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Activity‑based commissioning of independent sector secure inpatient beds, reimbursed on a cost‑per‑case (occupied bed day) basis, including core clinical treatment within the agreed bed day rate, with additional elements managed in line with contract pricing schedules.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
.01
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC
UKD
UKE
UKF
UKG
UKH
UKI
UKJ
UKK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The contract is for the provision of adult secure mental health and learning disability and/or autism services for patients from Cheshire and Merseyside, delivered in line with nationally agreed NHS contracts and service specifications.
The service includes the provision of secure inpatient care tailored to individual patient need, supporting assessment, treatment, recovery and progression through the secure care pathway. Services are commissioned on a cost-per-case basis, enabling flexibility to respond to changes in demand and patient acuity, and supporting timely access to appropriate placements.
The Authority intends to award a contract to the existing provider, Cygnet Health Care, following Direct Award Process C under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR).
The contract will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The approximate total lifetime value of the contract is £0.01.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard
/ Weighting: 100
Price
/ Weighting:
0
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
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
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the Directive
Explanation
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. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by Thursday 2 July 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section V: Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
31/03/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Cygnet Health Care
02141256
18 Kings Hill Avenue
West Malling
ME19 4AE
UK
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.cygnetgroup.com/
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: .01
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.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. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice.
Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by Thursday 2 July 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
Representations should be submitted in writing to: rebecca.mottershaw-king@merseycare.nhs.uk.
Decision-makers
The decision to award this contract was made by PROSPECT Lead Provider Collaborative Senior Management Team in line with delegated authority and governance arrangements.
Conflicts of interest
Conflicts of interest identified among decision-making group: none.
Where conflicts or potential conflicts were identified, these were declared and managed in accordance with organisational policies. The non-conflicted members assessed the nature and risk of the conflict and agreed appropriate mitigation actions, including delegation to non-conflicted members, to ensure a fair and transparent decision-making process.
Key criteria and rationale
The relevant authority considered the key criteria set out in the Provider Selection Regime, including:
Quality and safety of services
Ability to meet patient need and deliver outcomes
Value for money and financial sustainability
Integration, collaboration and continuity of care
Access and reducing health inequalities
The relative importance of these criteria was determined based on the need to ensure safe, high-quality, and continuous provision of specialised secure services, while maintaining value for money and supporting system flow across the Cheshire and Merseyside pathway.
The decision to award the contract to Cygnet Health Care reflects that the provider:
Is currently delivering the services to the required standard
Demonstrates the ability to meet ongoing demand and patient acuity on a cost-per-case basis
Supports continuity of care and minimises disruption to patients within secure pathways
Provides capacity that supports timely access to appropriate placements and patient flow
On this basis, the authority is satisfied that the provider is capable of continuing to deliver the services in line with the key criteria and system requirements, and that Direct Award Process C is appropriate as the service is not subject to considerable change.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Prescot
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
19/06/2026