Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
South Ayrshire Council
County Buildings, Wellington Square
Ayr
KA7 1DR
UK
Telephone: +44 3001230900
E-mail: procurement@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
NUTS: UKM94
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/procurement/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00405
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
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
Provision of a Recovery College
Reference number: CE-129-25
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership are proposing to commission a Mental Health Recovery College. Recovery Colleges take an educational approach to mental health and is informed by a combination of recovery, adult education, and community education principles.
The aim of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to identify Providers who would be interested in a proposed future Contract opportunity for this requirement.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85310000
85300000
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM94
Main site or place of performance:
South Ayrshire
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Mental health and wellness are recognised as an important and essential component of health and is fundamental to the ability to live and enjoy life.
Recovery can be a voyage of self-discovery and personal growth, which does not impose limits on people. Experiences of mental illness can provide opportunities for change, reflection and discovery of new values, skills, and interests.
South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership are proposing to commission a Mental Health Recovery College. Recovery Colleges take an educational approach to mental health and is informed by a combination of recovery, adult education, and community education principles.
It is envisaged that the service will provide open access to all from 16 years plus, regardless of whether they are known to mental health services and whether they have a diagnosed mental health condition at the time of presentation. The service will support all patients into recovery (according to their individual recovery goals) whether they have long-term enduring mental health conditions, are nearing a point of crisis or where the individual’s goal is around prevention and early intervention.
Courses are expected to be delivered cover a range of areas; from developing and enhancing social skills, assisting, and promoting recovery, through to development of peer works through peer training (e.g. Peer2Peer) and preparing people to begin or return to work or training for work. Therefore, latterly in a student’s journey in the Recovery College there would be an expectation that they would have access to, where they wish, vocational courses.
Key service deliverables are anticipated to be:
- Pro-active promotion and engagement and will ensure that the service is reaching the community where the need is greatest. This includes ensuring that courses are delivered in each of the three localities within South Ayrshire.
- Support to identify and achieve their individual recovery goals using monitoring tools to map and identify progress towards recovery.
- Commitment to developing a co-produced model within the college as well as a commitment to developing a structured peer support approach by developing individuals into this role as much as possible.
- Service delivery from appropriately qualified staff with the relevant skills and experience and, appropriately, people with lived experience of mental health problems in either an employment or voluntary arrangement.
- Will be required to facilitate the delivery of (and directly deliver if appropriate) courses as per the Recovery College model.
- To be organised and delivered in a way to maximise patient involvement and continued participation until the point of jointly agreed recovery. Individuals should be supported to recover and transition through the Recovery College.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 60
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
Recurrent in January 2031
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:
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 III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
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
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
90% Quality and 10% Price
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing 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:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-035867
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
26/06/2026
Local time: 12:00
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
Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
26/06/2026
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
January 2031
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 or regulation 8 of The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016 .
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 31265. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
This procurement will include a Community Benefit requirement.
It has become clear that there is scope within the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 which applies to public contracts, to use contracts to deliver wider social benefits such as:
- Targeted recruitment and training (providing employment and training opportunities/Apprenticeships)
- SME and social enterprise development
- Community engagement
As part of your tender response, Tenderers are requested to provide an outline of all community benefits they can offer for this contract.
(SC Ref:832112)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
15/05/2026