Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Town Hall, Victoria Square
Bolton
BL11RU
UK
E-mail: corporate.procurement@bolton.gov.uk
NUTS: UKD36
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.bolton.gov.uk/
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
Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist Contract
Reference number: TC175
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The aim of the service is to recruit 1 Occupational Therapy (OT) and 5 Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) professionals. This is one of the key components of the Experts at Hand model, and guidance is clear that our Experts at Hand Team must consist of SLT, OT, Educational Psychology and specialist teachers.
The Provider will need to mobilise at the beginning of November 2026 and meet the specification requirements.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
1 321 200.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKD
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is an intention to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider Process to the incumbent Provider Bolton Foundation Trust.
Contract Duration: One (1) year with the option for up to two (2) x one (1) year extensions.
Contract value: £440,400 for year 1. Approximate value for total contract including the extension periods is £ 1,321,200
The aim of the service is to recruit 1 Occupational Therapy (OT) and 5 Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) professionals. This is one of the key components of the Experts at Hand model, and guidance is clear that our Experts at Hand Team must consist of SLT, OT, Educational Psychology and specialist teachers. Through early engagement with education settings and practitioners, SLTs can support the identification and management of speech, language and communication needs, helping to improve children's ability to access learning, develop relationships and participate fully in school life. By embedding SLT expertise within the Experts at Hand approach, schools and professionals will be better equipped to meet needs at an earlier stage, reducing escalation, strengthening ordinarily available provision and ensuring that children receive timely, coordinated support within their local communities.
Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) service supports children, young people and adults who experience difficulties with communication, speech, language, social communication or swallowing. They work in people's homes schools, nurseries, health centres, family hubs and at the hospital.
The Occupational Therapy Service provides intervention, support and/or advice to children, young people, and their families, where they have a difficulty which impacts on their performance and participation in activities of everyday life to help them to reach their full potential. This service will focus on mainstream school settings.
Phase one of Boltons Experts at Hand work will include the following, for which will need the expertise of SLT and OT colleagues:
• The delivery of speech and language training to all schools to improve their ability to identify speech and language needs early and how to support children with these needs effectively.
• Engagement with the senior leaders in schools to engage in strategic planning meetings to identify current school practice and gaps in provision, analyse the information gathered from these meetings and plan for Phase two of Experts at Hand.
• Support with the facilitation of solution circles for schools.
• Support with environmental audits of school estates to identify capital work needed to improve the inclusivity of schools both in terms of the physical environment and the communication environment.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price
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
II.2.14) Additional information
Most suitable provider process with regard to the key criteria, 100% weighting.
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 works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation
The 'Type of Procure' above is incorrect, The Authority had to select this in order to publish the notice. An F01 Notice was published on Find a Tender in respect of this Most Suitable Provider Process under Notice 2026/S 000-095767 on 9 October 2026, 3:26pm. The contracting Authority has been unable to associate that notice electronically with this F03: Contract Award Notice due to a technical issue with the Find a Tender Service. For the avoidance of doubt, the contracting authority does not consider that no prior notice was published. The earlier notice can be located on Find a Tender using the notice reference above. If the technical issue preventing issue preventing the Authority linking the notice is rectified, the Authority will endeavour to update this notice.
Contract: 1 year with the option for up to 2 x 1 year extensions
Contract value: £440,400 for year 1. Approximate value for total contract including the extension periods is £ 1,321,200
Additional Information (VI.3)
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.
Declarations of Conflict Forms were completed by all individuals involved in the decisions about the provider selection. No conflicts of interest were declared.
The award decision makers are members of the Inclusion Team, SEND Children's Services and Commissioning.
The submission was assessed and the provider selected against the following key criteria:
• Quality and innovation
• Value
• Integration, collaboration, and service sustainability
• Improving access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice
• Social value
Bolton Foundation Trust as the incumbent provider has met the satisfactory requirements for the current Speech and Language therapy service SaLT - Children and young people - Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and the Childrens Occupational Therapy service Paediatric Occupational Therapy - SEND Local Offer for a number of years. The Bolton Foundation Trust are fully engaged with full communications with positive working relationships. The Bolton Foundation Trust also meet Bolton Council's priorities and vision for children by providing the best start to life, as well as achieving long term goals, for children to live as independently as possible with a good education.
They reach out into the Bolton communities from health settings, educational setting and home settings, to provide the child and the family/carer the support they need. The Bolton Foundation Trust are integrated with NHS, meaning they have all access/knowledge to the correct systems and processes, to allow fast mobilisation at short notice. The service has been shown to provide good value for money in the running of the service when exploring the market, which has been recognised from option appraisal processes.
The Authority, using the key criteria under Most Suitable Provider PSR route, has determined the preferred provider using the ranked criteria of critical importance for integration, collaboration, and service sustainability. Bolton Foundation Trust have been identified as the provider who can mobilise, deliver, and integrate with Bolton health, social care, and mainstream education settings in the required time period, above other providers. In addition, Bolton Foundation Trust are embedded into local systems and council mechanisms on a wider core basis and have proven quality and innovation for a number of years.
The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 23:59, Monday 23 November 2026 via email to corporate.procurement@bolton.gov.uk.
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:
No
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: TC175
Title: Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist Contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
11/11/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Road, Farnworth
Bolton
BL4 0JR
UK
NUTS: UKD3
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 1 321 200.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
London
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-and-tribunals/high-court/
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
11/11/2026