Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
UK
Contact person: Mr Matt Wellard
Telephone: +44 3000413221
E-mail: Matthew.Wellard@kent.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ4
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.kent.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.kent.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People
Reference number: DN759960
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85323000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This is a notice following a competition under the Competitive Process under the Provider Selection Regime 2023.
The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.
The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.
The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.
At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community; in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
12 064 736.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85323000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ4
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.
The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.
The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.
At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community; in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.
Conflicts of interest were managed throughout the process and none were declared.
The award decision maker for this opportunity was the relevant Cabinet Member who delegated authority to the Director of Public Health.
It is expected the contract will commence on the 12th September 2025 and will continue for a period of 5 year(s) and 5 months (65 months) unless terminated in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Contract.
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
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-014495
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 1
Contract No: CN250246
Title: CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
10/09/2025
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
Project Salus CIC
Greenacres Barn Pound Lane
Ashford
TN25 6RJ
UK
NUTS: UKJ4
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 12 064 736.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Kent County Council
Maidstone
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
10/09/2025