Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Scorex House, West 1 Bolton Road
Bradford
BD1 4AS
UK
Contact person: Martin Pursey
E-mail: wyicb-kirk.procurement@nhs.net
NUTS: UKE4
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.westyorkshire.icb.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
NHSWYICB - Here for You Wakefield
Reference number: C355459
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
7 day a week Here For You service for adults in mental health crisis in Wakefield.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
4 850 580.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKE45
Main site or place of performance:
Wakefield
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Contract Authority; NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board intends to award a contract to an existing provider following Direct Award Process C. The authority is publishing this notice in Find a Tender in accordance with the NHS Provider Selection Regime.<br/><br/>Contract Period: 01/04/2027 - 31/03/2030 with an option to extend for 2 Years<br/><br/>Contract Value: £4,850,580
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: The existing provider(s) is satisfying the contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard.
/ Weighting: 100
Cost criterion: The existing provider(s) is satisfying the contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard.
/ 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
II.2.14) Additional information
The Record of Decision Making created at the time of the decision confirms that the service:<br/>• is an existing service;<br/>• is delivered by an existing provider Touchstone-Leeds;<br/>• is replacing a contract that is due to expire; and<br/>• is therefore eligible in principle for Direct Award Process C.<br/>The Record also identifies the named decision maker, senior approving bodies, contract value and term, and confirms that no conflicts of interest were declared. This document evidences that the decision was taken consciously and contemporaneously within the PSR framework, rather than by default or assumption.<br/><br/>The Here For You Wakefield specification demonstrates that the proposed contract does not introduce considerable change when compared with the existing arrangements across the following aspects:<br/>• the service model remains an integrated pathway within crisis mental health;<br/>• the population, geography, referral routes and eligibility criteria are unchanged;<br/>• delivery remains with the same incumbent provider, using the same delivery model;<br/>• there is no reconfiguration or transfer of material risk.<br/>The ICB actively reviewed the proposed scope, outcomes, delivery model, and risk profile against the existing contract and concluded that these elements did not meet the PSR “considerable change” threshold. While the specification is presented in an updated format, the underlying service is consistent with the existing contract.<br/>Regulation 6(12) External Factors Exception has been applied to extend the operating hours of the service and resultantly increased the contract price. This change in operational hours is directly attributable to the NHS England requirement to develop a 24/7 mental health crisis pathway. The increase in contract value is therefore directly attributable to national policy changes external to both the commissioner and provider rather than a commissioner-led redesign or expansion of service scope. To confirm, the change is limited to opening hours rather than service scope. The annual value of the contract will increase approximately 35% due to this increase in opening hours. <br/><br/>The Service Review Template – PSR Key Criteria provides detailed, narrative based evidence demonstrating that the existing provider:<br/>• is satisfying the current contract to a sufficient standard; and<br/>• is likely to satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard.<br/>The Service Review assesses performance against all PSR key criteria, including:<br/>• Quality and innovation – evidenced by service outcomes including direct relay from ambulance services and Accident and Emergency diversion. For example, 2025-26 saw referrals for 567 individuals, of which 9% were directly from Yorkshire Ambulance Service.<br/>• Value and stewardship of public funds – demonstrated through<br/>return on investment, efficiency gains, cost effectiveness and system savings due to Accident and Emergency diversion for those experiencing mental health crisis. In 2025-26 direct referrals from Yorkshire Ambulance Service alone were estimated to have saved Emergency departments between £12,500 and £200,000.<br/>• Integration, collaboration, and sustainability – reflected in partnership working across the mental health crisis pathway, alignment with wider pathways, embedded delivery and training development across relevant parts of the system. For example, in 2025-26 Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training was provided to 93 practitioners across Wakefield and Leeds. There were also 1042 occasions on which Here For You service users were signposted to other sources of support/ <br/>• Access, inequalities, and choice – supported by targeted interventions to support frequent users, inclusive or adapted provision and reach into underserved and priority populations through Pathways Development provision. Choice is a key element of Here For You and provision medium service user led; in 2025-26 63% of 1:1 support was provided via telephone and 37% face to face. <br/>• Social value – including<br/>prevention activity, community capacity building, wider economic and social benefits (e.g. Real Living Wage employer, Investors in People Platinum) and intrinsic value of locally rooted, not for profit organisation. Touchstone are also ranked Most Inclusive Charity Employer in the Inclusive Companies Top 50 Employers Awards 2025.<br/>The ICB considered not only historic performance, but also whether the provider’s established workforce, governance arrangements and delivery model provide assurance of continued performance under the proposed contract. The proposed contract does not introduce expanded cohorts or increase shift level demand beyond that already successfully managed by the provider. The provider’s ability to expand operating hours is demonstrated by the strong success in remodelling service provision hours in other areas.<br/><br/>In determining the appropriate procurement route, the ICB considered whether a competitive process would deliver additional benefit. Given the continuity of need, the integration of the service and provider into mental health crisis pathways in Wakefield, the provider’s performance and the risks associated with service disruption, the ICB concluded that a competitive process would not be proportionate to the time, cost and delivery risk involved.<br/>Taken together, the three documents; Record of Decision Making, Service Specification and Service Review Template provide a coherent and auditable justification for the use of Direct Award Process C, demonstrating that:<br/>• the regulatory conditions for Process C are met;<br/>• the decision was taken lawfully, transparently, and proportionately<br/>• the existing provider sufficiently meets the PSR criteria; and<br/>• continuity of a effective and system beneficial service is in the best interests of patients and the wider system.
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:
New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services and ordered in accordance with the strict conditions stated in 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 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the Standstill Period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 16 September 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award a contract 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
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
02/09/2026
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
Touchstone - Leeds
02200394
Touchstone House, 2-4 Middleton Crescent
LEEDS
LS11 6JU
UK
Telephone: +44 1132718277
E-mail: sharonb@touchstonesupport.org.uk
NUTS: UKE42
Internet address(es)
URL: http://touchstonesupport.org.uk
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
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:
: 4 850 580.00
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 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the Standstill Period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 16 September 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the PSR.<br/><br/>Written representations should be sent to wyicb-kirk.procurement@nhs.net<br/><br/>The Provider has submitted evidence against the Basic Selection Criteria. The evidence was reviewed by the ICB and the outcomes are set out below: <br/>Criterion Evidence Reviewed Outcome<br/>Financial standing Latest accounts reviewed Pass<br/>Indemnity arrangements Insurance evidence reviewed Pass<br/>Information governance Policies reviewed Pass<br/>Safeguarding Policies reviewed Pass<br/>Exclusion/debarment checks Check completed Pass<br/><br/>This confirmed that the provider met all minimum requirements. No issues were identified that would preclude the provider from continuing to deliver the service.<br/><br/>The service was evaluated by both the Contract Manager for Adult Mental Health and Learning Disability and WYICB (Wakefield) Lead for Adult Mental Health and Dementia against the PSR Key Criteria (equally weighted as of high importance) using narrative based evidence service review. <br/><br/>In line with the Provider Selection Regime statutory guidance, the Here For You Wakefield service was assessed against the PSR key criteria and Touchstone-Leeds were found to deliver high quality, safe and effective care, demonstrate strong integration within the Wakefield mental health crisis system, provide good value for money and actively improve access and reduce health inequalities. The findings were as follows:<br/><br/>Key Criteria Outcome<br/>Quality and Innovation Strongly assured<br/>Value Strongly assured<br/>Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability Strongly assured<br/>Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice Strongly assured<br/>Social value Strongly assured <br/><br/>The assessment concluded that the existing provider continues to meet and exceed the PSR requirements and that contract continuation best supports patient outcomes, system stability and social value, with no identified benefit in opening the service to competition at this time. <br/><br/>Having considered the evidence against the PSR key criteria, the provider's current and likely future performance, the absence of considerable change to the service, and the external factors necessitating the extension of operating hours, the Decision Maker is satisfied that the conditions for Direct Award Process C are met and that awarding the contract to Touchstone-Leeds represents the most appropriate approach for securing the needs of patients and the wider health system.<br/><br/>No Conflict of Interest raised<br/><br/>Approver: Wakefield Place Management Team & Director of Partner Relationship Management
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
WYICB PSR Review Panel
Scorex House, West 1 Bolton Road
Bradford
BD1 4AS
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
NHS England Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel
London
London
SE1 8UG
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/how-commissioning-is-changing/nhs-provider-selection-regime/independent-patient-choice-and-procurement-panel/
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Scorex House, West 1 Bolton Road
Bradford
BD1 4AS
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
04/09/2026