Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-11-17
Buyer: NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services
Estimated value: 77308 GBP

Technical requirements: Online Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for School Teaching Staff Service NHS County Durham CCG and NHS Tees Valley CCG
The Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for school teaching staff service contract will be awarded by the NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (The CCGs) using a single tender action process as outlined in Regulation 32, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process for the following reasons:
In considering Reg 32 (b) part (ii) PCR2015 the contracting authority believes that competition is absent for technical reasons.
A Market engagement exercise has been conducted published on Contracts Finder 21 August 2020 and failed to attract more than one potential provider from the market who has expressed interest and has the capacity and capability to deliver such a service as per the specification within the timeframe requested. The only alternative model identified was a collaborative service provision between online service provider coupled with another provider who could supply BAHCP qualified counselling support staff for this service. No respondent to the market engagement exercise offering this potential alternative model was able to confirm ability to mobilise such a service provision for December 2020. On this basis the market is evidencing at this time that no apparent alternative or substitute exists who can provide the full level of service required within the timeframes stipulated. Only one particular operator has expressed interest and is able to meet the technical requirements for this work in providing evidence to the mental health data set (MHDS), having the technical systems set up to mobilise the work and the provision of BAHCP accredited counselling staff to facilitate within the required timeline.
Covid-19 pandemic impact requiring additional support mechanisms for teaching staff within the context of mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic that for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authorities, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.
This contract is the online mental health and wellbeing support for school teaching staff service for County Durham and Tees Valley Area.
— improve the emotional wellbeing and mental health of teachers by providing an early response to emotional wellbeing and/or emerging mental health needs;
— improve access to mental health services for teachers and support through the use of digital services built around the needs and views of service users.
— provide an online counselling and support service 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with counsellors online from 12.00 noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at weekends (reduced hours during Christmas Bank Holidays);
— target teachers with emotional wellbeing and/or emerging mental health problems, many of whom will require low level/targeted/short-term intervention and support.
The service would be expected to gather feedback for service users to continuously improve the service, report results of the evaluation to commissioners.
The Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for school teaching staff service contract will be awarded by the NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (The CCGs) using a single tender action process as outlined in Regulation 32, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process for the following reasons:
In considering Reg 32 (b) part (ii) PCR2015 the contracting authority believes that competition is absent for technical reasons.
A Market engagement exercise has been conducted published on Contracts Finder 21 August 2020 and failed to attract more than one potential provider from the market who has expressed interest and has the capacity and capability to deliver such a service as per the specification within the timeframe requested. The only alternative model identified was a collaborative service provision between online service provider coupled with another provider who could supply BAHCP qualified counselling support staff for this service. No respondent to the market engagement exercise offering this potential alternative model was able to confirm ability to mobilise such a service provision for December 2020. On this basis the market is evidencing at this time that no apparent alternative or substitute exists who can provide the full level of service required within the timeframes stipulated. Only one particular operator has expressed interest and is able to meet the technical requirements for this work in providing evidence to the mental health data set (MHDS), having the technical systems set up to mobilise the work and the provision of BAHCP accredited counselling staff to facilitate within the required timeline.
Covid-19 pandemic impact requiring additional support mechanisms for teaching staff within the context of mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic that for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authorities, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.


Winner: Xenzone Ltd
Award value: 77308