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Find a TenderAwarded without competition
Published 19 Jun 2023, 11:55 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services

Official notice

Authority: NHS Highland (NHS & healthcare)

ServicesAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competitionSME suitable
Sectors: Business Services & Consultancy (79) Delivery: Scotland (UKM6)
Awarded value£691,9802 contracts · exc. VAT
Awarded 1 Aug 2023no call for competition
Awarded to The Guardian Service Ltd3 awards
Contract term 2 yrsends 31 Jul 2025 · starts 1 Aug 2023

What is being bought

Published requirement description

NHS Highland requires the provision of Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom to Speak up Services for NHS staff.

CPV: Staff development services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1NHS Highland have been providing a Guardian / Speak up service since 2020, as…Awarded 2 yrs

NHS Highland have been providing a Guardian / Speak up service since 2020, as recommended in the Sturrock review, this is to provide an independent channel for colleague concerns to be raised where other channels have not worked or cannot be used. This service was aligned to include the National Whistleblowing standards in NHS Highland also in 2020.

The market was reviewed and the only established provider of this service that we have identified with appropriate and relevant NHS specific experience is The Guardian Service. The Guardian Service has been working with NHS Highland for the past three years and NHS Highland would like to continue to provide this service to its employees for a further 12 months with the option to extend for up to another 12 months.

Contract period: 1 Aug 2023 – 31 Jul 2025 (2 yrs)
Delivery: Scotland · NHS Highland Area
79633000 Staff development services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
19 Jun 2023, 11:55 BST
Last source update
5 Aug 2025, 14:24 BST
Authority reference
HH083-23-TW08
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-046168
Classification (CPV)
Staff development services
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM6)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-03d761 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
Published justification

This procurement is unique in that the provider is offering a technical solution, based on it's specific positioning and experience, the likes of which is not available elsewhere in exactly the form that we desire to employ.

Publisher note: (SC Ref:806074)

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

1 Aug 2023 → 5 Aug 2025 · 2 dates
  1. Contract starts
    1 Aug 2023, 00:00 BST
  2. Notice published
    5 Aug 2025, 14:24 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 3
Awarded value £691,9802 contracts exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once
Bids received 11 from SMEs
Contracts signed 3latest 1 Aug 2023
Awarded toValueDateStatus
The Guardian Service LtdSME£316,000 †—Awarded
The Guardian Service LtdSME£316,000 †same award published again · counted once—Awarded
The Guardian Service LtdSME£375,980 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 022410-2023-HH083-23-TW08-1 · The Guardian Service LtdSME

    Signed
    1 Aug 2023
    Value
    £316,000
    Period
    … – 31 Jul 2025
    Status
    active

  • Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services · The Guardian Service LtdSME

    Signed
    1 Aug 2023
    Value
    £375,980
    Period
    1 Aug 2023 – 30 Nov 2025
    Status
    active
    • Change The contract has been extended under the same Service requirements to allow for a recruitment to bring the service in house., Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: The service is required to continue while NHS Highland conducts their recruitment to bring the service in house.

  • Contract 017308-2023-HH083-23-HB-1 · The Guardian Service LtdSME

    Signed
    14 Jun 2023
    Value
    £316,000
    Period
    … – 31 Jul 2025
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1bids · 0 electronic · 1 from abroad1——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

NHS Highland

Contracting authorityNHS & healthcareMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsHealth Assynt House, Beechwood Park, Inverness, Scotland, IV2 3BWContact email, phone

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • The Inverness Justice CentreReview body Inverness

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • The Guardian Service Ltd.Awarded supplier WeWork,, 8 Devonshire Square,, London, UK, EC2M 4PLContact phone

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.