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Published 16 Sept 2026, 16:51 BST
Official UK Procurement Procedure

PR Agency Services — UK Public Procurement Procedure

services
Competitive flexible procedure
Above threshold
WTO GPA (GPA)
SME suitable
VCSE suitable
Published estimate
£120,000,000
≈ £29,979,466 / year
Submission deadline
12 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
25d 17h leftTypical competition: 1 bidThis authority · all categories · 24 months · n=8 bid reports
Clarification Cut-Off
5 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Tender enquiry deadline · 1 lot
Contract duration
4 yrs (with extension options)
Starts 1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST

What is being bought & procurement scope

Procurement Scope & Specification
Tenderline summary generated from the published notice
Executive Summary: COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST: "PR Agency Services". Published status: active. Published value: £120,000,000. 1 published lot. Recorded submission deadline: 12 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST. Published submission portal: atamis-1928--prospend.vf.force.com.

Official Requirement Description:

Synchronicity Care Limited on behalf of Fresh and Balance are seeking a provider of PR Agency Services. Fresh and Balance is the North East's integrated programme for reducing tobacco and alcohol harm in the region. They are one single joint programme carrying out much of the public and partner facing work under the two separate, well recognised brands of Fresh and Balance. Fresh and Balance remit is to reduce smoking rates and the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol amongst the local population and key audiences using a multi-strand approach based on best national and international evidence. This includes mass media campaigns, campaigning and advocacy, effective internal communications, and making voices heard on the national stage to politicians and decision makers. A key element of their work and priority of local funders is the delivery of all year round news and social media reach/engagement to ensure issues and messages in the public eye all year round on the channels that people see, read and hear, providing a highly cost effective return on investment. This also involves working with a range of senior stakeholders for messengers and champions, building support for measures to reduce smoking and harmful drinking, motivating and triggering behaviour change, and engaging and motivating key partners to prioritise these agendas regionally and nationally. Communications cover three main strands: • Behaviour change - highlighting the risks and signposting positive behaviour change around quitting smoking, reducing second hand smoke and reducing drinking - via campaigns, socials and two key websites FreshQuit.co.uk and ReduceMyRisk.tv. • Highlighting the harm - the cost of tobacco and alcohol across the region and nationally to motivate regional stakeholders and the public • Campaigning for change - a strong policy focus to call for more action nationally on tobacco and alcohol, increasing public and partner support for this. This also includes an increasing focus on building partnerships across the health system, local communities and community and voluntary sector. Fresh and Balance are looking for a PR agency with the experience, skills and knowledge to develop communications across the increasing range of available media channels to secure content - both traditional and online. Since we are a joint programme, this will be one contract serving both campaign brands, while still requiring the insight and experience in social marketing approaches to plan campaigns and approaches around both tobacco and alcohol. The successful agency will be expected to provide PR support to support the programme from 1st April 2027 with the potential for contract extensions and subject to satisfactory performance and reviews and funding.

Lots and requirements (1)

Procurement Structure
Published by the contracting authority
  • Lot 1 · #1
    Lot 1
    active
    Renewal
    Published value£120,000,000
    The source published no individual title or description for this lot.
    Contract period:
    1 Apr 2027 — 31 Mar 2031 (4 yrs)
    Eligibility:
    SME eligible
    VCSE eligible
    Turnover benchmark:
    ~£59,958,933/yr
    Options / extension:
    Please note the intitial contract duration and extensions is dependent on funding.
    Pre-Qualification & Selection Criteria (PQQ)
    • PQQ
      The final weighted technical score obtained by each Supplier(s) will be ranked in respect of their evaluation score from highest to lowest. The Contracting Authority reserve the right to shortlist a maximum of 4 Supplier(s) at the Participation Stage (Stage 1) based upon the four highest ranking tenderer(s). Supplier(s) will be notified at the end of Participation Stage (Stage 1) if they will be invited to the Tender Stage (Stage 2). The Tender Stage (Stage 2) is estimated to be published on 30th October 2026, the tender critiera will be detailed at Stage 2 however the Trust expect it to be Quality 70% and Price 30%.
    • PQQ
      The final weighted technical score obtained by each Supplier(s) will be ranked in respect of their evaluation score from highest to lowest. The Contracting Authority reserve the right to shortlist a maximum of 4 Supplier(s) at the Participation Stage (Stage 1) based upon the four highest ranking tenderer(s). Supplier(s) will be notified at the end of Participation Stage (Stage 1) if they will be invited to the Tender Stage (Stage 2). The Tender Stage (Stage 2) is estimated to be published on 30th October 2026, the tender critiera will be detailed at Stage 2 however the Trust expect it to be Quality 70% and Price 30%.
    • PQQ
      The final weighted technical score obtained by each Supplier(s) will be ranked in respect of their evaluation score from highest to lowest. The Contracting Authority reserve the right to shortlist a maximum of 4 Supplier(s) at the Participation Stage (Stage 1) based upon the four highest ranking tenderer(s). Supplier(s) will be notified at the end of Participation Stage (Stage 1) if they will be invited to the Tender Stage (Stage 2). The Tender Stage (Stage 2) is estimated to be published on 30th October 2026, the tender critiera will be detailed at Stage 2 however the Trust expect it to be Quality 70% and Price 30%.

Published award criteria & contract terms

From this notice
Only criteria and terms published on this notice. Conditions of participation in the tender pack are not inferred.
Evaluation weighting
Quality: 300
Published as relative weights, not percentage points.
Published sub-criteria
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Experience30
  • Service Delivery - Relevant Contracts and Impact40
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Supporting Partnerships30
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Experience30
  • Service Delivery - Relevant Contracts and Impact40
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Supporting Partnerships30
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Experience30
  • Service Delivery - Relevant Contracts and Impact40
  • Service Delivery - Demonstrated Supporting Partnerships30
Published terms
Contract duration4 yrs (with extension options)
Selection criteria are also published on 1 lot — see the lot list above.

Procedure terms & legal framework

Procedure methodCompetitive flexible procedureLegal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54
Procurement Act 2023
Procurement categoryservices
Notice statusOpen for tenderProcurement threshold
Above threshold
(FTS publication)
Regulatory regimeStandard commercial regime
Commercial structureStand-alone contract (No framework)Competition typeCompetitive procedureGPA WTO covered{"GPA"}
Recurring procurementNo (One-off requirement)First published16 Sept 2026, 16:51 BSTLast source update16 Sept 2026, 16:51 BST
Award evaluation windowSubmission end — 23 Oct 2026, 23:59 BSTClassification (CPV)Public relations services
Delivery area
Official Registry OCIDocds-h6vhtk-0773de

How to participate & submission route

Authorized E-Sourcing Portal
Online submission allowed
Language: EN
Open official portal workspace ↗
Expression of interest (EOI)
12 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Tender submission deadline
12 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
5 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channelOfficial e-sourcing portalElectronic submissionAllowedAccepted languagesen
Participation feeFree of charge (Open access)
Detailed Submission Instructions & Authority Contacts
From official release
Timeline
  1. Procedure published
    16 Sept 2026, 16:51 BST
  2. Clarification deadline
    5 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline
    12 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Awards (0)No award published
Contracts (0)No contract published
Bid statisticsNo aggregate bid statistics published
Notice history
From official release and amendment events
  1. Official notice release published
    16 Sept 2026, 16:51 BST
  2. Official notice release published
    16 Sept 2026, 16:45 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Contracting authority
NHS & Healthcare
GB-PPON-PQLT-2871-PCJY
View buyer profile →

Official Documents & Specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied