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Published 28 Sept 2026, 09:35 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of an Alcohol and Drug Prevention, Early Intervention and Recovery Support Service

Authority: North Ayrshire Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedure
Published estimate£2,200,000exc. VAT
Submission deadline 28 Oct 202612:00 GMT · 30d 2h left
Bids per lot · this authority 2CPV 8531 · n=8 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought

Published requirement description

North Ayrshire Council (“NAC”) invites tenders for the provision of an Alcohol and Drug Prevention, Early Intervention and Recovery Support Service.

The anticipated contract start date is 15th May 2027. The contract period is 3 years with the option to extend for up to 24 months (this will be at the sole discretion of NAC and subject to satisfactory performance and funding).

  • How the procedure runs: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Procurement

CPV: Community health services · Counselling services · Guidance and counselling services · Health and social work services · Health services · Miscellaneous health services · Probation services · Provision of services to the community · Rehabilitation services · Social work and related services · Social work services · Social work services without accommodation

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1The procurement will follow the open tender processPublished value£2,200,000
Delivery: ScotlandTurnover guideline: ~£4,400,000/yr≈ 2× annual value
75200000 Provision of services to the community75231240 Probation services85000000 Health and social work services85100000 Health services85140000 Miscellaneous health services85300000 Social work and related services

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published — the tender pack may add more
How bids are scored
The contract will be awarded following an Open Procedure. Tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), taking account of both quality and price in accordance with the methodology detailed within the tender more…documents. In order to achieve the most economically advantageous tender, a quality price ratio of (70%) quality and (30%) price will be used.

No conditions of participation were published on the notice; check the tender documents.

Staff
Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
Shortlisting
As per the Single Procurement Document (SPD) available on PCS-T, tenderers must satisfy all stated criteria and provide the information requested within the SPD. Bidders may be excluded if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How North Ayrshire Council buys Social work services (CPV 8531) — and who usually turns up

North Ayrshire Council’s own published record, next to the Scotland market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Social work services (CPV 8531) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Left: this authority. Right: the market where the work is delivered. Bids and award-vs-estimate pairs are per lot, from contested contracts only — direct awards (including PA 2023 transparency notices) report one bid by definition and are left out. On Procurement Act 2023 notices the count is the tenders assessed at the final stage, not every submission received; pairs compare like with like (VAT-exclusive, or VAT-inclusive on both sides). Empty means nothing was published, not filled in from elsewhere.

This authority

North Ayrshire Council

contract notices in 36 months: 10 in CPV 8531 (3 route not published) · 16 in division 85 (4 route not published) · 68 in all categories (12 without competition · 11 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 8 lots. All 8 lots are from older notices, which count bids received.

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

2CPV 8531 · 36m · n=8 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 8 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=8 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this industry (CPV 85), last 36 months: 5 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimatedivision 85 · 36m · n=5 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Nothing published for this buyer in this sector: no award dates published.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

—no award dates published
Notice updates
i

How often this buyer changes a notice after publishing it.

Middle number of amendments per notice. Deadline extensions and corrections both count.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 24 months: 58 notices.

Last 24 months.

1.5all categories · 24m · n=58 notices
Awarded without competition
i

How often this buyer awards without a competition.

Direct or limited awards as a share of its notices that say which procedure was used. These routes are legal in defined cases. This is just the record.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 7 notices.

Last 36 months.

0%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=7 notices
Bids per lot robust · n=8
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 8 lots on 6 contested notices · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 75%
  • 4–6 25%
  • 7+ 0%

Middle value 2 · 8 lots on 6 contested notices · CPV 8531.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=5
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 5 lot pairs · division 85, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 0%
  • Within ±2% 100%
  • Above estimate 0%

5 lot pairs · division 85.

The market · delivery region

Scotland · Social work services (CPV 8531)

contract notices delivered in Scotland in 36 months: 179 in CPV 8531 (124 competed, 22 route not published) · 507 in division 85 (330 competed, 56 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 110 lots. 2 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 4.5) and 108 from older notices (bids received, middle 2).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

2CPV 8531 · 36m · n=110 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 110 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

30%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=110 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 37 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateCPV 8531 · 36m · n=37 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this region’s tenders in this industry (CPV 85), last 36 months: 5 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

113ddivision 85 · 36m · n=5 notices
SME bidders
i

How much of this market goes to small and medium firms.

SME bidders where buyers published the split, otherwise SME winners.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 110 lots.

Last 36 months.

65%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=110 lots
Winners based in the region
i

How much work like this goes to companies based in the delivery region.

Awards in this category delivered here where the winner’s registered address is in the region.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 8531), last 36 months: 109 awards.

Registered address, so a national firm with a local branch counts as outside.

Last 36 months.

93%CPV 8531 · 36m · n=109 awards
Bids per lot robust · n=110
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 110 lots on 83 contested notices · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 30%
  • 2–3 39%
  • 4–6 20%
  • 7+ 11%

Middle value 2 · 110 lots on 83 contested notices · CPV 8531.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=37
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 37 lot pairs · CPV 8531, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 11%
  • Within ±2% 70%
  • Above estimate 19%

37 lot pairs · CPV 8531.

robust · n=5
i

Where this tender’s estimate would land if the usual pattern repeats.

We apply the buyer’s usual movement between estimate and award (or the region’s) to the estimate on this notice.

Based on this buyer’s own usual movement over 5 lots (division 85), applied to the £2,200,000 estimate on this notice.

A benchmark, not a price to bid.

The middle award in North Ayrshire Council (division 85, n=5 pairs) lands at estimate: on this notice’s £2,200,000 that is about £2,200,000. Context for a bid, not a recommended price.
Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each tile explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two columns are never blended and nothing is filled from a UK-wide figure; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • Coverage. Roughly 40 % of notices publish a bid count; about half publish an ITL1 delivery location, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice has none (labelled). About 30 % of award-vs-estimate pairs are exact matches — the buyer published the award at the estimate. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden.
  • “Match” and “relevance” are model scores from the nightly matcher, not published facts. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
28 Sept 2026, 09:35 BST
Last source update
28 Sept 2026, 09:35 BST
Authority reference
NAC/5242
Classification (CPV)
Community health servicesCounselling servicesGuidance and counselling servicesHealth and social work servicesHealth servicesMiscellaneous health servicesProbation servicesProvision of services to the communityRehabilitation servicesSocial work and related services+2 more
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM93)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077b25
How it runs
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Procurement
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment

Publisher note: The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32834. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343 Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/ A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: Community benefits will be required on a mandatory basis for: - Employment - Employability & Skills - SMEs - TSOs - Education - Community Wish List (http://northayrshire.community/community-benefits-wishlist- application-form/) (SC Ref:843944)

How to participate & submission route

Submit via Public Contracts Scotland
Submission portal named on this notice: Public Contracts Scotland · Who buys & how to bid on PCS
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free single registration for Scotland; PCS-Tender (Jaggaer) for full bidding
Expression of interest (EOI)
—
Tender submission deadline
28 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
—
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

2 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Notice publishedearlier today
    28 Sept 2026, 09:35 BST
  2. Submission deadlinein 30 days
    28 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

North Ayrshire Council

Contracting authorityLocal CouncilRegional or local authorityGeneral public services Cunninghame House, Friars Croft, Irvine, Scotland, KA12 8EE Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Kilmarnock Sheriff CourtReview body Kilmarnock

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice; the tender pack is on the portal.