Find a TenderAwarded without competition

Published 23 Mar 2026, 15:27 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Secure Employment Preparation Services

Official notice

Authority: MERSEY CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (NHS & healthcare)

ServicesAward procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Sectors: Health & Social Care (85) Delivery: North West (UKD7)

Awarded value£245,000published contract · exc. VAT

Awarded 20 Mar 2026no call for competition

Awarded to First Step Trust

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Provision of employment preparation services to secure patients at our Maghull Health Park site. Hospitals covered by the contract will include Rowan View Medium Secure Hospital (123 beds over 8 inpatient wards) and Aspen Wood Low Secure Unit (40 beds over 2 inpatient wards).

CPV: Health services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1Mersey Care NHS FT intends to contract with First Step Trust for the provision of…Awarded

Mersey Care NHS FT intends to contract with First Step Trust for the provision of employment preparation services to secure patients at our Maghull Health Park site. Hospitals covered by the contract will include Rowan View Medium Secure Hospital (123 beds over 8 inpatient wards) and Aspen Wood Low Secure Unit (40 beds over 2 inpatient wards). For the new contract, MCFT requires the service to be mobilised from 06 April 2026 for a period of 12 months to 31 March 2027. The contract value is approximately £245k. It is intended to award the contract in accordance with the Provider Selection Regime Regulations under Direct Award process C where there is an existing provider for the services and that existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed new contract, and where additionally the services are not changing considerably. The Senior Leadership Team of Secure Care Division have made the decision for the award of this contract. No conflicts of interest have been identified, and this has been recorded in line with Trust policy.

Delivery: North West

85100000 Health services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record

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: Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 23 Mar 2026, 15:27 GMT
Last source update: 8 Apr 2026, 14:59 BST
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-032018
Classification (CPV): Health services
Delivery area: North West (UKD7)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0671a9 Find a Tender

Why no open competition: The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
Published justification: 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 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 02 April 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Notice history

2 releases on Find a Tender

Published amendments (1)

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of contract award notice. This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. This contract has now been formally awarded using direct award process C. Date of Contract Award; 2…

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £245,0001 contract exc. VAT

Bids received 1

Contracts signed 1latest 20 Mar 2026

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
First Step Trust	£245,000 †	—	Awarded

Contracts

Secure Employment Preparation Services · First Step Trust
Signed
20 Mar 2026
Value
£245,000
Status
active

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
1bids	—	—	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

MERSEY CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Contracting authorityNHS & healthcareBody governed by public lawHealth GB-NHS: RW4 V7 Building, Kings Business Park, Prescot, Liverpool, North West, L341PJContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

First Step TrustAwarded supplierGB-COH: 03730562 Unit 9 Kingside Industrial Estate, London, London, SE18 5BX

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.