Find a TenderAwarded
Published 12 Jun 2026, 16:11 BST

Official UK procurement notice

WorkWell Service for NHS Essex ICB

Official notice

Authority: NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (NHS & healthcare)·Consortium: 3 public authorities

10 lotsServicesOpen procedureSME suitable
Published estimate£5,163,141total for 10 lots · 1 value update
Submissions closed 15 Sept 2026awarded 20 Oct 2026
Awarded to The NR5 Project +5 more7 awards
Contract term 2 yrs 5 moends 31 Mar 2029 · starts 1 Dec 2026

What is being bought10 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

his is a Contract Award Notice (Intention to Award) communicating NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board 's intention to award a public contract for provision of this 'WorkWell Services as defined by the LOT structure and service specific details outlined in Document 3a and Document 3b Service Specifications. There is one (1) Essex Work and Health Coach Service, with four (4) separate placed-based Work and Health Partnership Services. (the Service). The process will be conducted in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

Lot 1: Essex WorkWell Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service

Lot 2: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - Mid and North Essex (MNE)

Lot 3: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - West Essex (WE)

Lot 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - South East Essex (SEE)

Lot 5: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - South West Essex (SWE)

The proposed contract duration is from 01/12/2026 to 31/03/2029.

CPV: Community health services · Health services

Lots and requirements (10)Procurement structure

10 lots · 5 with a published value (£5,163,142 together) · evaluation weights differ by lot
Shared scope across 2 of 10 lots

Applies to lots 1, 2.

Provision of WorkWell Service within Norfolk.

This notice is to inform providers of the release of documentation to initiate a competitive process to secure a Provider to deliver the WorkWell Service across Norfolk and Suffolk.

WorkWell is an early-intervention work and health service with a focus on prevention, which includes holistic support for their health-related barriers to employment. It will provide evidence based, low intensity work and health assessments that support individuals with their low-level occupational health needs to overcome barriers to work.

The contract will commence on 1st November 2026 and expire 31st March 2029.

Further detail of the services required within this practice are outlined within the procurement documentation.

Lot #1Workwell Services - NorfolkAwarded 2 yrs 5 moPublished value£2,611,826
Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 (2 yrs 5 mo)
Delivery: East of England · Norfolk
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #2WorkWell Services - SuffolkAwarded 2 yrs 5 moPublished value£928,200
Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 (2 yrs 5 mo)
Delivery: East of England · Across the County of Suffolk
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #3Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE) 2 yrs 4 moPublished value£492,511

LOT 3: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE)<br/>The Authority intends to award a single contract to a single Provider (as the sole Provider or as the ‘Lead Provider’ in a consortium) for LOT 3: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE).<br/><br/>The minimum requirements that the Provider needs to satisfy are: <br/><br/>- Evidence of economic and financial standing. Bidders are required to evidence a turnover that meets the minimum level of economic and financial standing / minimum financial threshold, which is once the (2027/28) annual contract value for this LOT 3, equating to £135,461.00. <br/>- Evidence of the Bidder’s technical and professional ability, including previous experience. <br/>- To have an established, or to establish a ‘base’ in Essex, with experience and knowledge of the West Essex geography and demography. Local provision is necessary to successfully deliver the requirements of the service.<br/>The Authority has provided a detailed Service Specification (Document 3b - LOTs 2-5 LWHP Service Specification) that outlines the service specific deliverables and requirements for this Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership for West Essex (WE). <br/><br/>Partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways.<br/><br/>Partnership Objectives. The Local WorkWell Partnership will:<br/>o Strengthen local work, health and skills systems.<br/>o Improve coordination between organisations.<br/>o Increase awareness of WorkWell.<br/>o Improve referral pathways.<br/>o Support equitable access.<br/>o Promote community engagement.<br/>o Support the effective use of the Additional Support Fund.<br/>o Contribute to improved employment and health outcomes.<br/>Each Local WorkWell Partnership will operate within its allocated geography and work collaboratively with Essex ICB, neighbouring Local WorkWell Partnerships and the Essex-wide Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service to support delivery of WorkWell objectives.<br/><br/>Contract term - 28 months from 01/12/2026 - 31/03/2029<br/>Maximum contract value over lifetime of contract: £492,511.00<br/><br/>To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project. Additional information: To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project.

Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 (2 yrs 4 mo)
Delivery: East of England
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #4Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE) 2 yrs 4 moPublished value£536,009

LOT 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE)<br/>The Authority intends to award a single contract to a single Provider (as the sole Provider or as the ‘Lead Provider’ in a consortium) for LOT 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE).<br/><br/>The minimum requirements that the Provider needs to satisfy are: <br/><br/>- Evidence of economic and financial standing. Bidders are required to evidence a turnover that meets the minimum level of economic and financial standing / minimum financial threshold, which is once the (2027/28) annual contract value for this LOT 4, equating to £147,509.00. <br/>- Evidence of the Bidder’s technical and professional ability, including previous experience. <br/>- To have an established, or to establish a ‘base’ in Essex, with experience and knowledge of the South East Essex geography and demography. Local provision is necessary to successfully deliver the requirements of the service.<br/>The Authority has provided a detailed Service Specification (Document 3b - LOTs 2-5 LWHP Service Specification) that outlines the service specific deliverables and requirements for this Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership for South East Essex (SEE). <br/><br/>Partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways.<br/><br/>Partnership Objectives. The Local WorkWell Partnership will:<br/>o Strengthen local work, health and skills systems.<br/>o Improve coordination between organisations.<br/>o Increase awareness of WorkWell.<br/>o Improve referral pathways.<br/>o Support equitable access.<br/>o Promote community engagement.<br/>o Support the effective use of the Additional Support Fund.<br/>o Contribute to improved employment and health outcomes.<br/>Each Local WorkWell Partnership will operate within its allocated geography and work collaboratively with Essex ICB, neighbouring Local WorkWell Partnerships and the Essex-wide Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service to support delivery of WorkWell objectives.<br/><br/>Contract term 28-months from 01/12/2026 - 31/03/2029<br/>Maximum contract value over lifetime of contract: £536,009.00<br/><br/>To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project. Additional information: To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project.

Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 (2 yrs 4 mo)
Delivery: East of England
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #5Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE) 2 yrs 4 moPublished value£594,596

LOT 5 Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE)<br/>The Authority intends to award a single contract to a single Provider (as the sole Provider or as the ‘Lead Provider’ in a consortium) for LOT 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE).<br/><br/>The minimum requirements that the Provider needs to satisfy are: <br/>- Evidence of economic and financial standing. Bidders are required to evidence a turnover that meets the minimum level of economic and financial standing / minimum financial threshold, which is once the (2027/28) annual contract value for this LOT 4, equating to £163,546.00. <br/>- Evidence of the Bidder’s technical and professional ability, including previous experience. <br/>- To have an established, or to establish a ‘base’ in Essex, with experience and knowledge of the South West Essex geography and demography. Local provision is necessary to successfully deliver the requirements of the service.<br/>The Authority has provided a detailed Service Specification (Document 3b - LOTs 2-5 LWHP Service Specification) that outlines the service specific deliverables and requirements for this Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership for South West Essex (SWE). <br/><br/>Partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways.<br/><br/>Partnership Objectives. The Local WorkWell Partnership will:<br/>o Strengthen local work, health and skills systems.<br/>o Improve coordination between organisations.<br/>o Increase awareness of WorkWell.<br/>o Improve referral pathways.<br/>o Support equitable access.<br/>o Promote community engagement.<br/>o Support the effective use of the Additional Support Fund.<br/>o Contribute to improved employment and health outcomes.<br/>Each Local WorkWell Partnership will operate within its allocated geography and work collaboratively with Essex ICB, neighbouring Local WorkWell Partnerships and the Essex-wide Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service to support delivery of WorkWell objectives.<br/><br/>Contract term: 28-months from 01/12/2026 - 31/03/2029<br/>Maximum contract value over lifetime of contract: £594,596.00<br/><br/>To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project. Additional information: To express interest and participate in the Market Event, please register and apply via Atamis e-sourcing portal health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗<br/>The relevant documentation will be available within the “C460866 WorkWell Services” project.

Contract period: 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 (2 yrs 4 mo)
Delivery: East of England
Variant bids: not allowed
Lot #6Essex WorkWell Neighbourhood Work & Health Coach ServiceAwardedLot estimate not published

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new LOT 1 Essex WorkWell Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service o the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust.

The successful Provider will deliver specialist employment support across Essex, working collaboratively with Essex ICB, Local WorkWell Partnerships and wider system partners to support people whose health condition or disability affects their ability to remain in work, return to work, or move towards employment.

The successful Provider will be responsible for supporting a minimum of 6,620 WorkWell participants across Essex during the period 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2029 and for delivering the associated programme outcomes and performance measures. Volumes will increase incrementally during the mobilisation and early delivery phase. The maximum contract value is £2,611,826.

On 30th July 2026 the ICB Board (Decision Maker) approved the WorkWell Services Business Case and recommendation to commence a Competitive Process. On the 20th October 2026, the NHS Essex ICB Executive Committee confirmed approval to proceed towards provider appointment. Attain is conducting this process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.

An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%.

The chosen provider submitted a compliant Tender Response, which passed all aspects of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (basic selection criteria) and Preliminary Questions for LOT 1. The chosen provider went on to achieve the highest Weighted Technical Score (74.16%) for their Technical (Quality) Response, significantly exceeding the 45% Minimum Quality Pass Threshold. Additionally, the chosen provider scored a Commercial Score (9.70%) for their Commercial (Price) Response. The chosen provider achieved a Total Weighted Score of 83.86%, ranking 1st place and achieving the highest overall Total Score (quality & price) out of six compliant bidders.

The five Key Criteria were linked to multiple tender questions which were all weighted according to priority and criteria aligned to the question as published within the tender documents, Total Raw Weighting (100%) and Total Quality Weighting (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 1: Quality and Innovation 27.00% (100%) 24.30% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 2: Value 5.00% (100%) 4.50% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 3: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 46.00% (100%) 41.40% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 4: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 12.00% (100%) 10.80% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 5: Social Value 10.00% (100%) 9.00% (90.00%)

The Authority maintained a clear Conflict of Interest process governing the Procurement Project Group, which communicated how the Authority would deal with conflicts of interest (COI) during the competitive process with 21 entries. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected] .

The standstill period commenced on 30th October 2026 and expires at midnight on 12th November 2026. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.

Delivery: East of England
Lot #7Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - Mid and North Essex (MNE)AwardedLot estimate not published

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new Lot 2: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - Mid and North Essex (MNE) to the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Hamelin Trust.

The successful Provider will deliver partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways. The maximum contract value is £928,200.

On 30th July 2026 the ICB Board (Decision Maker) approved the WorkWell Services Business Case and recommendation to commence a Competitive Process. On the 20th October 2026, the NHS Essex ICB Executive Committee confirmed approval to proceed towards provider appointment. Attain is conducting this process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.

An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%.

The chosen provider submitted a compliant Tender Response, which passed all aspects of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (basic selection criteria) and Preliminary Questions for LOT 2. The chosen provider went on to achieve the highest Weighted Technical Score (65.25%) for their Technical (Quality) Response, significantly exceeding the 45% Minimum Quality Pass Threshold. Additionally, the chosen provider achieved the Commercial Score of (9.97%) for their Commercial (Price) Response. The chosen provider achieved a Total Weighted Score of 75.22%, ranking 1st place and achieving the highest overall Total Score (quality & price) out of two compliant bidders.

The five Key Criteria were linked to multiple tender questions which were all weighted according to priority and criteria aligned to the question as published within the tender documents, Total Raw Weighting (100%) and Total Quality Weighting (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 1: Quality and Innovation 27.00% (100%) 24.30% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 2: Value 5.00% (100%) 4.50% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 3: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 46.00% (100%) 41.40% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 4: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 12.00% (100%) 10.80% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 5: Social Value 10.00% (100%) 9.00% (90.00%)

The Authority maintained a clear Conflict of Interest process governing the Procurement Project Group, which communicated how the Authority would deal with conflicts of interest (COI) during the competitive process with 21 entries. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected] .

The standstill period commenced on 30th October 2026 and expires at midnight on 12th November 2026. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.

Delivery: East of England
Lot #8Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE)AwardedLot estimate not published

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new Lot 3: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE) to the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Essex Cares Limited.

The successful Provider will deliver partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways. The maximum contract value is £492,511.

On 30th July 2026 the ICB Board (Decision Maker) approved the WorkWell Services Business Case and recommendation to commence a Competitive Process. On the 20th October 2026, the NHS Essex ICB Executive Committee confirmed approval to proceed towards provider appointment. Attain is conducting this process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.

An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%.

The chosen provider submitted a compliant Tender Response, which passed all aspects of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (basic selection criteria) and Preliminary Questions for LOT 2. The chosen provider went on to achieve the highest Weighted Technical Score (61.65%) for their Technical (Quality) Response, significantly exceeding the 45% Minimum Quality Pass Threshold. Additionally, the chosen provider achieved the highest Commercial Score (10.00%) for their Commercial (Price) Response. The chosen provider achieved a Total Weighted Score of 71.65%, ranking 1st place and achieving the highest overall Total Score (quality & price) out of two compliant bidders.

The five Key Criteria were linked to multiple tender questions which were all weighted according to priority and criteria aligned to the question as published within the tender documents, Total Raw Weighting (100%) and Total Quality Weighting (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 1: Quality and Innovation 27.00% (100%) 24.30% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 2: Value 5.00% (100%) 4.50% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 3: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 46.00% (100%) 41.40% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 4: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 12.00% (100%) 10.80% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 5: Social Value 10.00% (100%) 9.00% (90.00%)

The Authority maintained a clear Conflict of Interest process governing the Procurement Project Group, which communicated how the Authority would deal with conflicts of interest (COI) during the competitive process with 21 entries. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected] .

The standstill period commenced on 30th October 2026 and expires at midnight on 12th November 2026. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.

Delivery: East of England
Lot #9Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE)AwardedLot estimate not published

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new Lot 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE) to the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Trust Links Limited.

The successful Provider will deliver partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways. The maximum contract value is £536,009.

On 30th July 2026 the ICB Board (Decision Maker) approved the WorkWell Services Business Case and recommendation to commence a Competitive Process. On the 20th October 2026, the NHS Essex ICB Executive Committee confirmed approval to proceed towards provider appointment. Attain is conducting this process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.

An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%.

The chosen provider submitted a compliant Tender Response, which passed all aspects of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (basic selection criteria) and Preliminary Questions for LOT 2. The chosen provider went on to achieve the highest Weighted Technical Score (61.12%) for their Technical (Quality) Response, significantly exceeding the 45% Minimum Quality Pass Threshold. Additionally, the chosen provider achieved the Commercial Score (9.57%) for their Commercial (Price) Response. The chosen provider achieved a Total Weighted Score of 78.69%, ranking 1st place and achieving the highest overall Total Score (quality & price) out of two compliant bidders.

The five Key Criteria were linked to multiple tender questions which were all weighted according to priority and criteria aligned to the question as published within the tender documents, Total Raw Weighting (100%) and Total Quality Weighting (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 1: Quality and Innovation 27.00% (100%) 24.30% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 2: Value 5.00% (100%) 4.50% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 3: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 46.00% (100%) 41.40% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 4: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 12.00% (100%) 10.80% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 5: Social Value 10.00% (100%) 9.00% (90.00%)

The Authority maintained a clear Conflict of Interest process governing the Procurement Project Group, which communicated how the Authority would deal with conflicts of interest (COI) during the competitive process with 21 entries. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected] .

The standstill period commenced on 30th October 2026 and expires at midnight on 12th November 2026. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.

Delivery: East of England
Lot #10Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE)AwardedLot estimate not published

The Authority has undertaken a competitive process under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) and intends to award the Proposed Contract for a new Lot 5: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SEE) to the Preferred Bidder identified through the process, Trust Links Limited.

The successful Provider will deliver partnerships will strengthen local work, health and skills systems and ensure that residents can access coordinated and effective support. The successful Provider will act as the lead organisation for the Local WorkWell Partnership and will be responsible for partnership development, local engagement, administration of the Additional Support Fund and continuous improvement of local work and health pathways. The maximum contract value is £594,596.

On 30th July 2026 the ICB Board (Decision Maker) approved the WorkWell Services Business Case and recommendation to commence a Competitive Process. On the 20th October 2026, the NHS Essex ICB Executive Committee confirmed approval to proceed towards provider appointment. Attain is conducting this process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.

An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%.

The chosen provider submitted a compliant Tender Response, which passed all aspects of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (basic selection criteria) and Preliminary Questions for LOT 2. The chosen provider went on to achieve the highest Weighted Technical Score (61.12%) for their Technical (Quality) Response, significantly exceeding the 45% Minimum Quality Pass Threshold. Additionally, the chosen provider achieved the Commercial Score (8.57%) for their Commercial (Price) Response. The chosen provider achieved a Total Weighted Score of 77.89%, ranking 1st place and achieving the highest overall Total Score (quality & price) out of three compliant bidders.

The five Key Criteria were linked to multiple tender questions which were all weighted according to priority and criteria aligned to the question as published within the tender documents, Total Raw Weighting (100%) and Total Quality Weighting (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 1: Quality and Innovation 27.00% (100%) 24.30% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 2: Value 5.00% (100%) 4.50% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 3: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability 46.00% (100%) 41.40% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 4: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice 12.00% (100%) 10.80% (90.00%)

PSR Key Criteria 5: Social Value 10.00% (100%) 9.00% (90.00%)

The Authority maintained a clear Conflict of Interest process governing the Procurement Project Group, which communicated how the Authority would deal with conflicts of interest (COI) during the competitive process with 21 entries. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected] .

The standstill period commenced on 30th October 2026 and expires at midnight on 12th November 2026. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract 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.

Delivery: East of England

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
Conditions of participation1
  • Suitability

    The award criteria, including Basic Selection and Key Criteria are outlined within the procurement documentation. The service requirements and details are outlined in the Document 3a and Document 3b - Service Specification(s) included in the procurement pack. All relevant information can be obtained for free via the e-procurement portal at atamis-1928.my.site.com ↗ under Contract Reference: C460866 "WorkWell Services” project.<br/><br/>If you require assistance / supplier support, please see the Portal Helpdesk: suppliersupport.atamis.co.uk/hc/en-gb/sections/46… ↗

What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 10 points on every lot: a 10% discount moves about 1 point.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

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
Awarded
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
12 Jun 2026, 16:11 BST
Last source update
30 Oct 2026, 18:50 GMT
Award evaluation window
15 Sept 2026 – …
Authority reference
ACE-0038-2026-ESX
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-103471
Classification (CPV)
Community health servicesHealth services
Delivery area
East of England (UKH14)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b462 Find a Tender
Contract terms
Performance terms

The award criteria, including Basic Selection and Key Criteria are outlined within the procurement documentation. The service requirements and details are outlined in the Document 3a and Document 3b - Service Specification(s) included in the procurement pack. All relevant information can be obtained for free via the e-procurement portal at atamis-1928.my.site.com ↗ under Contract Reference: C460866 "WorkWell Services” project.

Review and risk notes
Review procedure

The standstill period requirements, including for review of decisions, are detailed in Regulations 12 and 14(3). Representations should be made by midnight on 12th November 2026, latest.

Provision for independent expert advice is set out in Regulation 23, including how the Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel may provide advice during the standstill period.

Where Representations are received by 12th November 2026, initial reviews will be undertaken by the Authority via an appropriate internal governance mechanism that has been established to deal with representations made against provider selection decisions.

The Authority will follow the relevant transparency requirements for the approach they take and will keep internal records of their decision-making.

Where a provider(s) requests a further review by the Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel (within 5 working days of the Authority' publication of it's Further Decision) they should seek relevant advice via the contact details provided herein at VI.4.4

Publisher note: This form has incorrectly identified that the number of tenders received from SMEs, number of tenders from EU states and non-EU states are '1' respectively. These should read as '0'. This is an intention to award notice for a contract that is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 23. The provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations to the Authority must be made using the contact details contained herein by midnight on 12th November 2026. The contract will be formally awarded upon standstill conclusion. The approximate lifetime value of the contract: The aggregate value of the Proposed Contract for all 5 (five) LOTs (including extensions and any available options excisable during the term of the Proposed Contract) as advertised in the Central Digital Platform (CDP) also referred to as Find a Tender Service (FTS), was £5,163,141.00 British Pound Sterling. An assessment process was undertaken against the published award criteria, and in consideration of the five Key Criteria, to award the Proposed Contract based on the Authority’s requirements. The total technical score achievable was 90% and the total commercial score achievable was 10%. The Authority complied strictly with its legal duty to take appropriate measures to effectively prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest in the conduct of procurement procedures so as to avoid any distortion of competition and to ensure equal treatment of all economic operators. Amongst members of the Board and Executive Committee, No conflicts declared. Decisions made at Board and Executive Committee levels were made by non-conflicted members. The ICB followed its COI Policy. Any conflicted individuals recused themselves from any decision regarding this matter at the Board and did not receive any documentation regarding this case. Only no/low risk potential COI were identified among the Project Group and / or Evaluation Panel. 21 non-conflict COI returns were made by project group / evaluators, with 3 instances of potential noted across 3 individuals. The Authority has recorded and implemented effective mitigations accordingly in each instance, full details of which cannot be detailed here due to the character restrictions within this Notice, but are available to any organisation/party by request from [email protected]

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Atamis (Health Family) · Who buys & how to bid on Atamis
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account PER buying organisation portal · password resets come "from Salesforce.com" (check spam)

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗

Submission deadline
15 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission","written"}
Accepted languages
en
Bid validity
180 days from the deadline
Bids opened
15 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

15 Sept 2026 → 1 Dec 2026 · 4 dates
  1. Submission deadline45 days ago
    15 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
  2. Bids opened45 days ago
    15 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Notice published13h ago
    30 Oct 2026, 18:50 GMT
  4. Today
    31 Oct 2026
  5. Contract startsin 30 days
    1 Dec 2026

Notice history

6 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Aug 2026
  1. Published value published: £5,163,141
    20 Aug 2026, 18:09 BST
  2. Deadline moved to 15 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
    20 Aug 2026, 18:09 BST
    +46 days · was 31 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Buyer details updated
    20 Aug 2026, 18:09 BST
  4. Status changed to complete
    23 Sept 2026, 16:10 BST
  5. Buyer details updated
    23 Sept 2026, 16:10 BST
  6. Buyer details updated
    30 Oct 2026, 18:50 GMT
Published amendments (1)

Contract award for both Lots took place on 7th October 2026, following conclusion of the standstill period. Contract commencement will start from 1st November following the mobilisation period required by Bidders to commence service following award. The contract term for each Lot will be 2 years and 5 months, with no available extension. The maximum total value of the contracts for each Lot will…

Routine re-releases (5)
  • 2026-08: 1 release · 20 Aug 2026
  • 2026-06: 1 release · 12 Jun 2026

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 7
Awarded value £10,208,1467 contracts exc. VAT
Bids received 239 from SMEs
Contracts signed 7latest 20 Oct 2026

Contracts

  • Lot 1: Essex WorkWell Neighbourhood Work and Health Coach Service · Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

    Signed
    20 Oct 2026
    Value
    £2,611,826
    Status
    active
  • Lot 2: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - Mid and North Essex (MNE) · Hamelin Trust

    Signed
    20 Oct 2026
    Value
    £928,200
    Status
    active
  • Lot 3: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE) · Essex Cares Limited (ECL) Trading Limited

    Signed
    20 Oct 2026
    Value
    £492,511
    Status
    active
  • Lot 4: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE) · TRUST LINKS LIMITEDSME

    Signed
    20 Oct 2026
    Value
    £536,009
    Status
    active
  • Lot 5: Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE) · TRUST LINKS LIMITEDSME

    Signed
    20 Oct 2026
    Value
    £594,596
    Status
    active
  • WorkWell - Norfolk · The NR5 Project

    Signed
    21 Sept 2026
    Value
    £2,612,502
    Period
    … – 31 Mar 2029
    Status
    active
  • WorkWell - Suffolk · Allied Health Professionals Suffolk CICSME

    Signed
    21 Sept 2026
    Value
    £2,432,502
    Period
    … – 31 Mar 2029
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

LotBidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1 · Workwell Services - Norfolk6bids · 6 electronic2——
2 · WorkWell Services - Suffolk2bids · 2 electronic2——
6 · Essex WorkWell Neighbourhood Work & Health Coach Service6bids · 6 electronic · 2 from abroad1——
7 · Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership - Mid and North Essex (MNE)2bids · 2 electronic · 2 from abroad1——
8 · Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – West Essex (WE)2bids · 2 electronic · 2 from abroad1——
9 · Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South East Essex (SEE)2bids · 2 electronic · 2 from abroad1——
10 · Local WorkWell (Work & Health) Partnership – South West Essex (SWE)3bids · 3 electronic · 2 from abroad1——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board

Contracting authorityNHS & healthcareBody governed by public lawHealth First Floor, Seax House, Victoria Road, Chelmsford, UK, D7T5GContact name, email Published organisation website ↗

Consortium members and other public bodies

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • NHS E Independent patient choice and procurement panelReview contact point LondonContact email
  • NHS Essex Integrated Care Board Internal PSR Review PanelMediation bodyReview body Chelmsford
  • NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICBReview body Norwich

Bidders & participating suppliers

6 commercial parties on the notice

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria