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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

DHSC: National Breastfeeding Helpline

Department of Health & Social Care · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 00:39.

Opportunity overview

The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking a provider to deliver the National Breastfeeding Helpline, providing breastfeeding information and support via a 24 hour helpline for families across the UK.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

The Breastfeeding Network

Matched by exact name
Contract value
£786.4k
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
28 Mar 2025
Award ID
017166-2025-1
Status
active
Identifier
SC330639
Location
Edinburgh, UKI3, EH3 6AS, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV79512000 — Call centre
  • CPV85312300 — Guidance and counselling services
  • CPV85312320 — Counselling services

Lots

  • The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking a provider to deliver the National Breastfeeding Helpline, providing breastfeeding information and support via a 24 hour helpline for families across the UK.Value not stated

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
C337378
Status
complete
Procurement Method
limited
Main Procurement Category
services
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Why this procedure was chosen
DHSC have made a direct award to the Breastfeeding Network (BfN) for a 12-month period to provide a continuity of service for the 24-hour National Breastfeeding Helpline (NBH).<br/><br/>This direct award has been made in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) competition is absent for technical reasons.<br/><br/>In 2024/25, the NBH was expanded to pilot a night service so that services are available to members of the public 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The current NBH service includes a 24-hour telephone helpline and voicemail service, social media, webchat and links to the BfN's drugs in breastmilk advice service.<br/><br/>DHSC have deemed that BfN are currently the only supplier who are positioned to run the 24-hour service without helpline users facing a gap or reduction in service provision, based upon BfN's capacity to manage service demand and them additionally having the means to increase capacity of the night service in early 2025/26. BfN also previously commissioned an independent evaluation for the 2024/25 pilot and are uniquely positioned to put arrangements in place for an independent evaluation of the full night service pilot which is required by DHSC. For these reasons, BfN are currently the only provider who could deliver the full scope of service requirements at the required scale.<br/><br/>DHSC are exploring longer term solutions in respect to the ongoing provision of the NBH, and intend to conduct an open procedure in late Q2 or early Q3 of 2025/26 to source a replacement contract. To support this, DHSC intend to conduct market engagement at the end of Q1 or beginning of Q2 2025/26. A UK2 preliminary market engagement notice will be published to advertise any upcoming engagement.

Covered By

GPA

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Classification

Id
79512000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Call centre

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Id
D_TECHNICAL
Scheme
TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL
Description
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Description
The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking a provider to deliver the National Breastfeeding Helpline, providing breastfeeding information and support via a 24 hour helpline for families across the UK.

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Type
price

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKI32

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
85312300
Scheme
CPV
Description
Guidance and counselling services
Entry 2
Id
85312320
Scheme
CPV
Description
Counselling services
Entry 3
Id
79512000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Call centre

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-140113
Name
Department of Health & Social Care

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKI32
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1H 0EU
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
39 Victoria Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
MINISTRY
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
Entry 2
Id
07
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Health

Identifier

Legal Name
Department of Health & Social Care

Contact

Name
Matt Land
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-145218
Name
The Breastfeeding Network

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UKI3
Locality
Edinburgh
Postal Code
EH3 6AS
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
9 Ainslie Place

Details

Scale
sme

Identifier

Id
SC330639
Legal Name
The Breastfeeding Network

Contact

Telephone
+44 1418489035
Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-87082
Name
High Court

Roles

reviewBody

Address

Locality
London,
Postal Code
WC2A 2LL
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Strand,

Details

Identifier

Legal Name
High Court

Award information

Award 1
Id
017166-2025-1
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-145218
Name
The Breastfeeding Network

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
017166-2025-1
Status
active
Award ID
017166-2025-1
Date Signed
28 Mar 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
786,363
Currency
GBP

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI32 · SW1H 0EU · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKI32

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-0507fc-2025-04-26T18:08:40+01:00compiled ·