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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Cumbria Substance Use - Treatment Service

Cumberland Council · Tender notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 24 Sept 2026, 10:36.

Opportunity overview

This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023 using the Competitive Process. Cumberland Council is acting as lead authority on behalf of both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council to procure a contract for the provision of the Cumbria Substance Use; Treatment Service. The initial contract period is six years. The anticipated start date is 1st October 2027, and the initial period will end on 30th September 2033. Two optional extension periods of up to 24 months each are available. If both extensions are utilised, the contract will end on 30th September 2037. Use of these extensions is entirely at the discretion of the Council and will depend on both the success in achieving the required outcomes and the availability of further funding. The maximum total value of the contract over the full potential contract term (including the extension period) is up to £56m excluding VAT. The Council does not guarantee any spend against this Contract beyond the annual contract value stated for Year 1. The maximum budget available for the initial term of Year 1 is £4,235,981 per annum excluding VAT. The budget amounts set out are indicative only. For clarity, the maximum total value stated represents an upper limit calculated for indicative purposes only. It includes allowances for potential uplifts, inflationary adjustments and a discretionary safeguard to ensure continuity over the full potential contract term including any extension periods. The figure does not represent a guaranteed level of expenditure. Actual annual contract values may be lower. If the council implements an extension or uplift, this will be confirmed in writing to the successful supplier in advance. If the services to be provided are VAT exempt, then VAT cannot be charged by the successful supplier. The Councils have made available up to £230,000 transformation funding, which is included in the maximum total value. The transformation funding is not guaranteed and is subject to a Transformation Plan being agreed between the Councils and the Service Provider. Any reference to 'additional funding' within the Invitation to Tender (ITT) encompasses Additional Funding, Supplementary Funding and Transformational Funding, as defined within the accompanying documentation and any subsequent clarifications. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, local authorities have a statutory responsibility for improving public health, which includes commissioning services that prevent harm and support recovery from substance misuse. This responsibility is reinforced by national guidance and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) commissioning standards. Substance misuse remains a major public health challenge in Cumbria, with high rates of drug- and alcohol-related deaths and significant health inequalities across the county. The Treatment Service will deliver structured, clinically-led interventions for individuals affected by substance use and their families. The Service will operate across Cumbria and be delivered through Recovery Hubs located in Carlisle, West Cumbria, Barrow-in-Furness, Penrith, and Kendal, supported by outreach and in-reach provision to ensure accessibility for rural and seldom-heard communities. The service will work collaboratively with the Engagement and Recovery Support Service and wider system partners to deliver a person-centred, stigma-free, recovery-oriented system of care, ensuring continuity of support before, during, and after treatment episodes. Tenderers must note that there is a mandatory pass/fail question regarding delivery of the requirements within the available contract funding. Tenderers must confirm that they have reviewed the Service Specification, Contract Terms and Pricing Schedule and are able to deliver the requirements within the published Year 1 Contract Value, recognising that future funding increases, inflationary uplifts, transformation funding and other additional funding streams are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon. A Tenderer that is unable to respond Yes to provide this confirmation will be excluded from further participation in the Procurement and any Quality, Social Value and Pricing responses will not be evaluated or considered. For further details and to access the tender documents, use the council's online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.the-chest.org.uk You must be registered on The Chest to be able to view the opportunity and submit a tender. Registration is simple and free on the above link. Ensure you read and understand the Invitation to Tender (ITT) and all of its appendices before completing the tender documents. Any clarification questions must be sent to the council via messaging on The Chest by the deadline stated in the ITT. All bids must be received electronically via The Chest by the deadline stated in the ITT.

Classification

  • CPV33693300 — Addiction treatment
  • CPV85312500 — Rehabilitation services
  • CPV85323000 — Community health services

Lots

  • Lot 1£56m

Documents and notices

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
ocds-h6vhtk-06e3cc
Status
active
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Covered By

GPA

Submission terms

Electronic Submission Policy
allowed

Languages

en

Tender Period

Ends
5 Oct 2026, 10:00

Enquiry period

Ends
21 Sept 2026, 10:00

Expected award period

Ends
30 Nov 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
active
Has Renewal
Yes

Value

Including VAT
67,200,000
Amount
56,000,000
Currency
GBP

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Type
quality
Name
Quality
Description
Tenderers must note that there is a mandatory pass/fail question regarding delivery of the requirements within the available contract funding. Tenderers must confirm that they have reviewed the Service Specification, Contract Terms and Pricing Schedule and are able to deliver the requirements within the published Year 1 Contract Value, recognising that future funding increases, inflationary uplifts, transformation funding and other additional funding streams are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon. A Tenderer that is unable to respond Yes to provide this confirmation will be excluded from further participation in the Procurement and any Quality, Social Value and Pricing responses will not be evaluated or considered. The quality and social value scores for each question must be equal to or above 50% (half) of the points available for each question. If this minimum threshold is not met for each quality question the bid will be excluded for not reaching an acceptable quality standard.

Numbers

Entry 1
Number
90
Weight
percentageExact
Criterion 2
Type
quality
Name
Social Value
Description
Tenderers must note that there is a mandatory pass/fail question regarding delivery of the requirements within the available contract funding. Tenderers must confirm that they have reviewed the Service Specification, Contract Terms and Pricing Schedule and are able to deliver the requirements within the published Year 1 Contract Value, recognising that future funding increases, inflationary uplifts, transformation funding and other additional funding streams are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon. A Tenderer that is unable to respond Yes to provide this confirmation will be excluded from further participation in the Procurement and any Quality, Social Value and Pricing responses will not be evaluated or considered. The quality and social value scores for each question must be equal to or above 50% (half) of the points available for each question. If this minimum threshold is not met for each quality question the bid will be excluded for not reaching an acceptable quality standard.

Numbers

Entry 1
Number
10
Weight
percentageExact

Suitability

Sme
Yes
Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Oct 2027, 00:00
Ends
30 Sept 2033, 23:59
Max Extent Date
30 Sept 2037, 23:59

Renewal

Description
Potential for two (2) contract extensions, each of up to 24 months each depending on both the success in achieving required outcomes and availability of further funding. For the avoidance of doubt, use of any extension period is entirely at the sole discretion of the Council and shall not be deemed guaranteed or implied

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
33693300
Description
Addiction treatment
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
85312500
Description
Rehabilitation services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
85323000
Description
Community health services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKD1
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
conflictOfInterest
Document Type
conflictOfInterest
Description
Not published
Entry 2
Id
084022-2026
Document Type
tenderNotice
Notice Type
UK4
Description
Tender notice on Find a Tender
Published
4 Sept 2026, 15:49
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Cumberland Council
Id
GB-PPON-PJGX-9191-DYLV

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PJGX-9191-DYLV

Address

Street Address
Cumbria House, 107-117 Botchergate
Locality
Carlisle
Postal Code
CA1 1RD
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKD12

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Carlisle · UKD12 · CA1 1RD · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKD1 · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS
  1. 077328-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 084022-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·