Fylde & Wyre CCG: Voluntary Ex-Ante Competition Notice (VEAT)

NHS Fylde & Wyre CCG: Voluntary Ex-Ante Competition Notice (VEAT) Digital IAPT Services (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies)

*Please note this is not a call for competition and not a contract opportunity. *

NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) are working on behalf of Fylde & Wyre CCG in their capacity as Co-ordinating Commissioner for Digital IAPT services on behalf of the Integrated Commissioning System (ICS) for Mental Health in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The contract is awarded by NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG without prior publication on behalf of:

NHS Blackpool CCG; NHS Morecombe Bay CCG; NHS West Lancs CCG; NHS Preston CCG; NHS Chorley & South Ribble CCG; NHS East Lancs CCG.

In response to additional urgent demand for digital psychological therapies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the above 7 named CCGs have collaborated in the direct award of a 6-12-month contract for Digital IAPT services (in the form of an online support network) to Big White Wall Ltd, without a call for competition.

Please see below for the service specification and justification for the urgent need to directly award this contract in accordance with the regulatory conditions.

Additional information: This Contract Award Notice is published under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. It is for clinical services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ('Regulations'). Accordingly, the contracting authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7. The contracting authority is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations.

The contract is let in accordance with Regulation 50 and the strict regulatory conditions for letting a contract without prior publication or formal competition due to extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting entity, namely the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CCG considers the criteria for exceptional conditions of extreme urgency and criteria for patient best interest benefits have been met due to:

1. The urgent unforeseeable demand for online therapies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability of patients to access usual face to face appointments.

2. The short term government policy of social distancing and the expected enduring restrictions on social contact in the medium term have forced commissioners to seek urgent provision of services and it is deemed in the best of interests of patients to commence the service immediately without a formal procurement process by using an existing provider previously commissioned by 4 of the 7 CCGs named in this notice.

3. Demand has increased at a pace that justifies restricting the usual competitive process by directly awarding a contract to a provider capable of mobilising across the required geographical area within 1 week, deemed to be in the best interests of patients requiring immediate access to the services during the lockdown period of the pandemic.

4. Only the minimum urgent requirements have been provided for within this contract which includes a minimum term of 6 months for the 3 CCGs newly commissioning the service from this provider and for 12 months for those 4 CCGs which held existing contracts with the provider.

5. Value for money is assured since there has been no increase to the population-based price previously charged at "pre-COVID-19" rates paid by the 4 CCGs holding existing contracts with the provider.

6. The value of the contract is below the OJEU advertising threshold. The direct award of this short term contract for only the immediate need will allow commissioners time to analyse and plan a competitive procurement process for the longer term solution to the increased demand for digital therapy.