Cumbria Substance Use - Treatment Service

What the buyer is asking for

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.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 90%qualityQualityTenderers 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.
• 10%qualitySocial ValueTenderers 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.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 46 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published17 days ago

   4 Sept 2026, 15:49 BST
2. Clarification questions byyesterday

   21 Sept 2026, 10:00 BST
3. Submission deadlinein 13 days

   5 Oct 2026, 10:00 BST
4. Award decision expected byin 70 days

   30 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice13 Aug 2026, 15:16 BST077328-2026
2. Tender notice4 Sept 2026, 15:49 BST084022-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender