Awarded without open competition
Awarded without open competition. The buyer went directly to one or a few suppliers instead of advertising the contract. Procurement rules allow this only in specific cases, such as extreme urgency, when only one supplier can do the work, or for call-offs from an existing framework.
Key facts
- Buyer
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust · Body governed by public law
- Supplier
- First Step Trust
- Value
- £245,000
- Procedure
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Sector
- Health & social care · Health services (CPV 85100000)
- Region
- North West
- Official notice
- 026374-2026 on Find a Tender
- Timeline
-
- Contract date20 Mar 2026
- Published23 Mar 2026Published 3 days after the contract date
Description
Mersey Care NHS FT intends to contract with First Step Trust for the provision of employment preparation services to secure patients at our Maghull Health Park site. Hospitals covered by the contract will include Rowan View Medium Secure Hospital (123 beds over 8 inpatient wards) and Aspen Wood Low Secure Unit (40 beds over 2 inpatient wards). For the new contract, MCFT requires the service to be mobilised from 06 April 2026 for a period of 12 months to 31 March 2027. The contract value is approximately £245k. It is intended to award the contract in accordance with the Provider Selection Regime Regulations under Direct Award process C where there is an existing provider for the services and that existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed new contract, and where additionally the services are not changing considerably. The Senior Leadership Team of Secure Care Division have made the decision for the award of this contract. No conflicts of …
About the supplier
First Step Trust: every public contract they have won, plus their Companies House record (company 03730562).