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
- Supplier
- The Breastfeeding Network SME
- Value
- £786,363
- Procedure
- Negotiated procedure without prior publication (above threshold)
- Sector
- Business services · Call centre (CPV 79512000)
- Region
- London
- Official notice
- View on Contracts Finder
- Timeline
-
- Contract date28 Mar 2025
- Published25 Apr 2025Published 28 days after the contract date
Description
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). This direct award has been made in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) competition is absent for technical reasons. 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. 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…
About the supplier
The Breastfeeding Network: every public contract they have won, plus their Companies House record (company SC330639).