NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (herein "the Authority")'s intention to award a contract to Choice Support to deliver Admission Prevention and Early Discharge to the patients within NHS Essex's ICB geographical footprint. The contract will be for 12 months months from 01st April 2026 - 31st March 2027 with an option to extend for an additional year. The aggregate contract value is £194768 inc VAT. The provider is an existing provider, who is currently satisfying the requirements of the existing contract. The provider has been assessed against the criteria specified for this DAP C process: Quality & Innovation 20%. Value 20%. Integration, Collaboration & Service Sustainability 20%, Access Health Inequalities and Choice 20%; Social Value 20%. Key criteria were specified, and assessment against each criterion was assessed based on the current service delivery model and performance. and the supplier meets all the requirements specified to the satisfaction of the ICB, and it is expected that they will satisfy the requirements of the new contract. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (the Authority) intends to award a contract for the provision of Admission Prevention and Early Discharge services in to the existing provider, Thurrock & Brentwood Mind following Direct Award Process C under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board, acting as the Relevant Authority, is commissioning these services to support will be provided in line with the NHS Essex ICB Service Restriction Policy: Assisted Conception Commissioning Policy. Further details can be found at II.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Authority intends to award this contract via Direct Award Process C under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023 do not apply. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is the Relevant Authority undertaking this process. The services comprise the provision of Admission Prevention and Early Discharge Services. The Admission Prevention & Early Discharge (APED) Service, will continues to provide a critical function within the urgent and community mental health pathway across Mid and South Essex. The Provider has been meeting the qualitative indicators specified in the Standard NHS Contract with measured outcomes providing evidence of significant impact. The provider is an existing provider of these services to NHS Essex Integrated Care Board and has demonstrated their ability to deliver the services to the required standard, following assessment against the five key Provider Selection Regime criteria. The contract period is from 01 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 with an option to extend for an additional year. The total aggregate contract value is £194768 inc VAT.