Provision of All Wales Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

What this is

NHS Wales is procuring Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) services across six Welsh Health Boards and Local Authorities. The contract is divided into six lots covering IMCA services and paid Relevant Person Representative (RPR) services, with an estimated total value of GBP 11,356,885 over a 24-month initial term with optional 3-year extensions.

Key points

• Deadline: 5 August 2026 at 12:00 noon for eTender Wales submission; TUPE confidentiality agreement deadline same date
• Six lots available covering IMCA and Relevant Person Representative services across Welsh Health Boards; bidders may bid for one or multiple lots
• Financial capacity requirement: annual turnover must exceed value of lot(s) tendered (Lot 1 minimum GBP 1,985,000)
• Insurance mandatory: Employer's Liability GBP 5m, Public Liability GBP 10m, Professional Indemnity GBP 5m; must be maintained for 6 years post-contract
• Evaluation: Pass/Fail conditions of participation and technical compliance, then scored technical evaluation (100%) on understanding, service delivery, WBFGA compliance, and community benefit
• Contract: 24 months (1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2028) with optional 3-year extensions; TUPE likely applies; funding subject to Welsh Government continuation

Who can bid

Open procedure. Bidders must meet all conditions of participation including financial capacity (annual turnover exceeding lot value), insurance requirements (Employer's Liability GBP 5m, Public Liability GBP 10m, Professional Indemnity GBP 5m), ability to provide audited accounts, and pass all pass/fail qualification questions. Bidders may bid for one or multiple lots. SMEs and VCSEs are encouraged.

• 1985000
• 5000000
• 10000000
• 5000000

How it is scored

Quality 100% · Price 0% Stage 1: Compliant Bid (Pass/Fail). Stage 2: Conditions for Participation (Pass/Fail). Stage 3: Technical - not scored (Pass/Fail). Stage 4: Technical - scored (100% weighting). Technical evaluation includes: Understanding of Brief and Resources (unspecified %), Service Delivery and KPI Performance (25%), Well-Being of Future Generations Act compliance (5%), Community Benefit (information only). Commercial evaluation: within noted budget.

Money

Total estimated contract value: GBP 11,356,885 (excluding VAT). Lot 1 (BCUHB IMCA Services): GBP 1,985,000. Lot 4 (Cardiff and Vale ULB): GBP 1,879,380. Individual lot values range from approximately GBP 1.8m to GBP 2.0m. Funding provided by Welsh Government to Health Boards. Contract value may be adjusted if additional funding granted or if funding withdrawn/reduced.

Performance guarantee

Contractor must maintain Professional Indemnity Insurance of GBP 5 million (clinical) or GBP 5 million (non-clinical) for 6 years from contract expiry. Contractor must provide financial reports at each Contract Monitoring Group meeting. TUPE likely applies; contractor must cooperate with re-tendering exercises and provide employee information within 14 days of written request. Contractor must meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as set in specification and contract, with quarterly contract monitoring meetings to review performance.

How to submit

Tenders must be submitted electronically via eTender Wales portal no later than 5 August 2026 at 12:00 noon. Bidders must complete ITT in conditions of participation, technical and commercial envelopes as set out in eTender Wales. All requested supporting information and documents must be attached. Tenders received after deadline will not be accepted.

Clarifications

Bidders seeking TUPE information must submit signed confidentiality agreement to NWSSP no later than 12:00 noon on 5 August 2026, otherwise TUPE information will not be released. Clarification questions on tender documents should be submitted in accordance with procedures in Instructions for Bidders (Appendix B). Specific clarification deadline not stated in provided text.

Contract period

Initial term: 24 months from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028. Optional extensions: up to 3 years in three 12-month increments, with final extension end date of 31 December 2031. Contract may be terminated by contracting authority if Welsh Government withdraws or reduces funding.

Classification

CPV 85000000 — Health and social work services Wales