IPS Substance Misuse Employment Tender – Suffolk Council 2026

The Individual Placement Support (IPS) scheme aims to provide tailored employment support for individuals receiving structured community treatment for drug and alcohol dependence through the Suffolk Integrated Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service provider, Turning Point. The scheme is designed to support service users who are unemployed, as well as those currently employed but at risk of losing their employment, to obtain and sustain meaningful work.

The target group will be users who are in structured treatment in our commissioned Integrated Drug and Alcohol treatment Service provider within Suffolk (Turning Point). The provider will need to work closely with Turning Point to ensure that people receive person-centred support, and outcomes are met. This will include co location in the three hubs across Suffolk and potential to work from satellite locations in the Suffolk area. The services are currently provided under an existing contract due to expire in September 2026. TUPE may apply to existing staff transferring from the current provider.

The contract period is 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2029 (30 months) with an option to extend for up to a further 2 years (24 months). The maximum contract value is £1,073,498 exclusive of VAT for the duration of the contract including extension.

The submission deadline is 12th June 2026 at 11am. Please note late returns will NOT be permitted.

The deadline for clarification questions is 27th May 2026, which must be generated via the correspondence option on the website.

Please note, the tender includes the following Conditions of Participation:

Financial Capacity

– Confirmation that the Tenderer has a minimum Creditsafe credit reference agency score of 50 at the time of evaluation. If this threshold is not met (or a Creditsafe score cannot be obtained), the contracting authority may conduct a more detailed assessment – such as ratio analysis – using other financial information.

– Confirmation that the Tenderer has, or can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated in the Procurement Specific Questionnaire, and that the cost of insurances has been included in the costs/prices submitted within the Tender submission.

Legal Capacity

UK General Data Protection Regulations

– Tenderer does not pose a Data Protection risk to the Council (that cannot be mitigated).

Technical Ability

Relevant experience and contract examples

– Tenderer provides evidence demonstrating technical ability to perform the services as defined in the tender documentation.

Experience of sub-contractor management

– Tenderer provides evidence demonstrating how they have previously maintained healthy supply chains with their sub-contractor(s) (if applicable).

The contract can be extended for up to a further 2 years.

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/suffolksourcing/aspx/ProjectManage/20252

Suffolk County Council has joined the government’s Devolution Priority Programme (DPP), a fast-track programme towards devolution and local government reorganisation.

Under the DPP it is proposed that:

a) a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Norfolk and Suffolk is established, with strategic powers and headed by an elected mayor (“Devolution”).

b) the existing two-tier council structure in Suffolk is abolished and replaced with three unitary councils covering the current geographical boundary of Suffolk (“LGR”).

These changes are declared as known risks as we do not yet know the implications of Devolution and/or LGR.

As a result of LGR and Devolution, contract modifications may be necessary to novate, transfer or disaggregate the contract from the one you entered into to one or more successor authorities or the MCAA. Impacts could include changes to geographical boundaries, significant increases and/or decreases in the goods and/or services required due to the change in size/scope of any successor authority or the MCAA. This may also change the scope of the contract.

Interested Parties should refer to the Invitation to Tender and Contract Terms for the Known Risks:

Contract novation, transfer or disaggregation to one or more Successor Authorities or the MCAA within the current geographical boundary of Suffolk.

Contract novation, transfer or disaggregation to one or more Successor Authorities or the MCAA outside the current geographical boundary of Suffolk.

Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

United Kingdom

Contact name: Michelle Youngs

Email: Procurementbusinesssupport@suffolk.gov.uk

Website: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk

Region: UKH14 – Suffolk

Organisation type: Public authority – sub-central government