The Provision of a Mental Health Crisis Text Support Service on behalf of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board

Buyer

NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

Estimated value

£1.4m

Location

North West

Deadline

4 December 2026

Published

9 November 2026

Category

Health services

Trade

Business and management consultancy · Health and social care

Suitable for SMEs

Not flagged

View the official notice on Find a Tender

In plain English

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside requires a 24/7 mental health crisis text service across the region, integrated with NHS 111 and local pathways. The contract runs for two years with two optional one-year extensions, capped at £1,400,000 ex VAT, with bids due by 12pm on 4 December 2026.

Description from the notice

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is seeking to engage with the market regarding the provision of an all-age, 24-hour, 7 days a week/ 365 days a year Mental Health Crisis Text Service across Cheshire and Merseyside. The service will provide immediate, accessible and inclusive text-based support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service is intended to be fully integrated with NHS 111 (Mental Health Option) and local crisis response pathways, ensuring seamless access to urgent mental health support and onward referral where required. The service has been developed in line with NHS England guidance on urgent and emergency mental health care and supports the objectives of the NHS Long Term Plan, the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan, and national suicide prevention priorities. It aims to improve access to crisis support for people who may experience barriers to traditional services, including those affected by stigma, communication difficulties, disability, sensory needs, or geographical isolation across the region's diverse urban and rural communities. The term of the contract is 2 years, with the option to extend for 2 further periods of up to one year each. The extension options are not guaranteed and will be subject to ongoing service requirements, satisfactory performance, available funding and approval by the Authority. The maximum total contract value, including both potential extensions, is £1,400,000 ex VAT. The ITT deadline date is set as 12pm 4th December 2026, the opportunity can be found within the following link https://portal.us.bn.cloud.ariba.com/dashboard/public/appext/comsapsbncdiscoveryui#/RfxEvent/preview/1110030967?anId=ANONYMOUS