Community Drug and Alcohol Services

Cornwall Council has launched a procurement for the delivery of Community Drug and Alcohol Services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The procurement is being undertaken under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 using the Competitive Process and is divided into two lots covering services for adults and young people.

The commissioned services will deliver an integrated, whole-system, community-based model of prevention, treatment and recovery support, with the aim of reducing alcohol and drug-related harm, improving health and wellbeing, supporting recovery, and reducing inequalities.

Service Overview

The procurement has been divided into two lots:

• Lot 1 – Adults (18+)
• Lot 2 – Young People (Under 18)

Lot 1 covers a comprehensive community drug and alcohol treatment system for adults, including open access services, harm reduction, structured community treatment, criminal justice pathways, housing-related support, support for families and carers, specialist responses for people with complex needs, and recovery-focused community provision.

Lot 2 covers specialist community drug and alcohol services for young people under 18, including targeted prevention and early intervention, open access and Tier 2 services, structured community treatment, youth justice pathways, safeguarding responses, transitions to adult services, and support for education settings.

Both services are required to operate county-wide across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly using flexible and accessible delivery models, with strong partnership working across statutory and voluntary sector organisations.

Contract Information

Buyer – Cornwall Council

Deadline – 19 August 2026 – 12:00pm

Contract Value – £87,066,000 (excluding VAT)

Delivery Length – 1 April 2027 – 31 March 2033, with the option to extend by up to 3 years (maximum contract term to 31 March 2036)

Tender Link – Click here

Lots

• Lot 1 – Adults (18+) – Estimated value: £80,100,000
• Lot 2 – Young People (Under 18) – Estimated value: £6,966,000

Evaluation Criteria

The contracting authority has confirmed that price is not the only award criterion, with the full evaluation methodology detailed within the procurement documentation.

Regulatory Requirements

Providers must:

• Hold Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration for regulated drug and alcohol treatment services at the date of tender submission.
• Demonstrate sufficient economic and financial standing in accordance with the procurement documentation.
• Provide evidence of relevant technical and professional capability, including examples of similar contracts delivered within the previous three years.

Additional Information

The procurement is being undertaken under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, and suppliers may bid for one or both lots.

The contracts are intended to operate as an integrated whole-system model, supporting prevention, treatment and recovery services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly through partnership working and continuous service improvement.

This opportunity represents a significant long-term commissioning opportunity for providers delivering specialist community drug and alcohol services and reflects continued investment in integrated treatment and recovery support for adults, children and young people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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