Provision of All Wales Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Procurement Services, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, has launched a procurement on behalf of six Welsh Health Boards for the Provision of All Wales Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) services.

The procurement will establish advocacy services across Wales, covering Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA), Paid Relevant Person Representative (RPR) services and ad-hoc spot-purchase arrangements where applicable. The opportunity has been divided into multiple lots to reflect the commissioning requirements of each participating Health Board.

The procurement aims to secure high-quality advocacy services that support individuals requiring representation under the Mental Capacity Act arrangements, while enabling Health Boards to commission services that meet local requirements.

Lots Available

The procurement has been divided into the following lots:

• Lot 1: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board – IMCA Services
• Lot 2a: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – IMCA Services
• Lot 2b: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – Ad-hoc Spot Purchase
• Lot 3a: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board – IMCA Services
• Lot 3b: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board – Paid RPR Services
• Lot 3c: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board – Ad-hoc Spot Purchase
• Lot 4a: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – IMCA Services
• Lot 4b: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Paid RPR Services
• Lot 4c: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Spot Purchase of Paid RPR
• Lot 5a: Hywel Dda University Health Board – IMCA and Paid RPR Services
• Lot 5b: Hywel Dda University Health Board – Ad-hoc Spot Purchase
• Lot 6a: Swansea Bay University Health Board – IMCA and Paid RPR Services
• Lot 6b: Swansea Bay University Health Board – Spot Purchase of Paid RPR

Contract Information

Buyer: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)

Deadline: 5 August 2026, 12:00pm

Contract Value: £11,356,885

Delivery Length: Contract lengths vary by Health Board. Most lots will commence on 1 January 2027 with an initial term of 24 months, while Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea Bay University Health Board contracts commence on 1 June 2027 with an initial term of 18 months. All lots include options to extend by up to a further three years through annual extensions.

Tender Link: Click here

Evaluation Criteria

All lots will be evaluated on:

• Technical (Quality) – 100%

The full evaluation methodology is set out within the tender documentation.

Procurement Information

The procurement is being conducted using an Open Procedure under the Light Touch Regime.

The opportunity has been identified as being suitable for:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs)

For several Health Boards, a single provider will be appointed to deliver all services within the relevant sub-lots. For other lots, Health Boards have indicated a preference to retain flexibility to award individual lots to different providers where appropriate. Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea Bay University Health Board also reserve the right to join the contract arrangements at any point during the contract term.

The opportunity represents a significant Wales-wide commissioning exercise for advocacy services, supporting people who require Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy and Relevant Person Representative services across multiple Health Board areas.

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