SmokeFree Set for £920,000 London Smoking Cessation Service

Tower Hamlets, acting as the host authority on behalf of the London Tobacco Alliance and London’s 33 local authorities, intends to award a contract for the continued provision of the Stop Smoking London Integrated Digital Smoking Cessation Service to 23 Limited, trading as SmokeFree.

The pan-London service provides digital smoking cessation support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping residents to quit smoking through a combination of digital tools, behavioural support and access to trained smoking cessation advisors. It also provides access to nicotine replacement therapies, vaping products and prescribed smoking cessation medications where clinically appropriate.

The service complements locally commissioned stop smoking services by providing access to support outside traditional operating hours and increasing overall smoking cessation capacity across London. Since launching in 2024, the service has demonstrated high levels of engagement, significant demand outside standard service hours and positive user feedback, with independently evaluated quit rates exceeding 40%.

Prior to proceeding with the direct award, soft market testing was undertaken to assess whether alternative providers were capable of delivering the required integrated digital smoking cessation model. The market engagement concluded that only one provider could offer a comprehensive service meeting the requirement for a fully integrated solution operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including digital support, real-time advisor access and the fulfilment of cessation products and medications at scale across London.

Tower Hamlets considers that the criteria for Direct Award Process A under the Provider Selection Regime have been met, stating that there is no realistic alternative provider capable of delivering the required service. The procurement procedure is listed as below threshold – without competition.

The contract with 23 Limited, trading as SmokeFree, is valued at £736,000 excluding VAT and £920,000 including VAT. The service is funded through contributions from London’s 33 local authorities using Public Health Grant funding allocated for smoking cessation support.

The contract dates are estimated as 15 September 2026 to 14 September 2027, giving a one-year contract period, with 15 September 2026 also listed as the earliest date the contract will be signed.

23 Limited, trading as SmokeFree, is based in London and is identified in the award notice as both a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and a voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE).

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