HAC6119 Stop Smoking London Integrated Digital Smoking Cessation Service Pilot Extension

Tower Hamlets has completed the procurement process for the "HAC6119 Stop Smoking London Integrated Digital Smoking Cessation Service Pilot Extension". The tender falls under the Health and Social Work Services category and is specifically designed to support smoking cessation efforts across London's 33 boroughs. This process involved leveraging a Section 31 local authority grant with a funding provision of approximately £10 million per annum.

The procurement process followed a limited method, specifically an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, as part of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). The contract was actively awarded to 23 Limited (trading as SmokeFree) and spans from September 2025 to the end of August 2026, with a potential contract value up to £835,000 based on borough participation for future funding in 2026/27. Tower Hamlets coordinated this award with significant oversight from their Public Health Director and associated procurement teams.

For businesses operating in digital health services, particularly those that provide innovative solutions for smoking cessation, this tender presents opportunities for growth and collaboration. Although this particular contract was directly awarded without competitive tendering, such projects often set the stage for future opportunities where experience with similar services in comprehensive health service provision can be leveraged. Large-scale providers capable of delivering 24/7 services would find themselves well-positioned to integrate into this framework, especially given the critical need to support public health initiatives driven by legislative changes and funding allocations like the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

This underscores the importance for businesses in the health services sector to maintain readiness for such opportunities through strategic alignments and capability enhancements.