Preliminary Market Engagement - Therapeutic Services for Families Affected by Problematic Parental Substance Use

****Preliminary Market Engagement Exercise**** The Business Services Organisation (BSO), Procurement and Logistic Service (PaLS), on behalf of the Public Health Agency (PHA), is conducting this Preliminary Market Engagement exercise to engage with suppliers who are interested in delivering this service. The Public Health Agency (PHA) plans to conduct a covered procurement for Therapeutic Services for Families Affected by Problematic Parental Substance Use in Northern Ireland. This service will be based on a family focused, social work led service model providing therapeutic support to families where there are children and young people impacted by problematic parental substance use.

The service will operate primarily at Level 3 of the Hardiker Model, working in the context of multiagency planning led by Social Services. The service will provide tailored, evidence based, whole family therapeutic support to families which may include family systemic work, structured family work, psychotherapeutic interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interventions, structured counselling, and self-help. The PHA invites interested suppliers to participate in this engagement by reading the Preliminary Market Engagement Paper (CP13) and completing and submitting a Preliminary Market Engagement Questionnaire (CP12) via eTendersNI Resource ID/CfT number 5945533 by the engagement deadline - 11th June 2025 at 15.00.

The purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to develop the PHA's requirements and approach to the procurement; to prepare the tender notice and associated tender documents; to identify suppliers that may be able to supply the service required; and to build capacity among suppliers in relation to the contract that may be awarded. The intended outcome of this preliminary market engagement is to raise awareness in the market of this upcoming covered procurement, gauge the level of market interest in the provision of such services; engage and receive feedback from the market by outlining the PHA's proposals for the delivery of this service, its procurement plans and requirements, in advance of any formal tender process. In addition, the PHA wishes to gain a better understanding within the market of the feasibility of the service requirements, the risks and potential issues relating to the service, the applicable social value initiatives; current market practices in respect of Sustainability and Net Zero; and cybersecurity.

The information gathered as part of this engagement will be used by the PHA to clarify and develop its requirements, assess the market's capacity and develop its procurement strategy. Interested parties shall bear their own costs of participation in this market engagement and PaLS/PHA shall not be liable for any costs, expenses or losses howsoever arising from this engagement exercise. Note - Any interest shown in the preliminary market engagement does not constitute a commitment to participate in a procurement exercise.

Non-participation in this preliminary market engagement process does not preclude any supplier from participating in the covered procurement tendering process. This covered procurement is governed by the Procurement Act 2023. The service being tendered is classified as a Light Touch Service.

There is no guarantee that a procurement exercise will be initiated in respect of this service.