C0135 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
The National Lottery Community FundEstimated Value
£16,000 – £0
Deadline
10 June 2026
Published
10 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
The Fund wishes to provide employees with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This would allow colleagues to access assistance on personal matters, such as counselling, including options for as many sessions as required based on triage.
Also to include different types of counselling, such as CBT, financial support, education and advice, legal support, GP services to include video and phone call options, and prescribing if necessary and mental health support, offered in a range of ways (online/in an app/in person). This is a key benefit for colleagues and will play a part in retaining valued colleagues whilst attracting new people to the Fund.
Direct award from ESPO 985B_23 Occupational Health Services Framework. Total Contract term: 12 months + 12 months + 12 months.
Additional details
Total Contract Value: up to and not exceeding 48,000.00 GBP (excluding VAT). Initial 12-month Term Value: 16,000.00 GBP (excluding VAT).
Optional 12-month Extension 1 Value: 16,000.00 GBP (excluding VAT). Optional 12-month Extension 2 Value: 16,000.00 GBP (excluding VAT).
AI Analysis
Powered by AI — always verify against official documents
A UK public sector organization (referred to as 'the Fund') is contracting an Employee Assistance Programme provider to offer staff counselling and mental health support services. The contract runs for an initial 12 months at £16,000, with two optional 12-month renewals at the same cost, totalling up to £48,000 over three years.
Requirements
- Must be pre-approved on the ESPO 985B_23 Occupational Health Services Framework — you cannot bid unless already listed on this framework
- Must provide unlimited counselling sessions (no session caps) with triage assessment to determine appropriate care
- Must offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a counselling type
- Must provide financial support services and financial advice
- Must offer legal support services
- Must provide GP services including video and telephone consultation options
- Must be able to prescribe medication where clinically necessary
- Must deliver mental health support services
- Must offer services via multiple channels: online platform, mobile app, and in-person appointments
- Contract must be fulfilled within 12-month initial term, with potential for two consecutive 12-month extensions
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Design and deliver an Employee Assistance Programme accessible to all Fund employees
- Triage all referrals to assess support needs and recommend appropriate service type
- Provide unlimited one-to-one counselling sessions (no maximum number per employee)
- Deliver CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) counselling services
- Offer financial advice and support (e.g., budgeting, debt management, financial planning)
- Provide legal advice and support services (e.g., employment law, personal matters)
- Operate a GP telemedicine service with video and phone appointment options
- Arrange and manage prescriptions where clinically indicated
- Deliver mental health support across all service types
- Maintain an online portal for service access and appointment booking
- Provide a mobile app for service users to access support remotely
- Offer in-person counselling and support appointments at agreed locations
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is a direct award contract, meaning the buyer is awarding it directly to a supplier already on the ESPO 985B_23 framework — you cannot bid for this unless you are already pre-approved on that framework. Check if you're listed before investing time.
- 2'Unlimited sessions based on triage' means you cannot charge per session or impose a maximum; costs must be inclusive within the £16,000 annual fee. Understand your cost model carefully.
- 3The contract structure has an initial 12-month term plus two optional one-year extensions — pricing is fixed at £16,000 per year. The buyer may or may not extend, so plan for the initial year to be profitable but be ready to deliver consistently if extended.
- 4Multiple delivery channels (online, app, in-person) are mandatory, not optional — you must support all three. Check you have the technology and physical capacity.
- 5Mental health support, GP services, and prescribing indicate a medical/clinical service — ensure you have qualified clinicians and appropriate NHS/GMC registrations, not just general counsellors.
- 6The term 'occupational health' in the framework name suggests this is for employee wellbeing within a formal workplace context; understand workplace confidentiality and reporting obligations if any employee is at risk.
Tips for Small Businesses
- If you are not already on ESPO 985B_23, you cannot bid. However, ESPO frameworks are open for application — check ESPO's website and consider joining the framework for future opportunities. This is a direct award off an existing framework, so the window may be closed.
- £16,000 per year for unlimited counselling is tight — price carefully. Work backwards: estimate how many employees, average session length, staff costs, and app/platform costs. If the Fund has 50+ staff, costs per employee may be very low. Consider whether you can deliver profitably or if you need to subcontract (e.g., GP services) to manage costs.
- The requirement for GP services and prescribing is specialist — if you're a counselling-only provider, explore partnering with a qualified telehealth GP provider or occupational health clinic. Consortium or subcontracting arrangements are common in EAP contracts and can make a bid viable.
Award Details
Optima Health UK Limited
£16,000
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Buyer Profile
The National Lottery Community FundKey Dates
Published
10 June 2026
Submission deadline
10 June 2026
Renewal expected80% confident
June 2027
Predicted using explicit duration found in the tender description (12 months from contract start date → renewal expected by Jun 2027).
Notice type
Contract
Source
contracts finder
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