DATRIG funding - ARA

To provide vulnerable service users affected by substance abuse with housing support alongside a recovery programme. The criteria of the service fits within the defined category area of CPV code 85312500-4 "Rehabilitation services, but only insofar as such services are provided to individuals to tackle substance misuse or for the rehabilitation of the mental or physical health of individuals", this states that the criteria of services provided for this contract fall within schedule 1 of PSR 2023 regulations, and as such this contract can be awarded under PSR 2023 regulations.

ARA currently delivers supported housing to those with substance use addictions under their core contract with our homelessness team, called “Pathway 4”. They have been delivering an extended service from the Housing Support and Rough Sleepers grants we have received in previous years; we will continue with this extended service from the DATRIG grant that has superseded these for 2025/26.

They are the only capable provider of the service BECAUSE we would not be able to split providers to deliver an extension of this current service as this would directly impact the service user in the quality of service, they would receive with a disjointed service offer from the main contract and would also not be the most effective use of public funds, we MUST award via "Direct Award Process A" detailed in section 7 of the PSR 2023 regulations. Section 6 (4) of PSR 2023 states that a contracting authority MUST follow the route to direct award if the following terms have been fulfilled; (a)the proposed contracting arrangements relate to relevant health care services in respect of which a patient is offered a choice of provider, (b)the number of providers is not restricted by the relevant authority, (c)the relevant authority will offer contracts to all providers to whom an award can be made because they meet all requirements in relation to the provision of the relevant health care services to patients, (d)the relevant authority has arrangements in place to enable providers to express an interest in providing the relevant health care services, and (e)the procurement is not to conclude a framework agreement, I can confirm that the above requirements are met and as such it is within the bounds of PSR 2023 regulations to directly award this contract to the Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA).