DHSC: Local Authority Public Health Peer Review and External Support

The Department of Health and Social Care (‘The Authority’) is seeking information on your views regarding the new core Local Authority Public Health Peer Review and External Support and Improvement Offer that is due to go live during the 2026/27 financial year. The aim of the RFI is to explore your views on a proposed future public health support and improvement offer.

Responses will help to shape the specification for potential competitive tender and build a tailored support and improvement offer that maximises impact. This government is committed to reset the relationship between central and local government – providing long-term financial certainty and supporting them to deliver on key priorities.

As part of this, we committed to consolidating over £4 billion of public health funding into the local government Public Health Grant (PH Grant) from 2026/27 and set out clear public health priorities as part of the upcoming Local Government Outcomes Framework. This support offer should include the following: Peer reviews: Deliver 90 public health peer reviews over three years to help LAs identify challenges, tackle issues, and highlight good practice in fulfilling statutory duties and reforms.

Improvement plans and Targeted support: Support LAs in developing improvement plans and provide tailored assistance based on peer review findings. Universal offer: Provide self-improvement resources including guidance, toolkits, training, and opportunities for collaboration across LAs and Directors of Public Health (DsPH).

Responsive call-off support: Maintain a call-off facility to address urgent or priority public health issues in collaboration with DHSC policy teams and DHSC regional public health teams. The supplier should work collaboratively with the Authority to ensure the offer is appropriately prioritised, and not duplicative of other improvement activities.

This should include working closely with the Authority’s regional public health teams to share intelligence and insight, identify LA improvement priorities and avoid duplication. The contract will be awarded for three years up to April 2029, with a provision to extend the contract for a further two years.

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) are eligible to apply for this RFI, if they have the relevant experience. All the interested suppliers should register at: health.atamis.co.uk to apply for the opportunity.

If there is sufficient interest, we will be hosting a webinar for potential suppliers on Tuesday, 30th September, from 15:30 to 16:30. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and provide verbal feedback. To register and help us confirm the event, please email Yoshi.panwar@dhsc.gov.uk by 15:00, Wednesday 24th September 2025.