Substance Use Service - Core Drug and alcohol service and inpatient detoxification

Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) is commissioning an integrated drug and alcohol treatment system aligned to national policy, including the UK Drug Strategy (2021), Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) guidance, Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF), and National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) requirements. This is an invitation to tender.

The required services will be fully integrated, this means the provider will deliver services that a range of clinical, psychosocial, inpatient and recovery support interventions. This includes the management of accessing and the pathway into inpatient detoxification.

The primary function of the inpatient provision will be to offer flexible short stay for substance dependent service users, providing medically supervised prescribing, intensive assessment, care and treatment with brief intervention therapy to those service users who require stabilisation, reduction or detoxification from harmful substances. In BHCC we want everyone to have the best possible life, we want everyone to be included, and no-one should be left behind.

This will be achieved by ensuring commissioned services are recovery focussed, work at the centre of communities and can engage with all residents who need support. This specification sets out the requirements for services in line with a recovery focused drug, alcohol and inpatient treatment system and details the objectives and interventions to address drug and alcohol related needs.

BHCC wishes to build on the current adult drug and alcohol service which will enable a whole system and preventative approach, subsequently increasing the number of people aspiring to recovery from dependence. This will be achieved by providing individual support and treatment packages of care reducing the harm caused by addiction and dependence, to enable this to happen the provider will work in a treatment system that includes primary care, secondary, tertiary and criminal justice agencies working together to reduce harms and increase recovery.

Potential Providers were invited to a Market Warming Event in March 2026 through a Preliminary Market Engagement notice published on Find A Tender. The intention of the event was to share with the market the Council's strategic vision and priorities for the service.

Information gathered from this market event supported and informed the tender documentation. This contract is for 5 years with optional extension options of an additional 2 years (Total contract term of 7 years) The total estimated contract value indicated in this notice is for the full 7 year contract term.

This contract is being funded via a Public Health grant. The declared acceptable annual contract price range is between £7,100,000 and £7,350,000.

The declared acceptable contract price range for the initial 5 year term is between £35,500,000 and £36,750,000. The Pricing Schedule will be reviewed for compliance with the declared acceptable contract ranges.