Kent County Council: Best Start in Life: Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationships Outreach Peer Support Groups

Contracting authority

Contracting authority:

Kent County Council

Public Procurement Organisation Number:

PLDL-8938-YGYW

Address:

Kent County Council | Sessions House, Maidstone
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
UK

Contact name:

Alison Newman

Email:

alison.newman@kent.gov.uk

Telephone:

03000 416375

Website:

Not provided

Organisation type:

REGIONAL_AUTHORITY

Devolved regulations that apply:

None

Procedure

Procedure type:

Open procedure

Preliminary market engagement conducted:

Not provided

Tenders received:

0

Tenders assessed:

0

Tenders from SMEs:

0

Tenders from VCSEs:

0

Special regime:

None

Scope

Title:

Best Start in Life: Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationships Outreach Peer Support Groups

Reference number:

Not provided

Main category:

SERVICES

Description:

Market Engagement Notice

Best Start in Life: Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationships Outreach Peer Support Groups

Authority: Kent County Council

Dates:
Note: final date will be selected depending on interest in the following options:
Wednesday 24th June 09.30-10.30am - Virtual session
Wednesday 1st July 09.00-10.00am - Virtual session

Registration Form:
Peer Support Groups: Pre-engagement event questions and registration – Fill out form
https://forms.office.com/e/XnGHgZzZVh
Contact: integratedteam@kent.gov.uk

Kent County Council is inviting organisations to provide insight into our ambition to design a Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationship Outreach Peer Support group programme to deliver on the Best Start in Life – Healthy Babies three-year programme in Kent.

The peer support groups will be aimed at families/parents in the preconception phase, expecting a first or subsequent baby or with children aged 0-2 years who are at risk or affected by perinatal mental health/parent infant relationship concerns.

The aim is for peer support groups to run in:
•Thanet
•Swale
•Dartford
•Dover
•Gravesham

Peer support groups would be offered to:

•Black and Asian mothers
•Young parents including care leavers (aged 18 to 25 years)
•Expectant parents /parents of under twos living in specific areas of high need (tbc) within the districts listed above.

Indicative budget:

•April 2027 to March 2028 £250k
•April 2028 to March 2029 £250k

About the Best Start in Life - Healthy Babies Programme Link

The Best Start in Life Healthy Babies programme aims are:

•To provide support to parents and carers to help them nurture their babies and children and improving health and education outcomes for all
•To contribute to a reduction in inequalities in health and education outcomes for babies, children and families ensuring that support provided is communicated to all parents and carers, including those facing multiple disadvantage and those who are seldom heard
•To strengthen parent infant relationships and improve perinatal mental health
•To build the evidence base for what works when it comes to improving health and education outcomes for babies, children and families in different delivery contexts.

Market Engagement

We are looking to:
•gather market intelligence
•build early relationships with established and new markets
•develop a sustainable model which includes small voluntary sector, charities, not for profit organisations and small community interest groups
•understand suppliers’ interest, scope, and skills
•understand if and how the proposal could be feasible and deliverable within the financial envelope
•identify how the 3-year peer support programmes can be sustained and eventually owned by the community

This is an opportunity to share your ideas, highlight best practice and help shape the planning for perinatal mental health and parent infant relationship peer support outreach programme that meet this needs of the communities.

Interest is welcome from a range of organisations including VCSE organisations and community groups.

Those attending will also have an opportunity to provide their views via a questionnaire. KCC will analyse the findings from the questionnaire and the findings will inform model development.

Important information:

This engagement is just an early conversation to help shape our thinking. It isn’t a call for competition, and taking part won’t give any organisation an advantage. No commercial decisions have been made yet, and anything we share at this stage may change. If a procurement process is needed later, full details will be published in line with the procurement regulations.
To view this notice, please click here:
https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=1044101726

Total value (estimated):

GBP 500,000 excluding VAT

GBP 600,000 including VAT

Contract dates (estimated):

01/04/2027 to 31/03/2029

CPV classifications:

85323000 - Community health services.

Delivery regions:

UKJ4 - Kent

Participation

Suitable for SMEs:

Yes

Suitable for VCSEs:

Yes

Engagement

Engagement deadline:

24/06/2026

Engagement status:

The engagement has not yet been carried out.

Engagement process description:

Kent County Council is inviting organisations to provide insight into our ambition to design a Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationship Outreach Peer Support group programme to deliver on the Best Start in Life – Healthy Babies three-year programme in Kent.

We are looking to:
•gather market intelligence
•build early relationships with established and new markets
•develop a sustainable model which includes small voluntary sector, charities, not for profit organisations and small community interest groups
•understand suppliers’ interest, scope, and skills
•understand if and how the proposal could be feasible and deliverable within the financial envelope
•identify how the 3-year peer support programmes can be sustained and eventually owned by the community

This is an opportunity to share your ideas, highlight best practice and help shape the planning for perinatal mental health and parent infant relationship peer support outreach programme that meet this needs of the communities.

Interest is welcome from a range of organisations including VCSE organisations and community groups.

Those attending will also have an opportunity to provide their views via a questionnaire. KCC will analyse the findings from the questionnaire and the findings will inform model development.

Important information:

This engagement is just an early conversation to help shape our thinking. It isn’t a call for competition, and taking part won’t give any organisation an advantage. No commercial decisions have been made yet, and anything we share at this stage may change. If a procurement process is needed later, full details will be published in line with the procurement regulations.

Submission

Other organisations