An introduction to bidding for public sector contracts for counselling psychologists
This guide gives psychologists working in small independent services an overview of how to prepare to bid for and deliver services under contract to the NHS and its local trusts.
01 July 2013
This guide has been prepared to give psychologists who work in small independent services an overview of the steps necessary to prepare to bid for and deliver services under contract to the NHS and its local trusts, and other public mental health commissioning bodies such as local authorities. Some regional differences in policy and procurement processes have been noted for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The guide is written in three sections. The first section describes the preparatory work a small organisation might undertake before attempting to bid for a tendered opportunity. The second section describes where to find suitable tenders. It also gives an overview of how to navigate and complete common steps in the bidding process. The third section gives some pointers on reliably delivering new projects and managing service growth. The guide is intended to shed some light on the considerable work required to achieve a successful public sector bid. Each section of this guide represents a simple overview of its topic. A wealth of information exists on each subject, and readers are encouraged to pursue further knowledge relevant to their work.