Open13 days left · express interest by midday, Monday 12 October 2026

PR Agency Services

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust · NHS and health

In brief

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is looking for suppliers for consultancy and marketing work (North East).

The estimated value is £1,200,000 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 4 years, up to 8 years with extensions, starting 1 April 2027.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

This is the first stage: register your interest by midday, Monday 12 October 2026, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Key dates

Questions by
midday, Monday 5 October 2026
Express interest by
midday, Monday 12 October 2026

This is the first stage. You register interest now, and shortlisted suppliers are invited to bid later.

How bids are scored

Service Delivery - Demonstrated Experience 30% · Service Delivery - Relevant Contracts and Impact 40% · Service Delivery - Demonstrated Supporting Partnerships 30%

Quality matters most. You can win without being the cheapest.

Competition

Typical: a median of 4 bids per contract for consultancy contracts in this region (from 61 awards in the last 12 months).

What the notice says

Synchronicity Care Limited on behalf of Fresh and Balance are seeking a provider of PR Agency Services. Fresh and Balance is the North East's integrated programme for reducing tobacco and alcohol harm in the region. They are one single joint programme carrying out much of the public and partner facing work under the two separate, well recognised brands of Fresh and Balance. Fresh and Balance remit is to reduce smoking rates and the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol amongst the local population and key audiences using a multi-strand approach based on best national and international evidence. This includes mass media campaigns, campaigning and advocacy, effective internal communications,…Read the full description
Synchronicity Care Limited on behalf of Fresh and Balance are seeking a provider of PR Agency Services. Fresh and Balance is the North East's integrated programme for reducing tobacco and alcohol harm in the region. They are one single joint programme carrying out much of the public and partner facing work under the two separate, well recognised brands of Fresh and Balance. Fresh and Balance remit is to reduce smoking rates and the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol amongst the local population and key audiences using a multi-strand approach based on best national and international evidence. This includes mass media campaigns, campaigning and advocacy, effective internal communications, and making voices heard on the national stage to politicians and decision makers. A key element of their work and priority of local funders is the delivery of all year round news and social media reach/engagement to ensure issues and messages in the public eye all year round on the channels that people see, read and hear, providing a highly cost effective return on investment. This also involves working with a range of senior stakeholders for messengers and champions, building support for measures to reduce smoking and harmful drinking, motivating and triggering behaviour change, and engaging and motivating key partners to prioritise these agendas regionally and nationally. Communications cover three main strands: • Behaviour change - highlighting the risks and signposting positive behaviour change around quitting smoking, reducing second hand smoke and reducing drinking - via campaigns, socials and two key websites FreshQuit.co.uk and ReduceMyRisk.tv. • Highlighting the harm - the cost of tobacco and alcohol across the region and nationally to motivate regional stakeholders and the public • Campaigning for change - a strong policy focus to call for more action nationally on tobacco and alcohol, increasing public and partner support for this. This also includes an increasing focus on building partnerships across the health system, local communities and community and voluntary sector. Fresh and Balance are looking for a PR agency with the experience, skills and knowledge to develop communications across the increasing range of available media channels to secure content - both traditional and online. Since we are a joint programme, this will be one contract serving both campaign brands, while still requiring the insight and experience in social marketing approaches to plan campaigns and approaches around both tobacco and alcohol. The successful agency will be expected to provide PR support to support the programme from 1st April 2027 with the potential for contract extensions and subject to satisfactory performance and reviews and funding.

Should I bid?

Tick what applies to you. Nothing is saved.

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Submit your bid through the buyer's e-tendering portal: atamis-1928--prospend.vf.force.com.
  4. Send clarification questions before midday, Monday 5 October 2026.
  5. Register your interest before midday, Monday 12 October 2026. Shortlisted suppliers are then invited to bid.

Timeline

  1. Tender notice · UK4, notice 087957-2026
  2. Tender notice · UK4, notice 087961-2026
  3. Tender notice · UK4, notice 088465-2026

About the buyer

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From notice 087957-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 16 September 2026, last updated 18 September 2026. We last checked for changes on 27 September 2026.