Purpose

Following the Executive decision I036684 in February 2026 to
replace the commissioning of an integrated lifestyle service with
a statutory stop smoking service and discretionary falls
prevention strength and balance programme, a robust
programme of pre-procurement commissioning activity has
been undertaken to inform all decisions necessary to progress
the running of a competitive procurement process under
Provider Selection Regime regulations, as detailed in the
decision, up to and including the determination of the final form
contracts and award and execution of those contracts. .
Benchmarking, literature reviews, an options analysis, service
review, stakeholder, service user and market engagement have
provided the decision-maker with an evidence base to consider
available options. This decision is considered to:
- enable Lincolnshire to meet priority statutory obligations
and strategic goals
- offer the national and local market, including smaller
voluntary sector suppliers, opportunities to bid
- deliver important preventative health and wellbeing
contracts (statutory and discretionary)
- offer an efficient method to secure the best value and
quality for Lincolnshire through a combined competitive
process

Decision

To proceed with the competitive procurement of a statutory
stop smoking service and a falls prevention strength and
balance service:
- via two lots and two separate contracts, both for 3 years
with possible extensions of up to a further 3 years, both
to commence 1 April 2027.
- at an annual contract value of £2,800,246 for the Stop
Smoking Service
- at an annual contract value of £160,000 for the Falls
Prevention Strength and Balance Service
- in a combined single procurement of at least 30 days
from September 2026.

Alternative options considered

1) To combine a stop smoking service and a falls prevention
strength and balance programme within a single contract.
Combining both services was a preference of the larger
suppliers in market engagement, who have the capacity and
expertise to deliver both services. However, this was
considered to risk excluding smaller, local suppliers.
2) To directly award a falls prevention strength and balance
programme to an existing provider. This was not
recommended, for reasons of quality and value for money,
following an options analysis exercise.
3) To include the schools’ ‘Tobacco control smoking and
vaping awareness programme’ (also known as ‘Stopping the
Start’) in the scope of the new stop smoking service from
the contract commencement date. This programme is
currently delivered by Trading Standards and funded by the
main public health grant (it is not eligible within the new
national smoking cessation ring-fence). It is intended that
this programme will continue under the current
arrangements until 31/03/28.
Instead, the schools programme will be included as a
potential future development in the new stop smoking
service model, if it is subsequently determined that it
enables i) clear accounting against the smoking cessation
ring-fence ii) greater future flexibility to meet local schools’
needs between the two new unitary council footprints iii) a
broader public health consideration of a wider, coordinated and holistic ‘health-in-schools’ approach.
4) To split the new contracts along the footprints of the two
new unitary authorities. This was not recommended as a)
premature, with the lack of a known public health grant
sub-ringfence for smoking cessation risking future
contractual complications b) value for money (more
expensive administratively to contract manage up to four
new contracts with up to a potential four new providers) c)
the new shadow authorities are not yet in place to make
their own decision. There is sufficient mitigation in the
service specification for analysis and reporting along the
new unitary footprints, and a break clause at 3 years,
allowing time and space for a new service model to be
commissioned if so required by the new unitaries.