YPO Framework 1300 is a major new public sector opportunity for providers of occupational health, employee assistance programmes and wider health and wellbeing services. Developed by YPO in partnership with the London Borough of Islington, this third iteration of the framework is designed to give the whole public sector access to a broader, more flexible wellbeing solution through a national agreement.
Valued at £264,000,000 (including VAT) over eight years, this is a significant opportunity for providers working across occupational health, counselling, wellbeing training, flu programmes and student wellbeing support.
What makes this framework particularly interesting is that it is being procured as an open framework rather than a traditional closed agreement. That gives the market more room to move over time and should make the framework more accessible to a broader mix of suppliers.
Submissions close on 18 May 2026. If you deliver occupational health services, EAP, wellbeing training, flu vaccination, or student assistance programmes, this framework deserves serious consideration. Contact Thornton & Lowe for a rapid assessment of your suitability.
About YPO and Framework 1300
YPO is one of the UK's largest public sector buying organisations, owned by its member local authorities and serving a customer base spanning councils, schools, NHS bodies, emergency services, and other public sector organisations. A place on a YPO framework carries significant commercial potential. That's because YPO frameworks are used extensively across the UK, not just in Yorkshire, and the 1300 framework is expected to attract a similarly broad customer base.
Framework 1300 reflects a wider shift in how public sector organisations buy health and wellbeing support. YPO is clearly positioning the agreement as a more complete wellbeing route to market, covering core services as well as training, add-on services, more digitally enabled EAP models and student assistance programmes for higher education.
That matters for suppliers because it creates space for different types of offer. Some providers will be strongest in occupational health. Others may be more compelling in counselling-led EAP, training delivery, flu programmes, or newer digitally enabled support models. This framework is broad enough that suppliers do not need to force themselves into one standard wellbeing template.
Framework structure: five lots
The framework is designed to support a full end-to-end wellbeing solution for the public sector. The published structure includes:
- Lot 1 – Occupational Health Services: Core OH provision including pre-employment assessments, sickness absence management referrals, health surveillance, and fit-for-work assessments.
- Lot 2 – Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP): Traditional EAP provision (confidential counselling, legal and financial guidance, and wellbeing support) for public sector employees.
- Lot 3 – Health and Wellbeing Training Courses: Training programmes covering a range of workplace mental health, resilience, and wellbeing topics for public sector workforces.
- Lot 4 – Flu Vaccination Programmes: Occupational flu vaccination services for employees: on-site, clinic, or voucher-based delivery.
- Lot 5 – Modern EAP and Student Assistance Programmes (SAP): A forward-looking lot covering digitally enhanced EAP provision and student assistance programmes for learners aged 16+, reflecting the growth of wellbeing provision in further and higher education settings.
Key facts
- Authority: Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO)
- Framework reference: 1300
- Total value: £264,000,000 including VAT
- Term: 8 years
- Lots: 5
- Procurement type: Framework agreement (multi-supplier)
- Submission deadline: 18 May 2026
The lots explained
Lot 1: Occupational Health Services
Lot 1 is for the provision of occupational health services to all public sector establishments. This is likely to appeal to providers delivering core OH services such as management referrals, pre-employment assessments, health surveillance and wider occupational health support.
This lot will suit providers with strong clinical governance, robust operational delivery and experience working across complex public sector environments.
Lot 2: Employee Assistance Programmes
Lot 2 covers traditional Employee Assistance Programmes for all public sector organisations.
This should suit providers delivering counselling, information and advice, emotional wellbeing support and the wider structured EAP model that many buyers already recognise.
Lot 3a: Health and Wellbeing Add-On Services
Sub-lot 3a is focused on health and wellbeing add-on services, specifically including flu vaccinations.
This is a useful route for suppliers with a more targeted occupational wellbeing offer, particularly where their strength sits in practical workplace interventions rather than full OH or EAP provision.
Lot 3b: Health and Wellbeing-Related Training
Sub-lot 3b covers health and wellbeing training, including menopause and menstrual health training, suicide awareness, mental health first aid, financial wellbeing training, and neurodiversity awareness and inclusive workplace training.
This is a strong opportunity for specialist training providers and shows that YPO is treating workplace wellbeing capability as a distinct service area rather than something bundled into EAP by default.
Lot 3c: Modern Employee Assistance Programmes
Sub-lot 3c is for Modern Employee Assistance Programmes.
This is one of the most commercially interesting parts of the framework because it creates a clearer home for providers with more digitally enabled, platform-led or broader modern wellbeing propositions. It should be particularly relevant for businesses that have moved beyond a traditional helpline model and can demonstrate a more flexible or technology-supported service.
Lot 4: Student Assistance Programmes
Lot 4 covers Student Assistance Programmes in Mental Health and Wellbeing for Higher Education, 16 years+.
This makes the framework relevant not only to employee wellbeing providers, but also to organisations with credible experience in student support, higher education wellbeing and youth-facing mental health services.
Why this framework should interest SMEs and specialists
This framework should be genuinely encouraging for specialist providers. The notice makes clear that the framework is suitable for SMEs and VCSEs, and the open framework structure supports a broader mix of suppliers over time.
The lot structure also helps. Instead of requiring every provider to deliver a fully bundled wellbeing model, YPO has separated key service areas in a way that allows focused providers to compete where they are strongest.
That is good news for occupational health specialists, EAP providers, training businesses, flu programme providers and student wellbeing specialists. A supplier does not need to be everything to everyone here. It needs a clear fit, a credible service model and strong evidence.
What stands out commercially
There are several commercially important features here. The first is that the framework supports both Competitive Selection Process and Award Without Competition. That means a framework place can create more than one route to winning work.
The second is the award-without-competition ranking method. For direct award, suppliers will be selected by region, overall quality score based on AC1 to AC5 excluding social value and sustainability, and price per quality score. That makes the original framework evaluation especially important, because it can influence visibility and ranking later.
The third is the flexibility at call-off. YPO recommends reopening cost, quality and social value or sustainability criteria within specified ranges at competitive selection stage, and contracting authorities can flex the weighting to meet their own needs so long as the total equals 100%.
That tells suppliers something important: winning a place is only part of the job. Providers also need a framework strategy that works at call-off level.
Accreditation and compliance requirements
This framework has some clearly defined technical and professional standards.
- SEQOHS accreditation is essential for Lot 1
- EAPA accreditation is essential for Lot 2
- Suppliers on Lots 2, 3c and 4 must work with accredited psychologists, counsellors, therapists and coaches who meet professional licensing requirements, with a vetted process in place to ensure clinical excellence
- CQC registration is required where applicable to the services being provided
This is an area where weaker bids can fall down. Suppliers should not leave accreditation mapping or evidence gathering until late in the process.
Tips for a competitive bid
- Target lots that match your core delivery model: Lots 1 and 2 will attract the largest pool of competitors. If your proposition is genuinely differentiated in those areas (such as through technology, clinical governance, or depth of public sector experience) make that differentiation explicit. Lot 5 (Modern EAP and SAP) may have fewer competitors and represents a strategic opportunity for providers with digital capability or strong links to the further and higher education sectors.
- Reference a diverse public sector client base: YPO's customers span local authorities, NHS trusts, schools, emergency services, and more. Your bid should reference delivery across this breadth where possible, not just one type of public sector employer.
- Demonstrate clinical governance and assurance: OH services in particular carry clinical risk and regulatory obligations. Your quality management systems, professional accreditations (e.g. SEQOHS for OH providers), and clinical governance framework should be clearly articulated in your bid.
- Address the digital dimension: Buyers across all five lots are increasingly expecting digital delivery channels, data analytics, and self-service capability. Address how your platform or delivery model supports digital access, even for Lot 1 and 2 bids where face-to-face delivery remains core.
- Check all YPO and Find a Tender documentation: Specific terms, insurance requirements, and mandatory accreditations may be buried in the published tender packs. Read everything before submitting. Visit both the Find a Tender notice and the YPO website for the full documentation set.
With eight years of framework ahead and a customer base spanning much of the UK public sector, Framework 1300 has the potential to be a genuinely portfolio-defining contract for providers who secure a place. The competition will be strong; invest in your bid accordingly.
How Thornton & Lowe can help
For providers in occupational health, EAP and broader wellbeing services, this is exactly the kind of framework where bid quality, positioning and lot selection can make a real difference.
At Thornton & Lowe, we support suppliers with framework strategy, bid planning, response writing, review and challenge, pricing support and social value development. On a framework like this, that often means helping providers decide where they are most competitive, sharpen their evidence, and translate service quality into a response that scores well.
For specialist providers in particular, the value is often in clarity. The businesses that present a focused, well-supported case on the right lot usually perform better than those trying to look broader than they really are.
Bidding for YPO Framework 1300?
YPO Framework 1300 is a significant public sector wellbeing opportunity. With an open framework structure, multiple re-opening points, a broad lot model and real room for specialist providers, it should attract serious attention from the occupational health and wellbeing market.
Thornton & Lowe supports occupational health, EAP, and wellbeing providers through competitive public sector framework bids. Get a fast, honest assessment of your bid readiness and how to maximise your score.
