GMCA1667.3 Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitation Services (GMIRS) Women's Service

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) intends to award a contract of up to £1,628,043 to Greater Manchester Women's Support Alliance (GMWSA) to support the delivery of the Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitation Services (GMIRS) Women's Support Service over an 18-month period, commencing 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2027 (on a 12 month + 6 month basis).

The funding for the initial 12-month contract period will be £1,085,362. Subject to confirmation of funding, £542,681.00 will be issued for the period 1 April to 30 September 2027.

Greater Manchester Women's Support Alliance (GMWSA) are the incumbent provider of the GMIRS Women's Support Services which aims to assist vulnerable and marginalised women to reduce their reoffending and help them to cope, recover and move forward positively in their lives through a needs-led and Trauma Informed approach.

The current contract for the provision of the Women's Support Services (GMCA 255.5), was awarded following a competitive Open procurement process in 2021, during which GMWSA submitted the most economically advantageous bid.

The current contract will expire on 31st March 2026, and budget confirmation for GMIRS covering 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027 was received from HMPSS in November 2025. A compliant procurement process is now underway to award a new Greater Manchester Rehabilitation Services (GMRS) contract starting from 1st October 2027, ensuring alignment with the national approach for CRS contracts (regionally referred to as GMRS).

As this risks an 18-month gap in service provision, and a change of provider at this point would create disproportionate technical difficulties for GMCA, a Direct Award is being sought under Schedule 5 (7) of the Procurement Act 2023. Appointing a new provider at this stage would create significant incompatibilities with the existing service and impose disproportionate challenges for GMCA in mobilising and managing delivery within the limited 18-month timeframe before the long-term contract is procured.

Appointing a new provider for a short term interim contract would create significant challenges, including TUPE complexities, delays in vetting and onboarding, disruption to established local networks, and risks to data and system integration. These factors would undermine service continuity and create operational difficulties that are disproportionate to the short-term nature of the contract.

In addition, GMWSA has demonstrated consistent, high-quality performance, operational efficiency, and positive social impact, supporting the value for money consideration of the Direct Award.

The proposed approach ensures continuity of a statutory service while a fully compliant competitive procurement for the redesigned GMRS service is scheduled for 2026, with a new long-term contract commencing October 2027.