URL: https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=6132

Decision Maker: Director of Public Health

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: This report recommends the award of the contract for the buying of marketing and advertising services within an estimated budget of £600000 to support the implementation of the Cheshire and Merseyside All Together Smokefree Programme for the Champs Public Health Collaborative (Champs Collaborative) on behalf of the nine Directors of Public Health in Cheshire and Merseyside and the Integrated Care Board. This follows the completion of a competitive tender process in which bids from two organisations were evaluated by an appropriate panel.

Content: The Director of Public Health has decided to award the contract for the buying of marketing and advertising services to Influential Agency Ltd. within a contract price of £522,479 to support the implementation of the Cheshire and Merseyside All Together Smoke Free Programme, as the Most Advantageous Tenderer pursuant to a contract commencing on 17th November 2025 and ending on 31st March 2027.   All Together Smokefree is a key collaborative project for Cheshire and Merseyside due to the significant health, social and financial implications of smoking for local populations and the economy. The updated Action for Smoking and Health (ASH) Ready Reckoner estimates suggest that smoking costs the Cheshire and Merseyside sub-region £1.75 billion annually with the majority of this economic burden falling on businesses, impacting the regional economy through early deaths and lost productivity from smoking related ill health.   Behaviour change is a key aspect of the All Together Smokefree programme. Effective behaviour change campaigns have been shown to be a highly effective method for reaching key audiences. In addition to wider reaching campaign tactics, incorporating highly targeted activity to multiple smoking audience demographics will assure equitable campaign outcomes.   Media led behaviour change campaigns are one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and a powerful way to reach smokers and non-smokers alike changing social norms around smoking, and to dissuade young people and young adults from taking up smoking.   Planning and executing behaviour change campaigns is a specialist skill and requires significant resource investment. Neither the Champs Support Team nor Wirral Council have the expertise or human resources to deliver a campaign of this scale in house.   Removal of the behaviour change campaign would result in a significant narrowing of scope for the wider programme and would greatly reduce its ability to meet its objectives. In particular, the programme would struggle to engage some communities, many of which are where we see the highest rates of smoking.   Reduction in the allocated budget for this project would result in a direct reduction in activity and therefore impact, rendering the campaign less effective at reaching the right audiences and meeting its objectives.   Should the behaviour change campaign not progress, then there is a reputational risk for the host authority and for the Directors of Public Health due to non-delivery. There is an agreement in place with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and the Directors of Public Health who will deliver this programme via Champs Collaborative. NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB would also move to recoup this funding from the ATSF programme.  

Date of Decision: November 14, 2025