SUMIT Digital Products Procurement Now Open to Deliver Innovative Cross-Border Solutions
- 60 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Suppliers are invited to apply for a new opportunity to develop digitally enabled products supporting mental health and substance use across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
The SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology) Project has reached a major milestone with the publication of its Digital Products contract notice, now live on Public Contracts Scotland.
Led by Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) at the University of Strathclyde leading the digital products workstream, SUMIT is a cross-border initiative designed to improve outcomes for people experiencing substance use and mental health challenges. The project spans Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland and is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
A major opportunity for innovation
This procurement will commission a minimum of three digitally enabled products that can be deployed across multiple health and care settings. The focus is on solutions that not only demonstrate innovation, but also deliver sustainable, long-term impact for individuals and systems alike.
Suppliers will have the opportunity to develop products that:
Improve access to support and services
Address inequalities in care provision
Enable earlier intervention and better outcomes
Scale across jurisdictions and health systems
Built on collaboration and co-design
A core principle of the SUMIT project is participatory design, ensuring that solutions are shaped by those who will use and deliver them. This includes people with lived experience, alongside health and care, and voluntary sector professionals.
The approach is informed by insights gathered through:
Demonstrator sites across participating locations
Extensive industry engagement, including the SUMIT Industry Breakfast Briefing held on 31 March
Ongoing collaboration between academic, clinical, voluntary and innovation partners
This ensures that the solutions developed are practical, relevant, and capable of being embedded into real-world settings.
Driving cross-border impact
SUMIT represents a unique example of cross-border collaboration, bringing together expertise from across three jurisdictions to tackle shared challenges. By supporting the development of scalable digital products, the project aims to create lasting improvements in how services are accessed and delivered.
The initiative also reflects a strong commitment to reducing health inequalities, particularly for communities who face barriers to accessing traditional services.
Apply now
Organisations interested in applying can access the full contract notice and tender documentation via Public Contracts Scotland:
Reference number: JUN557948
Applications are being managed through the PCS Tender system.
This is a significant opportunity for organisations to collaborate, innovate, and contribute to transforming mental health and substance use support across the region.