Winning - or losing - an Employee Assistance Program contract increasingly comes down to more than price. While affordability still matters, employers are now looking for innovation, utilisation, and measurable impact. In this climate, traditional EAP models that rely on a counselling-only, set-session approach often fall behind.
The tender landscape has changed dramatically:
Employers are no longer satisfied with a counselling-only EAP that supports 3–5% of staff. They want services that reach the whole workforce, align with wellbeing strategies, and provide data-rich reporting. When tenders are evaluated against these criteria, traditional providers quickly find themselves outscored by more innovative competitors.
Counselling remains central, but relying on it alone creates vulnerabilities:
As tenders increasingly score on innovation, prevention, and outcomes, traditional models come up short.
From reviewing recent procurement processes across sectors, five common scoring categories stand out:
When tenders are scored this way, counselling-only providers often rank low on engagement, innovation, and outcomes.
These mistakes keep providers stuck in the tender trap - technically compliant, but commercially uncompetitive.
What providers can do:
Impact in practice:
Employers perceive higher value when they see EAPs engaging employees who would never seek counselling. Providers who expand the offer often outscore competitors in “innovation” and “engagement” categories.
What providers can do:
Impact in practice:
Digital-first providers consistently rank higher in tenders. Employers want assurance that their diverse workforce won’t be left behind by outdated delivery models.
What providers can do:
Impact in practice:
Tenders increasingly include psychosocial risk as an evaluation point. Providers who can show preventative impact score higher and differentiate themselves strongly.
What providers can do:
Impact in practice:
Employers are under pressure to show ROI. Providers who help them tell this story gain a major advantage in procurement.
What providers can do:
Impact in practice:
Providers that demonstrate alignment - rather than offering one-size-fits-all - often secure higher cultural fit scores and longer-term contracts.
To illustrate, consider two providers competing for a major healthcare sector contract.
Even if both providers offered high-quality counselling, the innovative provider’s ability to show breadth, digital delivery, and outcomes data makes them the clear winner.
This is the tender trap: the traditional provider is technically adequate but commercially disadvantaged.
The trap is clear: relying on counselling alone locks providers into competing on price. That’s a race to the bottom where margins shrink and contract churn increases.
Breaking free requires:
Providers who take these steps change the dynamic of tenders, competing on value and impact instead of cost.
Looking ahead, EAP tenders are likely to evolve in three key ways:
For providers, this means innovation isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a survival strategy. Those who evolve will not only win tenders but also position themselves as long-term partners in workforce resilience.
The EAP sector is at an inflection point. Employers are sophisticated buyers, comparing providers not only against each other but also against wellbeing apps, coaching platforms, and insurer-driven offerings.
For providers, the risks of standing still are clear:
The rewards of adapting are just as clear:
Counselling will always matter. But the providers who succeed in tomorrow’s tender processes will be those who reposition counselling as one part of a broader, innovative wellbeing offer.
For decades, Employee Assistance Programs were defined by one thing: counselling sessions. Employers paid a set amount per employee, staff gained access to a fixed number of appointments, and providers focused on coordinating clinical services. It was simple, familiar, and easy to manage.
But the world of work has shifted dramatically. Mental health issues are now among the leading causes of absenteeism and lost productivity. Regulators are introducing stricter psychosocial safety obligations, requiring employers to demonstrate they are actively managing risks to employee wellbeing. Workforces are more diverse, with hybrid models, frontline roles, and remote teams demanding flexibility and 24/7 accessibility.
At the same time, the market has become more competitive. Employers evaluating EAP tenders are not just comparing price per session - they’re asking which providers can show impact, align with wellbeing strategy, and offer digital-first services that feel modern and engaging.
Against this backdrop, counselling alone no longer feels sufficient. Businesses are now demanding more: a holistic approach that blends reactive support with proactive prevention, integrates seamlessly into wellbeing strategies, and provides measurable outcomes.
For EAP providers, this evolution is a turning point. Those who expand beyond a counselling-first model can deepen client relationships, increase utilisation, and position themselves as strategic wellbeing partners. Those who don’t risk being commoditised, with contracts won or lost on price rather than value.
Counselling remains critical, but it cannot meet every need employers and employees face. Its limitations as a standalone offer are becoming increasingly visible:
These gaps leave employers feeling that a counselling-only EAP is no longer adequate for the scale and complexity of today’s workplace wellbeing challenges.
Counselling provides depth, but digital self-help provides breadth. It meets employees where they are, removes barriers of stigma, and creates a bridge into higher-level support.
Providers that add self-help resources typically see higher engagement rates. Employees who would never pick up the phone for counselling begin using digital content proactively, lifting utilisation numbers and expanding the service’s reach. For employers, this strengthens the ROI story by demonstrating that the EAP touches more of the workforce.
Employers increasingly want support that doesn’t just address personal challenges but also builds professional resilience and capability. Coaching and workshops can fill this gap.
Providers offering coaching often see stronger uptake among employees who wouldn’t otherwise engage. Employers value this because it links EAP usage directly to business outcomes like improved team functioning and reduced turnover. Over time, this helps elevate the EAP from a cost centre to a performance partner.
Employee wellbeing is multi-dimensional. Financial stress, legal issues, and lifestyle challenges all affect engagement and productivity. Employers increasingly expect their EAP to provide practical support across these areas.
When providers broaden their scope, EAPs feel more relevant to everyday life. Uptake grows among employees facing challenges outside traditional “mental health” boundaries, and utilisation data begins to reflect a wider cross-section of the workforce. Employers see stronger alignment between EAP usage and broader wellbeing priorities.
Employees expect personalisation in every digital service they use, and wellbeing support is no exception. One-size-fits-all EAP models risk being seen as outdated.
Personalised journeys keep employees engaged over time, not just during moments of crisis. Providers using these approaches often report higher repeat usage, more consistent engagement across demographics, and richer datasets for employer reporting.
Employers are under pressure to prove the impact of every wellbeing dollar spent. Providers who cannot demonstrate outcomes risk losing contracts to those who can.
Providers who upgrade reporting often find renewal discussions smoother and tenders more competitive. Employers increasingly expect data that ties EAP usage to organisational outcomes, not just individual support.
The EAP sector is at a crossroads. Employers are no longer satisfied with programs that look the same as they did a decade ago. They want modern, flexible, holistic solutions that engage more employees and prove value with data.
For providers, the implications are clear:
Counselling will always remain a core service - but it should be seen as one piece of a much larger wellbeing strategy. Providers who move beyond counselling-first thinking are the ones who will thrive in the next decade of workplace wellbeing.
Wellifiy partners with EAP providers to deliver secure, white-labelled digital platforms designed to remove participation barriers and boost engagement. Founded by Clinical Psychologist Dr Noam Dishon (PhD Clinical Psychology), Wellifiy combines deep clinical expertise with technology innovation to help providers deliver meaningful, measurable impact. Our mobile-first solution blends your branding with a library of evidence-based resources from registered psychologists, giving employees quick, confidential access to help - and giving you the utilisation numbers that keep contracts strong.
