How to Bid for NHS Contracts in the UK

1. The NHS Provider Selection Regime (PSR)

For healthcare services, the NHS now uses the Provider Selection Regime, which replaced the old PCR 2015 regime in January 2024. The PSR introduces three procurement routes: direct award, most suitable provider, and competitive process. Non-clinical NHS spend (estates, IT, professional services) still follows Procurement Act 2023 rules.

In practice this means clinical providers must monitor both the Find a Tender Service and individual ICB websites, while non-clinical suppliers can rely on the standard public sector portals.

2. The major NHS frameworks

• NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) - frameworks across consultancy, IT, FM and clinical
• NOECPC and other Health Trust collaborative procurement consortia
• Health Trust Europe (HTE) - capital, FM and clinical equipment
• Crown Commercial Service (CCS) - many NHS bodies buy via CCS frameworks too
• NHS Workforce Alliance - temporary staffing
• CWAS3 (RM6320) - construction and consultancy for NHS estates

3. What an NHS ITT actually evaluates

A typical NHS ITT scores three areas: quality (50–70%), price (20–40%) and social value (10–20%). Quality questions go deep on patient safety, clinical governance, information governance (including DSPT compliance), workforce, and integration with existing NHS pathways.

NHS evaluators are time-poor clinicians and procurement leads. The best responses lead with the answer in the first paragraph, then evidence it.

4. Mandatory accreditations and policies

• Cyber Essentials Plus - required for any system handling NHS data
• Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) - mandatory for clinical and data-handling work
• ISO 27001 - heavily preferred for digital and IT bids
• ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 - expected for capital and FM bids
• CQC registration - for any regulated clinical activity
• Modern slavery statement, equality and inclusion policies

5. Social value in NHS bids: the NHS-specific TOMs

NHS England published its Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, which now requires suppliers above certain thresholds to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan. Beyond carbon, NHS social value commonly evaluates health inequality reduction, local employment, apprenticeships, and community wellbeing using the National TOMs NHS plug-in.

6. Why first-time NHS bids fail

• Treating NHS bids like commercial pitches instead of evidence-led responses
• Missing DSPT or Cyber Essentials Plus accreditations
• Generic clinical governance answers without trust-specific detail
• Underestimating the mobilisation requirements (TUPE, integration, training)
• Weak Carbon Reduction Plan and net zero commitments