NECS482 County Durham Chronic Pain Management (Tier 2) Service

North of England Commissioning Support is a commissioning support service working for and on behalf of NHS North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) County Durham Place (the Contracting Authority), who are undertaking a procurement to commission County Durham Chronic Pain Management (Tier 2) Service

The contract term is for an initial period of 3 years commencing on 01 May 2024, with an option to extend for a further 23 months at the discretion of the Contracting Authority and subject to satisfactory contractual and financial performance.

The closing date for submission of tenders is by 12 noon on 10 November 2023.

Firstly, the "Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006" as amended by the "Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulation 2014" (TUPE) may apply to this contract. However, Bidders are advised to obtain their own legal advice and carry out due diligence including the New Fair Deal non-statutory policy setting out how pensions issues are to be dealt with when staff are compulsorily transferred from the public sector to independent providers delivering public services.

NECS is utilising an electronic tendering tool to manage this procurement and communicate with potential bidders. Accordingly, there will be no hard copy documents issued to potential bidders and all communications with NECS, including bid submissions, will be conducted via the Atamis portal at: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. It is free to register on the portal and it can be accessed at any time of day providing you have a working internet connection. Should bidders have any queries, or are having problems registering on the portal; they should contact the Atamis helpdesk via:

Support-health@Atamis.co.uk or phone number 0800 9956035

The helpdesk is open Monday - Friday between 9am - 5.30pm

Tender documentation will be available on the e-tendering site from 11 October 2023.

Legal, economic, financial, and technical information

Objective rules and criteria for participation

Under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, Contracting Authorities must consider:

• (a)How what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the area where they exercise their functions; and

• (b)How, in conducting the process of procurement, they might act with a view to securing that improvement. Accordingly, the subject matter of the contract has been scoped to take into account the priorities of the Contracting Authority relating to "economic, social, and environmental well-being".

The basic principles of the Open Procedure will be followed for this procurement to test the capacity, capability, and technical competence of bidders in accordance with The Light Touch Rules Regime, Regulations 74 to 77 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No102) (for Health, Social, Education, and certain other Service Contracts).