Target Operating Model for Category Tower Service Provider contracts for NHS Supply Chain

THIS NOTICE IS FOR MARKET ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS ONLY.

The NHS spends approximately 5 700 000 000 GBP on goods each year. The procurement and supply of this large range of products is vital to the delivery of an effective, efficient, and resilient healthcare service.

There are currently 11 specialist buying functions known as category towers, delivering clinical consumables, capital medical equipment and non-medical products such as food, hotel, and office solutions.

This notice is to help inform the strategy to best meet the future procurement and supply chain needs of the NHS in England, and to inform the market that SCCL is reviewing their approach to the market for the delivery of its Category Towers.

This procurement is at the pre-tender stage. The purpose of this notice is to engage Potential Providers to understand market capability and capacity to deliver the requirements, understand Providers' views, and to promote contract opportunities that SCCL (NHS Supply Chain) may procure over the next 12 - 18 months.

Please note that the final structure and approach to the Target Operating Model for Category Towers and the Category Tower Service Providers (including in respect of any lotting strategy) will be determined as a result of the market engagement and will be set out in the Contract Notice for any related future procurement. SCCL reserves the right to use lotting strategies as part of any future tender process. Any final contract(s) may feature multiple procurements/lots.

Given the range of requirements across the 11 Category Tower Service Provider contracts and based on the current contract term of 3 + 1 + 1 years, the average Contract Year Target Open Book Cost for a Category Tower is £3.9 million (excluding VAT). Any values stated within this notice are indicative only of the current contracts. Anticipated contract values will be included in the Contract Notice for any related future procurement.

To assist with pre-tender market engagement and scoping of the procurement, interested parties are advised to express their interest in accordance with the information provided, within the Prior Information Notice (PIN), Find a Tender notice reference URL: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028758-2021. Potential Providers are advised to refer to the PIN for further important information about Market Engagement Events including webinars and the pre-market engagement questionnaire.

The final approach and structure of the Category Towers will be confirmed within the Contract Notice. Full details of those contracting authorities who may be able to use the goods and services procured by the Authority will be set out in the contract notice.

Additional information:

The reference for this PIN and RFI on Jaggaer are:

Project_922 SQ_137