NHSE561 - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is a care system support organisation hosted by NHS England and has managed this procurement process for the provision of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme for NHS England North East and Yorkshire - (South Yorkshire (SYB)) and (North East & North Cumbria (NENC)) and NHS England Midlands under a co-commissioning agreement for the patient cohort of Bassetlaw (the Contracting Authorities).

The Contracting Authorities were procuring AAA Screening Programmes across Lot 1 - SYB (incorporating Bassetlaw patient cohort), and Lot 2 - NENC.

The Contracting Authorities planed for a contract commencement date of 01 October 2023 for a contract term of an initial 5-years with the option to extend the contract by a further 2-years at the discretion of the Contracting Authorities and subject to satisfactory financial and contractual performance.

The annual financial threshold was as follows: Lot 1 - SYB - Annual Cohort 10,548 at a maximum rate of 55 GBP per unit per annum based on 85% uptake of the annual cohort 493,130 GBP per annum x 7-years 3,451,910 GBP. Lot 2 - NENC - Annual Cohort 22,122 at a maximum rate of 55.00 GBP per unit per annum based on 85% uptake of the annual cohort 1,034,220 GBP per annum x 7-years 7,239,540 GBP.

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

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

• 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
• How, in conducting the process of procurement, they might act with a view to securing that improvement.
• Whether to undertake any consultation on the above.

Accordingly, the subject matter of the contract has been scoped to consider the priorities of the Contracting Authorities relating to "economic, social, and environmental well-being" by utilising the UK Governments Social Value Model.

This procurement was conducted using an e-tendering portal (In-Tend). The In-Tend portal could be found at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/nhsnecsu (Bidders were asked to follow the registration instructions if they were not already registered) and search for the project NHSE561 - ITT- North East & Yorkshire - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (AAA). Please note that it is free to register on In-Tend, which can be accessed at any time of day if you have a working internet connection. Should tenderer's have had any queries regarding In-Tend a dedicated helpdesk was available and could be contacted on +44 8442728810 or email: support@in-tend.co.uk.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (as amended) did apply. Bidders were 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.

The Contracting Authorities and NECS reserved the right to cancel the tender process at any point and would not be held liable for any costs resulting from any cancellation of the tender process or for any other costs incurred by those tendering for the contract.

Tender documentation was available from 12:00 noon on 11 January 2023 and the closing time and date for tender returns was 12:00 noon on 20 February 2023.