Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2020-06-22
Buyer: NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services

Technical requirements: NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group and Essex County Council (‘the Commissioners’) are seeking to commission an integrated community service model that supports the vision and aims of the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing (NEE H&W) Alliance. We have set ourselves a bold and challenging goal to create multi-agency/multi-disciplinary teams in North East Essex who are empowered and supported to deliver the NEE H&W Alliance Live Well outcomes. North East Essex Integrated Community Services needs to underpin these plans, delivering a transformation of community services that seeks meaningful integration with acute, primary care networks, primary care, mental health, voluntary sector services and other NEE H&W Alliance partners to support the achievement of the our strategic vision for everyone in NEE to live well. Commissioners have decided that working with an alliance of providers will be the best solution to provide affordable, sustainable and fully Integrated services.
Commissioners and providers will work collaboratively to ensure delivery of the alliance objectives and the standards and outcomes of North East Essex Integrated Community Services. The contract to be entered into by the Commissioners and the selected alliance partners will be the NHS Standard Contract 2021/22, and subsequent revisions thereof. In addition to the NHS Standard Service Contract the providers will be required to agree and sign an alliance agreement with each other and the Commissioners. The alliance contract is intended to run for 10 years commencing on the 1 July 2021.
The Commissioners intend to work with existing providers of the integral elements of the new model, as well as other supporting partners. Commissioners believe that the existing providers and supporting partners are uniquely placed to deliver the specifications and vision for community services as part of the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance Local Delivery Plan.
The purpose of this PIN is to invite interested providers who are willing to make the commitment to collaboration in an alliance way of working and who believe they have the necessary experience in multi-disciplinary integrated care, are willing to work with other statutory providers, are willing to work with the current providers and capable of financially holding and managing the scale of risk through a degree of income risk share are invited to express an interest by completing and uploading an expression of interest form, qualification questionnaire and consolidated declaration form by the submission deadline.
This PIN is not commencing a competitive process but does not exclude new entrants to the Alliance either via partnering or subcontracting arrangements or the possibility of future procurement.
The Commissioners will conduct a process that complies with the principles of transparency and equal treatment however the Commissioners are not required (and do not intend) to run the procurement in accordance with one of the specified procedures in the Regulations (e.g. Restricted, Open, etc.). The Commissioners are, therefore, utilising the flexibilities available to them under the ‘light touch regime’ in conducting this process.
The Commissioners have opted to undertake a due diligence assessment alongside dialogue, which will form the basis of ‘Structured Dialogue’.
The Commissioners will not be liable for any costs incurred by those expressing an interest in this process.
In accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the services covered by the arrangement may change and expand as the partnerships develop through an alliance contract. Examples of areas that could be considered by the Alliance for future delivery include but are not limited to Cataract, Glaucoma, Reablement, Diabetes, and Integrated Crisis Response services within North East Essex.
The Commissioners will continue to engage with stakeholders as appropriate throughout the development of the alliance. The Commissioners full Alliance vision and principles is contained within the Memorandum of Information (MOI) and qualification questionnaire process overview document (and supplementary documents), these documents can be accessed via the below link.
Responses must be fully completed and submitted exclusively via the BravoSolution e-procurement portal no later than 12:00 noon on 22 July 2020.
The total indicative funding for year one of the contract will range from GBP 38 811 526 to GBP 39 326 290.
The services to which this process relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the ‘Regulations’). As such, the contracting authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.