Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2017-10-07
Buyer: NHS Supply Chain acting as agent for NHS Business Services Authority
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
CPV classification: 33000000 | 33141621 | 33700000
Estimated value: 7200000 GBP

Technical requirements: The purpose of this notice is to draw attention to a procurement that NHS Supply Chain intends to commence during the subsequent 12 months. The invitation to tender will be the subject of a separate notice and it is that notice to which potential suppliers will need to respond at the appropriate time.
The Framework Agreement is for the supply of Fixation Pants, it is anticipated that Applicants will be awarded to the Framework Agreement after meeting or exceeding a set hurdle. Applicants will then participate in an eAuction to determine the Supplier who will have the opportunity to sole supply a commitment volume through the NHS Supply Chain eCatalogue for a period of 12-18 months. After this period subsequent NHS Supply Chain reserve the right to re-open competition to establish further periods of committed Sole Supply.
This procurement is for the Basic range of Fixation Pants both ‘with legs’ products and ‘without legs’ products. Sizes will range from Small through to Triple Extra Large. ‘Basic’ products are described as basic, standard, mesh-like, or acute use and are suitable for washing and re-use up to 30 times. Precise quantities are unknown.
It is anticipated that initial expenditure will be in the region of 1 800 000 GBP in the first year of this Framework Agreement, however this is approximate only and the values may vary depending on the requirements of those bodies purchasing under the Framework Agreement.
Precise quantities are unknown. It is anticipated that initial expenditure will be in the region of 1 800 000 GBP in the first year of this Framework Agreement, however this is approximate only and the values may vary depending on the requirements of those bodies purchasing under the Framework Agreement.
The following certification will be a requirement of the upcoming tender exercise and Applicants will be required to include evidence of this with their tender submission.
— ISO 9001:2015 or equivalent externally accredited and up-to-date quality standard certificate(s) to cover all segments of the Applicant's (and the product's) supply chain. This should include but not be limited to manufacturing storage and distribution. Further information in respect of certification requirements will be set out in the notice for the forthcoming procurement. If such certificates are not in the name of the Applicant then the Applicant must supply a copy of agreements setting out the authority and responsibilities of all parties in the supply chain.
The Framework Agreement between NHS Supply Chain and successful suppliers will reserve the right to purchase the same or similar supplies and/or services from suppliers not appointed to the Framework Agreement at its sole discretion. NHS Supply Chain expects to provide successful suppliers with the opportunity to offer additional savings to customers through the provision of discounted pricing, value added offerings and commitment/bulk buy initiatives. NHS Supply Chain intends to enter into arrangements under which it will be entitled to purchase supplies and/or services which it will make available for purchase by 1) any NHS Trust; 2) any other NHS entity; 3) any government department, agency or other statutory body and/or 4) any private sector entity active in the UK healthcare sector. Only NHS Supply Chain can order from the Framework Agreement and enter into contracts under it.
As part of its pre-tender strategy, NHS Supply Chain would also like to engage with suppliers of these products via a Request for Information (RFI). If you would like to complete the Request for Information document in respect of the products which are the subject of this procurement then please follow the below instructions;
1. Use URL http://procurement.supplychain.nhs.uk/ISS/ to access the NHS Supply Chain Procurement portal.
— View PIN content by clicking on the ‘VIEW NOTICE’ button for the procurement event. This opens a PDF document.
— Applicants will then have 4 weeks from the dispatch of this notice to complete and return the Request for Information document.
The NHS has a procurement strategy, which aims to increase transparency, remove price variations between trusts and to streamline product ranges to avoid proliferation and fragmentation. It is anticipated that such an approach may enable the NHS to meet its efficiency and savings targets. That broad strategy was discussed by Lord Carter in his report of 2016 entitled ‘Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted variations’ (the ‘Report’) in which he challenged the NHS to save 700 000 000 GBP through better procurement. The National Contract Price (‘NCP’) programme has been developed by NHS Improvement with important input being provided by stakeholders such as the Clinical Evaluation Team and NHS Supply Chain in part to deliver the relevant recommendations in the report and to generate savings. One of the aims of the NCP is to standardise the procurement of certain suitable products (and/or categories of products) and to aggregate the demand for such goods.


Award value: 7200000