Frequently Asked Questions – Bidding for NHS Tenders

As one of the largest commercial organisations in the UK, NHS tenders comprise around £30 billion of procurement spend, with 80,000 suppliers integrated within their supply chain.

In addition to the number of opportunities to win contracts, the NHS – and the public sector as a whole – are also excellent customers, with strict payment rules improving cashflow, particularly for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Since 2009, we have provided bid writing, bid review and bid management support for hundreds of NHS tenders for frequent and first-time bidders alike. As such, we are ideally positioned to provide guidance and support for frequently asked questions writing an NHS tender.

What types of contracts are out for NHS tenders?

In addition to procuring support with health and social care services, the NHS also has a wide portfolio of properties which require constant works and services. As such, NHS tenders for contracts and framework agreements are released for a wide variety of industries and sectors, including:

• Hard facilities management, including repairs and maintenance to properties and assets, gas servicing and mechanical and electrical installations and PPM
• Security and manned guarding, grounds maintenance, communal cleaning and other soft FM services
• Fire safety and security services, in compliance with relevant legislation such as the Building Safety Act 2022
• Professional services, including health and non-healthcare recruitment, property services and consultancy

The government’s two free-to-use portals, Contracts Finder and Find a Tender, will host all contracts over a certain value threshold, with new tender notices being issued daily. For example, the NHS SBS framework manages around £1 billion of spend annually through dynamic purchasing systems and framework agreements.

Am I eligible to bid for NHS tenders?

As a public sector buyer, the NHS must ensure the tender process is open, fair and transparent, listing all evaluator criteria and eligibility clearly. In accordance with guidance under the Procurement Act, special consideration must be given to ensure small and medium-sized businesses are not unduly burdened by participating. Generally, this means that the majority of NHS tenders will be open to bidder organisations of all sizes.

Typically, there is a list of mandatory minimum criteria that bidder organisations must meet to submit a compliant tender. This might include:

• Mandatory minimum turnover, evidence of financial health and number of years spent trading to evidence your organisational stability
• Relevant experience and contract examples which demonstrate your technical and professional ability
• Accreditations and certifications relevant to the industry or sector, such as NICEIC registration for electrical services.

You should review these carefully as part of the submission, making careful note of any of the above, to support your bidding strategy and ‘bid/no-bid’ decision for the opportunity.

What is required for the tender submission?

As any of our bid and tender writers will tell you, each tender is different, with requirements changing even if it is the same authority. However, as a general rule of thumb, NHS tenders will typically require you to submit:

• A selection questionnaire or Single Procurement Document (SPD), requiring you to provide standard company information, data responses and some questions around your organisational experience and track record
• Quality questionnaire or technical/method statements, which constitute the non-pricing element of the submission and are typically the most time-intensive part of the tender
• Pricing schedules, rate cards or tender sum analysis, requiring you to input your rates against individual elements of the contract
• Certifications, accreditations and memberships which are either generic – for example, ISO 14001:2015 accreditation – or industry-specific, such as your CQC membership
• Associated ‘sign and return’ documents such as a form of tender, certificate of non-collusion and non-canvassing, and the contact details and declaration from a senior member of your organisation.

As an autonomous buyer, the NHS also has its own requirements for the submission – for instance, the publication of an organisational carbon reduction plan.

What are some common quality questions in NHS tenders?

The quality question set can range from as little as 1,000 words to tens of thousands of words, depending on the industry or sector, overall value and technical requirements of the contract.

Contract and resource management

To guarantee sufficient resource, NHS tenders will likely require bidders to respond to how they plan to resource the works or services. Within this response, you should emphasise the skills, qualifications and relevant experience of your proposed contract personnel, in addition to who will be responsible for managing the contract and liaising with NHS representatives.

Quality management

NHS tenders will not only expect the contractual scope of works to be delivered on time, but to a high standard – a ‘right-first-time’ approach. A tender response around quality management should emphasise suitably trained and competent staff, audits, checks and inspections performed by managers and supervisors, and frequent reviews to drive continuous improvement.

Health and safety

Regardless of the industry or sector, protecting the health and safety of suppliers, NHS staff and members of the public is paramount to any works and services. As such, NHS tenders will likely ask bidders to outline their measures to ensure health and safety, particularly in active healthcare environments.

Risks and mitigation measures

Every contract has risks which might impact timely, quality delivery of works and services. Ensuring prompt, effective and robust mitigation measures will assure the authority you have given careful thought and consideration to risks, and are prepared for unforeseen challenges which may arise during the contract.

Remember, the majority of questions are forward-facing, i.e. writing in the future tense. Whilst writing about how you have previously achieved similar results is beneficial for case studies or similar, you should always centre your response around how you plan to deliver the required works or services.

Top tips for writing a high-quality NHS tender

Competition for NHS contracts is high, and it is likely that dozens or even hundreds of competitors will be tendering for the same contract as your organisation. In order to produce a compelling, persuasive and high-quality submission when writing an NHS tender, we recommend:

• Reading the specification and tender documents in detail, documenting any notable requirements or KPIs to reference within the quality question set
• Breaking down each question into distinct headings and sections, making it easy for evaluators to read and award marks to your bid response
• Tailor your responses to the opportunity by specifically mentioning assets, priorities and geographical areas within responses, assuring the evaluators you have done your due diligence regarding the opportunity
• Include persuasive, evidence-based points within quality responses, including the how and why behind what you will do to deliver the works or services
• Get a second opinion in the form of a quality review from a suitable person, to effectively strengthen and enhance the submission.

Our team have successfully secured NHS tenders on behalf of our clients for contracts such as asbestos removal, legionella and water treatment, provision of staff, grounds maintenance, security services and more. As such, we are well placed to support your organisation.

If you feel you do not have the experience or expertise to produce a competitive tender, contact our sales and marketing team today at info@executivecompass.co.uk or via telephone 0800 612 5563 to discuss how we can support your organisation with NHS tenders.