Scope
Reference
C408569
Description
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (the "Authority") is seeking to procure a laboratory service provider to support its Community and Special Care Dental Services. A dental laboratory (often referred to as a restorative laboratory) provides custom made dental appliances and restorations prescribed by dentists to restore, replace or support patients' teeth and oral structures. These items are manufactured on an individual patient basis and are essential to the delivery of primary, community and special care dentistry within the NHS.
Dental laboratories work to written prescriptions supplied by registered dental professionals and operate under UK regulatory, quality and medical device requirements.
The Authority is a large NHS community healthcare provider serving a population of approximately 1.4 million across Kent and parts of Northeast London. The requirement supports dental services delivered to patients with complex health and social care needs, including special care dentistry, paediatric dentistry and dental services within secure and custodial settings.
Dental services are provided from multiple community clinical sites, 1 secure school, HM Prison facilities, forensic units and mobile dental units. The service supports patients who are unable to access mainstream dental provision due to physical, psychological, medical or social factors.
The Authority requires a collection and delivery service to all Community Dental Services listed in Kent and Northeast London. Royal Mail Special Delivery may be considered in some circumstances but must be agreed by the Authority.
Service provision is anticipated to start 1st June 2026 for a 3 year period, with the option to extend by a further 24 months in 12 month tranches.
Tenderers participating in procurements must register on the Central Digital Platform. Tenderers can submit their core supplier information and share this information with the Contracting Authority via the Central Digital Platform. It is free to use and will mean suppliers should no longer have to re-enter this information for each public procurement but simply ensure it is up to date and subsequently shared. The Central Digital Platform is available at https://www.gov.uk/find-tender.
Tenderers are required to submit their core supplier information and share it with the Contracting Authority via the Central Digital Platform by the Deadline set out in Document 1 of the ITT Pack. Part 1 of this Supplier Information Questionnaire requires Tenderers to confirm that they have taken these steps.
Full details are available on the Health Family Atamis Portal under Project Reference:
C408569.
If you are not registered, please do so via:
Total value (estimated)
- £255,000 excluding VAT
- £306,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2029
- Possible extension to 31 May 2031
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
2 x 12 months extensions
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 71900000 - Laboratory services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
23 January 2026, 12:00pm
Tender submission deadline
13 February 2026, 5:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
24 March 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | Finance 70% |
Cost | 70.00% |
| Quality and Technical | Quality and Technical Questions 10% |
Quality | 10.00% |
| Social Value and Sustainability | Social value and sustainability 10% |
Quality | 10.00% |
| Technical sample | Technical sample 10% |
Quality | 10.00% |
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Contracting authority
KENT COMMUNITY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHVC-1716-LBDJ
TRINITY HOUSE, 110 - 120 UPPER PEMBERTON
ASHFORD
TN25 4AZ
United Kingdom
Email: janette.jessup@nhs.net
Website: https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk
Region: UKJ45 - Mid Kent
Organisation type: Public authority - central government