Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
PO Box 6483
Basildon
SS14 0UG
Contact
Amy Wilson
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH3 - Essex
National registration number
QH8
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/
Buyer's address
https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk/
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Integrated Community Musculoskeletal and Pain Service
Reference number
ACE-0808-2025-MSE
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This Prior Information Notice communicates NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board 's intention to commence a competitive process to award a public contract for provision of an Integrated Community Musculoskeletal and Pain Service (the Service), in accordance with the steps laid out in regulation 11 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
Please see II.2.4) Description of the procurement for further details.
The competitive process is estimated to commence in June 2025.
Please note that all suppliers must register on the Central Digital Platform to participate in this competitive process. The ICB is utilising the Crown Commercial Service's procurement specific questionnaire (PSQ) voluntarily within this competitive process and will collect the following via the organisations share code from the CDP:
The supplier’s:
(a) basic information
(b) economic and financial standing information
(c) connected person information
(d) exclusion grounds information (this includes exclusion information about the supplier and its connected persons)
Please note, you are only successfully registered with the CDP once you have received your unique share code. Organisations that are both Buyers of and Suppliers to other NHS organisations (such as NHS Trusts) must be registered as both a Buyer and a Supplier. The ICB is ensuring that suppliers understand this pre-requisite early on to provide time to suppliers to fulfil this requirement ahead of the competitive process going live.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £164,452,499
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85323000 - Community health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH3 - Essex
Main site or place of performance
Mid and South Essex
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This Prior Information Notice communicates NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board 's (the Authority) intention to undertake a competitive process in June 25 for provision of an Integrated Community Musculoskeletal and Pain Service (the Service), in accordance with the steps laid out in regulation 11 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
Working with stakeholders since 2023, the Authority has developed a new community pathway for people aged 16 years+, based on the East of England Musculoskeletal (MSK) Pathway Improvement Framework, the Best MSK high impact recommendations and adhering to the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) pathway. This new model of care intends to provide integration across patient pathways, including Single Point of Access (SPoA), clinical triage, physiotherapy, orthopaedics, spinal, rheumatology, pain management, surgical interventions and therapies across MSE. It will assess and treat more patients outside of acute services and deliver improved outcomes, quality and patient experience of care.
Estimated dates between which the service is intended to be provided: The Proposed Contract duration is five years from 2nd February 2026 until 1st February 2031, with an option to extend for a further three years beyond the initial term, until 1st February 2034.
Approximate lifetime value of the contract: At the point of publication of this PIN, the Authority proposes a cost and volume financial model (local prices) in line with national guidance. The potential aggregate contract value (incl. extension term, growth/inflation assumptions, and potential variations) is £164,452,499 (excluding VAT). The financial envelope which will act as an affordability cap for the purposes of the competitive process will be £86,540,287 based on the initial 5-year contract term.
The Authority intends to hold a market engagement event relating to this requirement to inform the procurement approach. If any information within this Notice changes as a result of activity associated with the market engagement and or procurement strategy development between publication of this PIN, and the Contract Notice inviting offers being published, the Contract Notice will contain the updated information that will supersede that which is contained within this PIN.
It is anticipated that the market engagement event will occur between 19th and 23rd May 2025 but this has not been finalised at time of publication of this PIN. Further details regarding the event (including the date and time and how to register), will be issued around 6th May, via corrigendum to this PIN.
Any queries regarding the market engagement event and or the future Competitive Process should be directed to the Named Contact in this Notice and the email address provided herein.
two.2.14) Additional information
This is a voluntary Prior Information Notice. The procurement and award of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply. The award decision-maker for this process is NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB).
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
2 June 2025
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
In accordance with Regulation 21 of the PSR the Authority is maintaining a Conflicts of Interest Register for this Competitive Process and any conflicts / how they are managed will be published alongside the confirmation of any award decision as a result of this competitive process.
In accordance with Regulation 13 of PSR, Modification of contracts during their term, the Services covered by the arrangement may change and expand over the Contract Term. Examples of areas that could be varied into the Contract for future delivery include but are not limited to additional shared care pathways (including prescribing) with acute or primary care, and any changes triggered by amendments to the geographical footprint (associated with Local Authority devolution), and or the legal entity awarding the Contract (for example if Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board becomes a Greater Essex Integrated Care Board), which would impact on the geography that the Service must cover in turn. Additionally, any changes triggered by NHS England being abolished and its functions being absorbed into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) over a two-year period, that could affect the contract during its term.
Any queries regarding the market engagement event and or the future Competitive Process should be directed to the Named Contact in this Notice and the email address provided herein.