Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Gloucester
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKK13 - Gloucestershire
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
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
Centre of Dental Excellence and Dental Access Centre - NHS Gloucestershire ICB
Reference number
C371132
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85130000 - Dental practice and related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board's (ICB) (the Commissioner's), intention to commission dental access as part of a Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus, Gloucester) and a Dental Access Centre (Quayside, Gloucester). The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering these services.
Fundamentally this opportunity seeks to increase access to NHS dentistry in a part of the county where deprivation is greatest by working in partnership to commission 2 new bespoke primary care facilities in fit for purpose environments, incorporating flexible commissioning and workforce training.
To allow potential providers to reflect on the proposed services, the Commissioner has provided early indicative information as part of this notice (located within the Atamis e-procurement portal) which includes:
1. Service specifications
2. Floor plans for each premises
3. Architecture data sheets for each premises
4. PDS contract
Please note all the above documents are in draft form and yet to be finalised.
The Commissioner welcomes your feedback on these documents via return of the market engagement questionnaire.
Details on how to access the market engagement questionnaire and early indicative information are contained within the 'VI.3. Additional information' section.
We kindly ask you to submit these by midday Thursday 17th July 2025.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £24,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Dental Access Centre (Quayside)
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85130000 - Dental practice and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKK13 - Gloucestershire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board's (ICB) (the Commissioner's), intention to commission dental access as part of a Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus, Gloucester) and a Dental Access Centre (Quayside, Gloucester). The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering these services.
Fundamentally this opportunity seeks to increase access to NHS dentistry in a part of the county where deprivation is greatest by working in partnership to commission 2 new bespoke primary care facilities in fit for purpose environments, incorporating flexible commissioning and workforce training.
A key aim of this opportunity is to provide NHS dental access in a Core 20 area. This will provide much needed dental care to a cohort of patients who struggle disproportionately with oral pain and disease, which negatively affects their health and wellbeing.
• NHS Gloucestershire ICB is seeking to secure a Prime Provider(s) who has the capability and capacity to deliver primary care dental services, in line with the specified requirements.
• There are likely to be two dental PDS contract procurements. The Dental Access Centre (Quayside) procurement is likely to be published in August 2025 and the procurement of access as part of the Dental Centre of Excellence (City Campus) procurement is likely to be published in Autumn 2025. Each contract will have a value of £1.2m per annum.
• The contract term for the Dental Access Centre (Quayside) is expected to commence in Spring/Summer 2026, and the Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus) in Summer/Autumn 2026. Both contracts are likely to be for a period of a minimum of 10 years.
In partnership with other anchor organisations, the ICB has identified two potential Gloucester City centre sites for the delivery of these services, one for the Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus) located at 3rd floor, City Campus, Northgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1SQ and the other for the Dental Access Centre (Quayside) located at 1st Floor, Quayside House, Quayside Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TZ. Providers will be expected to lease these sites from the respective landlords for a term which mirrors the length of the contract.
• A Heads of Terms will be developed in advance of commissioning a service provider which sets out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider/s. At both sites it is anticipated that the service provider/s would fund the fit out of the accommodation. The service provider would be expected to fund associated, recurrent revenue costs, for example servicing and maintenance; rent and rates; cleaning and lighting.
• There is an expectation that the provider is or becomes a postgraduate training practice and hosts foundation dentists. As part of the Centre of Dental Excellence, the University of Gloucestershire anticipates delivering Dental Nurse Cert HE; Dental Hygienist BSc and Dental Therapist BSc. The provider must form and maintain a mutually supportive collaborative relationship with the provider of undergraduate Dental Care Professionals (DCP) training who may share the Centre of Dental Excellence (CoDE). This will involve referral of student appropriate patients. No teaching or clinical supervision of undergraduate students is expected under this contract.
• Some of the space within the Centre of Dental Excellence will be shared with the University, for example the Decontamination Room. A Memorandum of Understanding for use of the shared space will need to be developed by successful bidder and the university.
• TUPE will not be applicable for this procurement process.
To allow potential providers to reflect on the proposed services, the Commissioner has provided early indicative information as part of this notice (located within the Atamis e-procurement portal) which includes:
1. Service specifications
2. Floor plans for each premises
3. Architecture data sheets for each premises
4. PDS contract
Please note all the above documents are in draft form and yet to be finalised.
The Commissioner welcomes your feedback on these documents via return of the market engagement questionnaire.
Details on how to access the market engagement questionnaire and early indicative information are contained within the 'VI.3. Additional information' section.
We kindly ask you to submit these by midday Thursday 17th July 2025.
The Commissioner has also included the PowerPoint slides and Q&A from the market engagement event that took place earlier this year in April / May 2025. Please note that there have been some changes to the ICB's commissioning intentions since this event took place. The changes have been reflected in the information in this PIN notice and the service specification.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus, Gloucester)
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85130000 - Dental practice and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKK13 - Gloucestershire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board's (ICB) (the Commissioner's), intention to commission dental access as part of a Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus, Gloucester) and a Dental Access Centre (Quayside, Gloucester). The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering these services.
Fundamentally this opportunity seeks to increase access to NHS dentistry in a part of the county where deprivation is greatest by working in partnership to commission 2 new bespoke primary care facilities in fit for purpose environments, incorporating flexible commissioning and workforce training.
A key aim of this opportunity is to provide NHS dental access in a Core 20 area. This will provide much needed dental care to a cohort of patients who struggle disproportionately with oral pain and disease, which negatively affects their health and wellbeing.
• NHS Gloucestershire ICB is seeking to secure a Prime Provider(s) who has the capability and capacity to deliver primary care dental services, in line with the specified requirements.
• There are likely to be two dental PDS contract procurements. The Dental Access Centre (Quayside) procurement is likely to be published in August 2025 and the procurement of access as part of the Dental Centre of Excellence (City Campus) procurement is likely to be published in Autumn 2025. Each contract will have a value of £1.2m per annum.
• The contract term for the Dental Access Centre (Quayside) is expected to commence in Spring/Summer 2026, and the Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus) in Summer/Autumn 2026. Both contracts are likely to be for a period of a minimum of 10 years.
In partnership with other anchor organisations, the ICB has identified two potential Gloucester City centre sites for the delivery of these services, one for the Centre of Dental Excellence (City Campus) located at 3rd floor, City Campus, Northgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1SQ and the other for the Dental Access Centre (Quayside) located at 1st Floor, Quayside House, Quayside Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TZ. Providers will be expected to lease these sites from the respective landlords for a term which mirrors the length of the contract.
• A Heads of Terms will be developed in advance of commissioning a service provider which sets out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider/s. At both sites it is anticipated that the service provider/s would fund the fit out of the accommodation. The service provider would be expected to fund associated, recurrent revenue costs, for example servicing and maintenance; rent and rates; cleaning and lighting.
• There is an expectation that the provider is or becomes a postgraduate training practice and hosts foundation dentists. As part of the Centre of Dental Excellence, the University of Gloucestershire anticipates delivering Dental Nurse Cert HE; Dental Hygienist BSc and Dental Therapist BSc. The provider must form and maintain a mutually supportive collaborative relationship with the provider of undergraduate Dental Care Professionals (DCP) training who may share the Centre of Dental Excellence (CoDE). This will involve referral of student appropriate patients. No teaching or clinical supervision of undergraduate students is expected under this contract.
• Some of the space within the Centre of Dental Excellence will be shared with the University, for example the Decontamination Room. A Memorandum of Understanding for use of the shared space will need to be developed by successful bidder and the university.
• TUPE will not be applicable for this procurement process.
To allow potential providers to reflect on the proposed services, the Commissioner has provided early indicative information as part of this notice (located within the Atamis e-procurement portal) which includes:
1. Service specifications
2. Floor plans for each premises
3. Architecture data sheets for each premises
4. PDS contract
Please note all the above documents are in draft form and yet to be finalised.
The Commissioner welcomes your feedback on these documents via return of the market engagement questionnaire.
Details on how to access the market engagement questionnaire and early indicative information are contained within the 'VI.3. Additional information' section.
We kindly ask you to submit these by midday Thursday 17th July 2025.
The Commissioner has also included the PowerPoint slides and Q&A from the market engagement event that took place earlier this year in April / May 2025. Please note that there have been some changes to the ICB's commissioning intentions since this event took place. The changes have been reflected in the information in this PIN notice and the service specification.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
8 August 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
This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit the Authority or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. The Authority will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.
Interested providers will be able to view this opportunity via the live opportunities list on the 'Health Family' e-procurement system, Atamis. Click on 'View our Live Opportunities' from the home page, available on the following link: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
Once you have found the opportunity (via the search function, using the title 'Centre of Dental Excellence & Dental Access Centre - Gloucs - Market Engagement' or reference number 'C371132'), to gain full access to the relevant information and market engagement questionnaire, you will need to click on 'Register interest' - this will take you to the log-in page.
If you are not already registered on the system, you will need to do so before gaining full access to the Microsoft Forms link and to be able to submit your market engagement questionnaire.
The intention is to award a contract using the competitive process.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) prior information notice. The contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply.