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
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
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
Dental Access Centre - NHS Gloucestershire ICB
Reference number
C376187
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85130000 - Dental practice and related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (GICB) is seeking providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver Dental Services (MDS) in Gloucester.
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 a new bespoke primary care Dental Access Centre facility in a fit for purpose environment.
GICB's vision for this service is to increase primary care dental access in a Core20 area and begin to address oral health inequalities. This service will provide urgent care and stabilisation, as well as offering routine treatment to a cohort of patients who are both poorly catered for under the existing high street model, and who are disproportionately affected with oral pain and diseases, which negatively affects their health and wellbeing.
• The contract will be a Personal Dental Services (PDS) contract to deliver a Dental Access Centre in Gloucester. Premises are located at 1st Floor, Quayside House, Quayside Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TZ
• The premises are mandated and owned and leased by Gloucestershire County Council (GCC). The successful provider will need to secure a lease with GCC for the duration of the PDS contract term.
• A draft Heads of Terms is included in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) pack which sets out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider.
• Construction work will be undertaken on behalf of GCC, and floor plans and room data sheets are included in the ITT pack to inform potential bidders about the premises and what is provided as part of the building fit out.
• The successful provider will need to provide any additional fit out and equipment to deliver the services. It will also be expected to fund associated recurrent revenue costs, for example servicing and maintenance; rent and rates; cleaning and lighting.
• The premises will have space for up to 7 dental chairs.
• There is an expectation that the provider is or becomes a postgraduate training practice and hosts foundation dentists.
• Funding for hosting foundation dentists is awarded and administered by NHS Workforce Training and Education (NHS WTE) and the successful provider will be expected to apply to NHS WTE for funding.
• The PDS contract term will be for an initial term of 10 years, with an option to extend for any period up to a further 5 years, and then for a further 5 years, at the sole discretion of the Commissioner.
• Rental payment and services are currently scheduled to commence on 1st July 2026.
• Service must commence no later than 6 months after contract award (scheduled for early January 2026), unless there is an agreement with the Commissioner to extend the mobilisation period.
• The contract term and service payments will start on the service commencement date.
• The Commissioner has a maximum financial envelope available of £1,200,000 per annum. The total maximum contract value for the duration excluding extensions is £12,000,000, and £24,000,000 including extensions.
• The successful provider will need to deliver urgent care, stabilisation and routine care as part of the contract.
• Following discussion and agreement with the commissioner, the successful provider may offer private treatment from the same premises however this must not be at the detriment of NHS patients or the provider's delivery of the PDS contract.
• TUPE will not be applicable for this procurement process.
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: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKK13 - Gloucestershire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (GICB) is seeking providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver Dental Services (MDS) in Gloucester.
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 a new bespoke primary care Dental Access Centre facility in a fit for purpose environment, incorporating flexible commissioning and workforce training.
• The contract will be a Personal Dental Services (PDS) contract to deliver a Dental Access Centre in Gloucester. Premises are located at 1st Floor, Quayside House, Quayside Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TZ
• The premises are mandated and owned and leased by Gloucestershire County Council (GCC). The successful provider will need to secure a lease with GCC for the duration of the PDS contract term.
• A draft Heads of Terms is included in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) pack which sets out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider.
• Construction work will be undertaken on behalf of GCC, and floor plans and room data sheets are included in the ITT pack to inform potential bidders about the premises and what is provided as part of the building fit out.
• The successful provider will need to provide any additional fit out and equipment to deliver the services. It will also be expected to fund associated, recurrent revenue costs, for example servicing and maintenance; rent and rates; cleaning and lighting.
• The premises will have space for up to 7 dental chairs.
• There is an expectation that the provider is or becomes a postgraduate training practice and hosts foundation dentists.
• Funding for hosting foundation dentists is awarded and administered by NHS Workforce Training and Education (NHS WTE) and the successful provider will be expected to apply to NHS WTE for funding.
• The PDS contract term will be for an initial term of 10 years, with an option to extend for any period up to a further 5 years, and then for a further 5 years, at the sole discretion of the Commissioner.
• Rental payment and services are currently scheduled to commence on 1st July 2026.
• Service must commence no later than 6 months after contract award (scheduled for early January 2026), unless there is an agreement with the Commissioner to extend the mobilisation period.
• The contract term and service payments will start on the service commencement date.
• The Commissioner has a maximum financial envelope available of £1,200,000 per annum. The total maximum contract value for the duration excluding extensions is £12,000,000, and £24,000,000 including extensions.
• The successful provider will need to deliver urgent care, stabilisation and routine care as part of the contract.
• Following discussion and agreement by the commissioner, the successful provider may offer private treatment from the same premises however this must not be at the detriment of NHS patients or the provider's delivery of the PDS contract.
• TUPE will not be applicable for this procurement process.
Aims and Objectives of the Service
Gloucestershire ICB's vision for this service is to increase primary care dental access in a Core20 area and begin to address oral health inequalities. This service will provide urgent care and stabilisation, as well as offering routine treatment to a cohort of patients who are both poorly catered for under the existing high street model, and who are disproportionately affected with oral pain and diseases, which negatively affects their health and wellbeing.
Located within the Quayside building in Gloucester City this new Dental Access Centre will be a bespoke primary care service in a fit for purpose environment and the service specification details an innovative approach to achieve this vision.
By meeting the population's need for dental care and providing personalised prevention, the service will positively contribute to the delivery of the following elements of the NHS Outcomes Framework (March 22):
- 3.7.ii Tooth extractions due to decay for children admitted as inpatients to hospital, aged 10 years and under
- 4a.iii Patient experience of NHS dental services
- 4.4.ii Access to NHS dental services.
Eligibility criteria for each element of the service is detailed below:
• Urgent Care
- Any adult or child patient referred from the local dental triage line/111
- Patients referred by community partners - e.g. co-located GP surgery, charities where patients struggle to access urgent care via 111 -pathways to be arranged collaboratively with provider and community partners.
• Stabilisation
- Any patient referred for Stabilisation from urgent care at this centre or from other urgent care providers in the county as applicable.
- Any patient referred for Stabilisation from defined third party partners e.g. GP surgeries, voluntary care organisations.
- Any patient referred for Stabilisation from ICB developed stabilisation pathways e.g. cancer pathways, cardiology patients, high needs children identified through first dental steps program.
• Routine Dental Patients
- Patients eligible to receive ongoing routine dental care at the centre are those who have accessed stabilisation at the centre AND reside in a Gloucestershire Core20 Postcode or who belong to a vulnerable group as identified by Gloucestershire County Council Public Health Team and/or the NHS Consultants in Dental Public Health Team,, including but not limited to, low income families, people who rely on others for care or support, people with a physical or learning disability, Children in Care, people experiencing homelessness, people who misuse substances (drugs, alcohol, tobacco), asylum seekers and refugees.
- Exact Eligible postcodes/cohorts will be agreed with the ICB
Split of Clinical Activity
Urgent Care:
572 Sessions Per Year
10 sessions per week Monday to Friday
1 session per weekend
7 x 30 mins appointments per session
Session rate £650
Total annual cost: £371,800
Stabilisation:
1,040 sessions per year
20 sessions per week
Approx 7 x 30 mins appt per session
Session rate £650
Total annual cost: £676,000
Routine:
5,073 UDAs per annum
UDA rate £30
Total annual cost: £152,200
• There will be some flexibility over the course of the contract in relation to the split of activity particularly whilst the service is embedded and developed, and this will be agreed between the Commissioner and the successful Provider.
• It may be necessary to flex the proportions of urgent care, stabilisation and routine care specified above to meet local needs.
• The upper tolerance limit of Urgent Care that could be requested would be 819 urgent care sessions per annum (Making the urgent care portion of the contract worth £532,350). There would be a corresponding decrease in the number of stabilisation sessions requested.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality & Innovation / Weighting: 37
Quality criterion - Name: Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability / Weighting: 31
Quality criterion - Name: Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities, and Facilitating Choice / Weighting: 12
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
Cost criterion - Name: Value / Weighting: 10
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
240
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Detailed within the tender documentation.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
Detailed within the tender documentation.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
Detailed within the tender documentation.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2025/S 000-036403
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
19 September 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
19 September 2025
Local time
12:01pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
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 or reference number), to gain full access to the bid documentation (including questionnaires), 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 documentation and be able to submit a bid.
Early engagement market notices were published in relation to this procurement in March 2025 and July 2025, in order to facilitate early engagement with potential providers. Please note that this previous notice was an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right. Although those who responded to that notice may be advised that this contract notice has been published, there will be no process exemptions or preferential treatment afforded to any parties who expressed an interest at that stage.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Contract Notice. The awarding of this 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 and The Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Gloucestershire ICB on behalf of NHS England
Gloucester
Country
United Kingdom