Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board Alpha Tower, 8th Floor, Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B1 1TT
Contact
Neelam Saroe
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKG31 - Birmingham
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/
one.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
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
Sight testing and dispensing of spectacles to Children and Young People (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Special Educational Settings (SES) within the West Midlands
Reference number
AG25035
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85160000 - Optician services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU) on behalf of the 6 West Midlands NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB) (referred to as the Commissioner) wish to inform the market of a future procurement opportunity for Sight Testing and Spectacle Dispensing Services for all Special Education Settings across the West Midlands Region and invite all interested providers to participate in an early market assessment questionnaire which will be used as a conduit to ascertain market capability and interest in the opportunity.
The Six (6) ICBs across the West Midlands region are listed below (respective NUTS codes in brackets for your information):
West Midlands
• NHS Birmingham and Solihull (UKG31 & UKG32)
• NHS Black Country (UKG36, UKG37, UKG38, UKG39)
• NHS Coventry and Warwickshire (UKG33 & UKG13)
• NHS Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin (UKG21 & UKG22)
• NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (UKG23 & UKG24)
• NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire (UKG11, UKG12)
The Commissioner would like to invite interested providers to participate in an early market assessment questionnaire, prior to the formal procurement opportunity with an estimated publication date of November 2025. The market assessment questionnaire will help Commissioners to:
• Gain market views on the viability of procuring the services
• Determine length of future contracts,
• Determine a suitable mobilisation period for the services,
• Feedback on the proposed payment model,
• Feedback on the draft Service Specification,
• Determine the lotting strategy across the West Midlands region.
The Commissioners would like to invite interested providers to register their interest via the Atamis e-tendering portal. Once registered providers will have access to the following documents to aid completion of the market assessment questions:
1. Market Assessment Video and the accompanying Microsoft PowerPoint presentation,
2. Draft Service Specification.
We would like to encourage providers to review the draft Service Specification, watch the video and read the accompanying PowerPoint presentation, provided in order to inform their responses to the market assessment questionnaire.
If your organisation is interested in this opportunity, then please respond to the market assessment questionnaire on Atamis and register your interest by following the instructions given below in section VI.3.0.1 Additional information. Please note the deadline for interested providers to complete the early market assessment questionnaire is 5pm on Tuesday 7th October 2025.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £0.01
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85160000 - Optician services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
Main site or place of performance
West Midlands Region
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This notice is purely for providers to express an interest in the opportunity to provide Sight Testing and Spectacle Dispensing Service for all Special Education Settings.
The Office of West Midlands (OWM) will be working on behalf of the following 6 West Midlands NHS Integrated care boards (ICBs):
1. NHS Birmingham and Solihull (indicative number of patients 6663)
2. NHS Black Country (indicative number of patients 4781)
3. NHS Coventry and Warwickshire (indicative number of patients 3450)
4. NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire (indicative number of patients 2844)
5. NHS Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin (indicative number of patients 1983)
6. NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (indicative number of patients 5063)
to commission annual eye checks for all 5–25-year-olds, within a Special Educational Setting (SES) “Special Schools”, across the West Midlands. The Commissioners are reaching out to the market for providers assistance in shaping this service for the circa 24,784 students across the West Midlands with special educational needs.
Many children in special school's face barriers to accessing high street opticians due to mobility, sensory, or behavioural challenges. Research has shown that children with a learning disability and/or autism are 28 times more likely to experience challenges with sight and eye health. Half of the children assessed as part of the Proof of Concept (POC) had a problem with their eyes or vision, and at least a third needed glasses. Despite this greater need, most children and young people must attend a hospital eye department for routine services and over 40% have no history of eye care provision.
The benefits of providing eye checks in a special school setting are:
1. Accessibility
2. Familiar Environment and people
3. Early Detection & Intervention
4. Educational Impact
5. Family Support
6. Integrated Care within the school.
Please note the deadline for expressing an interest is 5pm on Tuesday 7th October 2025.
two.2.14) Additional information
Please note the Contract Notice Publish date is only indicative at this time and is subject to change.
The lotting strategy has not been decided as yet. The lotting strategy will be informed by a number of factors outlined in market engagement questionnaire and wider stakeholder’s feedback.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
3 October 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 is purely an early engagement exercise; any subsequent procurement will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when published.
This is a market testing exercise and does not commit the Commissioners to carry out a procurement process.
The awarding of this contract will be subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 will not apply to this award.
The Contracting Authority will be using an eTendering system for this market engagement exercise. To express an interest and access the questionnaire go to the 'Live Opportunities' list on the e-tendering portal at the following link: https://health-family-contract-search.secure.force.com/?searchtype=Projects and register your interest.
You can search for the opportunity by entering the following contract reference: C385746 - Sight Testing & Spectacle Dispensing Service for Special Schools - West Mids.
All responses to the market assessment exercise must go via the portal.
Please note the deadline to complete the early market assessment questionnaire is 5pm on Tuesday 7th October 2025.