Scope
Reference
C397214
Description
1) This notice is placed as a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (PMEN) to inform the market of Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Integrated Care Board's (ICB) (the Commissioner) intention to commission Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Structure & Strategy services. The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider and partner interest in delivering these services.
2) The Commissioner is seeking to secure a Provider that has the capability and capacity to deliver VCSE Structure & Strategy services. The purpose of the VCSE Structure & Strategy services is to provide structure within the VCSE sector so that it can be an equal partner in the BNSSG Integrated Care System (ICS). The objectives of the service are:
a. Provide VCSE structure / interface with VCSE sector and ICS - through culture, planning, decision-making, new models and innovation / improvement.
b. Support co-design and implementation of strategic commissioning and strategic developments, including the BNSSG VCSE Vision, Healthier Together 2040 and neighbourhood health.
3) The Commissioner's intention is to source a single contract with a single contracting entity, for a service that will cover the entire BNSSG area.
4) The service will be for three years and will start in the early part of the 26/27 FY.
5) The following should be noted:
a. The VCSE sector in BNSSG is estimated to number 8,000 independent, diverse VCSE organisations, 80% of which are micro and small (with annual turnover up to £100,000, employing up to 5 people).
b. The BNSSG VCSE Vision and its goals (culture, planning, decision-making, new models and innovation / improvement) provide the framework for the VCSE Structure & Strategy service.
c. Activities similar to those to be commissioned are currently provided through a grant-funding arrangement between BNSSG ICB and the BNSSG VCSE Alliance. The VCSE Alliance is a collaboration between the ICB and the VCSE sector, which aims to
i. Encourage and enable the VCSE sector to work in a coordinated way to inform policy, strategy and decision-making.
ii. Provide the NHS and health and social care colleagues with a simple route of contact, engagement, and links to community.
iii. Better position the VCSE sector to contribute to the design and delivery of integrated care.
6) Work is progressing to create the new ICB from the NHS BNSSG ICB and the NHS Gloucestershire ICB. The detail of the new ICB will become clear over time and it is possible that the VCSE Structure & Strategy service will need to include Gloucestershire as well as BNSSG.
7) It is not possible to state that TUPE will or will not apply at this stage, as the requirements of the VCSE Structure & Strategy service will develop after this notice and market engagement.
8) Following this exercise, the BNSSG ICB intends to hold pre-market engagement for another service: the "VCSE Support & Deliver service". In summary, the purpose (provisional) of the VCSE Support & Deliver service is to have a mature VCSE provider market in the form of a framework, that can deliver wellbeing / health outcomes through health and care services / activities in BNSSG. The objectives (provisional) of the service are:
a. Enable and support VCSE collaborations / partnerships to deliver in neighbourhoods and communities.
b. Test and provide approaches to targeted capacity building / market development support for priority VCSE organisations / communities.
c. Provide services that support wellbeing / health programmes to reach diverse and mature VCSE market and VCSE organisations to make innovative proposals for delivery.
9) Early estimate envelope of c. £120k per annum, for a term of 3-years, totalling £360k. These figures are provided as a means for providers to ascertain scale and are highly liable to change before any formal procurement process is undertaken.
10) The Commissioner is seeking for all interested parties to register their interest and provide responses to a supplementary market engagement questionnaire. Access detail have been included in the "Engagement" section of this notice. The Commissioner encourages all interested parties to engage with this process, be it potential prime providers, interested subcontractors or even parties who do not wish to bid but believe they may be impacted by this service.
This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
Total value (estimated)
- £288,000 excluding VAT
- £360,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
- 3 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
Contract locations
- UKK1 - Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area
Engagement
Engagement deadline
24 November 2025
Engagement process description
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 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 documentation and to be able to submit your expression of interest / market engagement questionnaire using the placeholder provider within Atamis.
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 Contracting Authority is looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations.
The Contracting Authority will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course.
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
31 March 2026
Procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Contracting authority
NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
- NHS Organisation Data Service: QUY
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPCD-6597-HCDW
Floor 2, North Wing, 100 Temple Street
Bristol
BS1 6AG
United Kingdom
Email: helena.fuller1@nhs.net
Region: UKK11 - Bristol, City of
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
NHS South Central and West CSU
Summary of their role in this procurement: Procurement Support
- NHS Organisation Data Service: 0DF
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PXTZ-5316-XWPW
Omega House, 112 Southampton Road
Eastleigh
SO50 5PB
United Kingdom
Email: scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net
Website: https://www.scwcsu.nhs.uk/
Region: UKJ35 - South Hampshire
Contact organisation
Contact NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD for any enquiries.