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.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 at Quayside House
Reference number
C376187
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85131000 - Dental-practice services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (GICB) sought providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver Dental Services 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 was included in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) pack which set out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider.
• Construction work has been undertaken on behalf of GCC, and floor plans and room data sheets were 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, 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 total contract value 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 was not applicable for this procurement process.
This is a new service to be delivered by a new provider.
This notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the competitive process of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR).
This procurement has been carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £24,000,000
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) sought providers who have the capability and capacity to deliver Dental Services 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 was included in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) pack which set out the expected terms and conditions between the owner of the building and the service provider.
• Construction work has been undertaken on behalf of GCC, and floor plans and room data sheets were 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, 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 total contract value 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 was not applicable for this procurement process.
This is a new service to be delivered by a new provider.
This notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the competitive process of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR).
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, Care Leavers, 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
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. Flexibility will be required in how the stabilisation sessions are utilised over the length of the contract. For example the potential inclusion of sessions for specific patient groups such as children or families or patients with cancer.
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 procurement has been 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.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
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: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2025/S 000-046500
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
17 December 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 10
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Smile Together Dental CIC
Truro Health Park, Infirmary Hill
Truro
TR1 2JA
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKK30 - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Companies House
08313960
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £24,000,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The decision to award this contract in line with the Competitive Process was based on evaluation against the basic selection criteria (in the form of a Selection Questionnaire), which was assessed on a pass/fail basis, and the PSR 5 key criteria, which were assessed using a 0-4 scale, pass/fail, and a financial risk scoring methodology, with the below weightings.
Several tender questions were asked under each of the key criteria.
- Quality and Innovation: 37%
- Value: 10%
- Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability: 31%
- Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities, and Facilitating Choice: 12%
- Social Value: 10%
The provider selected for award has been chosen as they passed the basic selection criteria and were the highest scoring bidder overall, against the key criteria. Recommendations for award of contract made by the Deputy Director Primary Care and Place for NHS Gloucestershire were approved by the Chief Executive Officer for NHS Gloucestershire ICB on 10th December 2025 and subsequently at the Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board Meeting on 16th December 2025.
After conducting a thorough Competitive Process, taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria, NHS Gloucestershire ICB is content that the provider's bid sufficiently met the key criteria and thus can proceed to contract award under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
There was four potential declaration of conflict of interest made via the conflict of interest process and recorded accordingly. The non-conflicted members of the procurement have assessed the nature and risk of each declared conflict and decided which steps to take to avoid or mitigate them. All four declarations were deemed as not being actual conflicts of interest but were still managed accordingly with appropriate mitigations.
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award 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. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by midnight on 5th January 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award a contract under the competitive process of the PSR.
Written representations should be sent to scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS Gloucestershire ICB on behalf of NHS England
Gloucester
Country
United Kingdom