NHS and Healthcare Tenders UK
Find active healthcare and nhs contracts across NHS, local authorities, central government, and public sector frameworks.
Healthcare and NHS procurement in the UK public sector
The NHS is the UK's largest single procurer of goods and services, with annual external spend exceeding £30 billion. Beyond NHS England, healthcare procurement spans NHS trusts, integrated care systems (ICSs), local authority social care teams, and Public Health England — each with their own procurement processes and buying routes. For SMEs, healthcare represents one of the highest-value and most consistently active procurement markets in the UK.
Healthcare contracts cover an enormous range of categories: clinical and therapeutic services, medical devices, health technology and software, training and workforce development, facilities and estates, digital transformation, and professional services. Many of the most accessible SME opportunities sit in adjacent categories — IT, training, consultancy, and support services — where compliance requirements are less onerous than for direct clinical care.
NHS procurement is distributed across multiple buying routes. Find a Tender carries high-value contract notices above the Procurement Act 2023 threshold. Contracts Finder captures below-threshold opportunities. NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) frameworks allow trusts to award contracts without a full open tender. The Crown Commercial Service runs healthcare-specific technology and workforce frameworks. Many trusts also use NHS Supply Chain for product categories.
Key compliance requirements include Cyber Essentials (or Cyber Essentials Plus) for any IT-adjacent services, clinical governance accreditation for patient-facing care, DPIAs for data-handling services, and CQC registration where applicable. Social value is typically weighted at 10 to 20 per cent in NHS tenders, with a strong emphasis on local employment and health outcomes commitments.
Common contract types
- ✓Clinical and therapeutic services
- ✓Health technology and digital transformation
- ✓Training and workforce development
- ✓Mental health and community services
- ✓Medical devices and consumables
- ✓Social care and support services
- ✓Facilities and estates management
- ✓Catering and domestic services
Key frameworks
- ›NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS)
- ›Crown Commercial Service healthcare frameworks
- ›Health Systems Support Framework (HSSF)
- ›NHS Supply Chain product categories
- ›Integrated Care Board local frameworks
Frequently asked questions — Healthcare and NHS tenders
Do I need CQC registration to supply to the NHS?
CQC (Care Quality Commission) registration is only required for providers delivering regulated activities — typically direct patient care, treatment, or diagnostic services. Most supplier categories (IT, training, consultancy, facilities, catering) do not require CQC registration. If your services involve direct clinical care or the management of care settings, you will need to check which regulated activities apply and register accordingly before tendering.
What NHS frameworks can SMEs apply to join?
Key frameworks accessible to SMEs include NHS Shared Business Services frameworks for IT, professional services, and estates; the Health Systems Support Framework (HSSF) for digital and transformation services; Crown Commercial Service technology and workforce agreements; and local Integrated Care Board frameworks. Framework applications open periodically — KimonBids monitors and alerts when relevant frameworks are open for new supplier applications.
How does the Integrated Care System (ICS) structure affect NHS procurement?
Since July 2022, NHS England has been organised into 42 Integrated Care Systems, each with an Integrated Care Board (ICB) responsible for planning and commissioning health services. ICSs have consolidated some procurement activity through collaborative frameworks, but individual NHS trusts still run their own procurement for operational goods and services. This means a single healthcare contract opportunity can now be accessed by suppliers across a wider catchment area through ICS-level agreements.
What is the Social Value requirement in NHS tenders?
NHS England adopted the Social Value Model (PPN 06/20) which requires social value to be explicitly evaluated and given a weighting in procurement decisions. NHS contracts typically score social value at 10 to 20 per cent of the total evaluation. Evaluated themes include creating jobs and skills in the local area, supporting NHS workforce and wellbeing, tackling health inequalities, decarbonisation, and strengthening community resilience. KimonBids AI bid drafting includes a social value generator aligned to the five PPN 06/20 themes.
Never miss a healthcare and nhs tender
KimonBids searches Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, Sell2Wales, and Public Contracts Scotland simultaneously — so you don't have to.
Find Healthcare and NHS contracts free →