Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Care Quality Commission
8HN02
Citygate, Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE14PA
UK
E-mail: commercialcontracts@cqc.org.uk
NUTS: UKC22
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.cqc.org.uk/
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Experts by Experience
Reference number: CQC EPS 102
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve. We monitor, inspect and regulate services and publish what we find. Where we find poor care, we will use our powers to take action.
CQC has a legal duty under the Health and Social Care Act to involve people in the way it works. The Health and Social Care Act 2008, specifies that CQC can 'arrange for any of its functions to be exercised by, or with the assistance of, service users and carers'.
The Experts by Experience contracts are key mechanisms used by CQC to achieve this.
Lot 1 CQC Experts by Experience Services: this lot is for support to regulatory activity conducted by subject matter experts with lived experience of specific healthcare or social care needs.
Lot 2 CQC Public Engagement Network: this lot is for developing and maintaining and expanding the public engagement network and organising related events.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
10 000 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
CQC Experts by Experience Services
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79400000
79620000
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC
UKD
UKE
UKF
UKG
UKH
UKI
UKJ
UKK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The provision of trained members of the public, known as Experts by Experience (ExEs), to support our assessments of regulated health and care services and our understanding of the quality of care across regulated services in England.
The CQC Experts by Experience Services support the delivery of a programme of work referred to as the CQC Experts by Experience (ExE) programme. The ExE programme is founded on the fundamental principle of helping people who use services to make their voices, views and experiences heard. The programme delivers evidence and insight to CQC through regulatory and engagement activities.
Experts by Experience have current or recent (within the past 8 years, or within 4 years for maternity services) lived experience of using, or being a family carer for someone who uses, the services we regulate. Experts by Experience help us gather the evidence that we use to make judgements about the quality of care.
People often find it easier to speak to someone who has a similar lived experience to themselves. Experts by Experience gather evidence by having meaningful conversations with people using services, as well as friends and families. They will also make and record other observations while taking part in our assessments of services.
Experts by Experience Services also support other CQC activities such as policy and guidance development, co design and co production and consultations.
The Contractor will need to provide Experts by Experience support in three key areas:
- inspection - support to site visits and telephone calls,
- monitor and insight - support gathering local and national information from the public. This will include special reviews and investigations as well as work raising public awareness of CQC,
- co-production - support to policy and guidance development and delivery of CQC staff training.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 60
Quality criterion: Social Value
/ Weighting: 10
Price
/ Weighting:
30
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
CQC Public Engagement Network
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79400000
79620000
85000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKC
UKD
UKE
UKF
UKG
UKH
UKI
UKJ
UKK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Provision of CQC Public Engagement Network (PEN) to develop, maintain and deliver engagement services with people from seldom heard communities, people with protected characteristics, and people made vulnerable by their circumstances.
The CQC Public Engagement Network is a managed network of community groups across England made up of local and national groups, including charities and other organisations who represent and support people from a diverse range of communities, people at risk of facing health inequalities, and people with protected characteristics.
The purpose of the CQC Public Engagement Network is:
- to develop a programme of community engagement across England and to become an important mechanism in helping CQC ensure that local health and care services meet the needs and preferences of the communities they serve.
- to gather and understand experiences of care from those most likely to experience poorer health and care outcomes and to amplify the voices of people and communities across the health and care landscape.
- to increase the volume and range of feedback CQC receives from specific targeted groups across England.
- to provide CQC with opportunities to hear from, and engage with, groups and the individuals they represent, on both a local and national scale.
The CQC Public Engagement Network contributes to our assessments and the design and ongoing development of the way we regulate, providing insight and intelligence about experiences of care, from:
- people from seldom heard communities,
- people with protected characteristics,
- people made vulnerable by their circumstances.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 60
Quality criterion: Social Value
/ Weighting: 10
Price
/ Weighting:
30
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-006977
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 1
Title: CQC Experts by Experience Services
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
26/03/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
CHOICE SUPPORT
RS009045
Compass House, 84 Holland Road, Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1UT
UK
NUTS: UKJ4
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 7 445 364.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 2
Title: CQC Public Engagement Network
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
05/03/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
NATIONAL VOICES
03236543
The Foundry, 17 Oval Way
London
SE11 5RR
UK
NUTS: UKI
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 1 297 492.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court (Technology and Construction Court)
Rolls Building, Fetter Lane
London
EC4A 1NL
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/technology-and-construction-court
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
02/04/2026