Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as NHS National Services Scotland) (NSS)
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB
UK
Telephone: +44 1312756000
E-mail: paul.mckinney@nhs.scot
NUTS: UKM
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.nss.nhs.scot/browse/procurement-and-logistics
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA11883
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.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
Patient/Carer Feedback Service
Reference number: NP506626
II.1.2) Main CPV code
72000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
NHS NSS is acting on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Healthcare Quality and Improvement Division in procuring the appropriate technology and services to create a Patient/Carer feedback website for NHS Scotland.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
1 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
NHS NSS is acting on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Healthcare Quality and Improvement Division in procuring the appropriate technology and services to create a Patient/Carer feedback website for NHS Scotland using the Open procurement process.
The Scottish Government supports a culture of learning, openness and transparency in NHS Scotland that welcomes feedback, both positive and negative, from people using services and then uses that feedback to drive and inform improvement.
The requirement is for a website that enables people to post their experiences of receiving health and care services publicly online. Although anonymous, the site should record where the person is based (by postcode) and what service they are offering feedback about. The feedback will then be sent by the Service Provider to the appropriate healthcare service manager or clinician for a response or responses, which will be published online alongside the original post. The system will enable any resulting dialogue to be published online in order to share learning and facilitate improvement. The service provider will be expected to provide training and support to organisations, throughout the contract, to encourage best use of feedback in improving services.
The service will be available to all fourteen NHS Territorial Boards and certain National Boards and agencies in Scotland. This will be Golden Jubilee National Hospital, NHS 24, Scottish Ambulance Service, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland, NHS National Services Scotland, and Public Health Scotland) and should include provision to allow other health and social care providers to become registered responders. It should be noted that NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland are due to merge in April 2026 to form NHS Delivery. The service provider will be expected to ensure that registration meets the needs of these newly merged Boards.
The site shall record whether each story is posted by a patient, service user, parent/guardian, family member, carer, member of staff, or someone posting on behalf of a patient or carer, and this information shall be made available in reports to registered organisations.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 85
Price
/ Weighting:
15
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 48
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
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 III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
SPD Q.4B.1.1: Bidders are required to provide statement of accounts or extracts relating to their business for the previous 3 years. Where any are risks identified by NSS as part of the due diligence carried out on the above information NSS may require Bidders to provide additional information to demonstrate financial standing. Additional information can include but not be limited to:
- parent company accounts (if applicable)
- deeds of guarantee
- bankers statements and references
- accountants’ references
- management accounts
- financial projections, including cash flow forecasts
- details and evidence of previous contracts, including contract values
- capital availability.
Bidders who cannot provide suitable evidence of a secure financial standing may be excluded from the procurement.
Q.4B.5.1 and Q.4B.5.2: It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Employers liability insurance: 5 000 000 GBP;
Public liability insurance: 1 000 000 GBP;
Professional indemnity insurance: 1 000 000 GBP
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
4C.1.2 Please provide details of three relevant examples of services carried out during the last three years.
4.C.2 Bidders are required to confirm compliance with standards, such as ISO or equivalent, set by technical bodies, especially those responsible for quality control. Please provide examples such as the following:
- Cyber Essentials
- ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems
- ISO 27001 - Information Security Management
- ISO 27017 - Code of practice for information security controls
- ISO 27018 - Code of practice for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds acting as PII processors
- UK Government 14 Cloud Security Principles
Please state the relevance of any such educational and professional qualifications.
4C.6: Bidders will be required to confirm that they and/or the service provider have relevant educational and professional qualifications such as the following: ITIL qualifications [Helpdesk, etc] or equivalent other professional qualifications relevant to the Services outlined in the Contract Notice.
And:
4C.6.1: Bidders will be required to confirm that they and/or the service provider's managerial staff have relevant educational and professional qualifications such as the following: ITIL qualifications [Helpdesk, etc] or equivalent other professional qualifications relevant to the Services outlined in the Contract Notice.
4C.10: Bidders will be required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open 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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
23/01/2026
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 9 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
23/01/2026
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
ull details of the requirement and tender submission information is contained within the ITT and associated procurement documents on PCS-Tender
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 30795. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
It is a mandatory requirement that Bidders agree to support the concept, provision and ongoing development of community benefits provision in relation to this Agreement. Bidders are required to agree to this mandatory requirement. They are also requested to provide a brief summary of the community benefits that have recently been delivered within Scotland, and also what impact and outcomes these have achieved. Bidders are required to summarise any community/social benefits that will be delivered as part of this Agreement if successful, or, alternatively, Bidders confirm that they will engage with the NHS Scotland Community Benefits Gateway (CBG). This gateway, developed through requests from suppliers seeking opportunities to support the delivery of community benefits within the contracting region, provides information community benefit opportunities. The CBG is a free and easy to use online service that connects NHS Scotland suppliers with third sector community organisations within Scotland and will be used for tracking and reporting, and is an approved, compliant route to the realisation of community benefits. For further information please visit: https://www.nss.nhs.scot/procurement-and-logistics/sustainability/access-our-community-benefit-gateway/.
(SC Ref:816763)
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 30795. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
(SC Ref:818562)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Sheriff Court House
Edinburgh
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
18/12/2025