Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)
Woodland House, Maes-y-coed Road
Cardiff
CF14 4HH
UK
Contact person: Lowri Crossman
Telephone: +44 2921501500
E-mail: Lowri.Crossman@wales.nhs.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0221
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
External Finance Support
Reference number: CAV-MIN-61737
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79412000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This contract commissions time-limited external support to assist Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in responding to a significant and worsening financial position while operating under Welsh Government oversight and escalation arrangements. The Health Board is forecasting a 56.2m GBP deficit in 2025/26, compared to a 27.7m GBP deficit outturn in 2024/25, and faces a material underlying financial gap in 2026/27 that cannot be addressed through business-as-usual savings alone. In the context of the 2026/27 planning round and the requirement to demonstrate a credible medium-term route to financial sustainability, the Board has agreed to commission independent support to identify the scale and nature of change required to alter the current financial trajectory. The purpose of the assignment is to develop a finite, decision-grade set of approximately five to seven high-impact options that explicitly set out what activity, services or sites would need to slow, stop, be consolidated, decommissioned or traded off in order to materially improve the financial position in 2026/27 and demonstrate a credible path to medium-term financial balance. The focus is on making the consequences of affordability explicit rather than developing narrative strategies, consensus or recommendations on preferred options. Each option must be articulated in granular operational terms, including affected services or sites, the nature of the change, workforce implications linked directly to service and activity change (including WTE impact), financial impact and phasing, delivery dependencies and constraints, and key risks and trade-offs including impacts on access, quality, safety and workforce. Options must clearly distinguish between what could realistically contribute in 2026/27 and what would deliver benefit in later years. The work will complement existing internal savings programmes, bring independent challenge and judgement, avoid optimism bias and untested productivity assumptions, and be delivered at pace within a tight timeframe. Outputs must be suitable for Board consideration and engagement with Welsh Government. The external support will provide analysis and option appraisal only, with all substantive outputs completed by no later than 31 March 2026.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
600 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79412000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL22
Main site or place of performance:
Cardiff
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
This contract commissions time-limited external support to assist Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in responding to a significant and worsening financial position while operating under Welsh Government oversight and escalation arrangements. The Health Board is forecasting a 56.2m GBP deficit in 2025/26, compared to a 27.7m GBP deficit outturn in 2024/25, and faces a material underlying financial gap in 2026/27 that cannot be addressed through business-as-usual savings alone. In the context of the 2026/27 planning round and the requirement to demonstrate a credible medium-term route to financial sustainability, the Board has agreed to commission independent support to identify the scale and nature of change required to alter the current financial trajectory. The purpose of the assignment is to develop a finite, decision-grade set of approximately five to seven high-impact options that explicitly set out what activity, services or sites would need to slow, stop, be consolidated, decommissioned or traded off in order to materially improve the financial position in 2026/27 and demonstrate a credible path to medium-term financial balance. The focus is on making the consequences of affordability explicit rather than developing narrative strategies, consensus or recommendations on preferred options. Each option must be articulated in granular operational terms, including affected services or sites, the nature of the change, workforce implications linked directly to service and activity change (including WTE impact), financial impact and phasing, delivery dependencies and constraints, and key risks and trade-offs including impacts on access, quality, safety and workforce. Options must clearly distinguish between what could realistically contribute in 2026/27 and what would deliver benefit in later years. The work will complement existing internal savings programmes, bring independent challenge and judgement, avoid optimism bias and untested productivity assumptions, and be delivered at pace within a tight timeframe. Outputs must be suitable for Board consideration and engagement with Welsh Government. The external support will provide analysis and option appraisal only, with all substantive outputs completed by no later than 31 March 2026
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
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:
2026/S 000-001731
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: CAV-MIN-61737
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
10/02/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
MCKINSEY & COMPANY INC UNITED KINGDOM
The Post Building , 100 Museum Street
London
WC1A1PB
UK
E-mail: tenderadmin@mckinsey.com
NUTS: UK
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 600 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
This Procurement was undertaken via mini-competition and therefore, the Health Board is issuing an 4 day voluntary standstill period which is expected to end at midnight at the end of Monday 16th February 2026 that being the 4th working day after the day on which a notice is
being sent by electronic means to all relevant bidders (i.e. counting the day after the sending as day 1).
(WA Ref:161454)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477501
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
11/02/2026