Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS North East London Integrated Care Board
QMF
20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf
London
E14 5HJ
UK
Contact person: Thomas Crouch
E-mail: hub.queries@nhs.net
NUTS: UKI41
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://northeastlondon.icb.nhs.uk/
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://atamis.co.uk/
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://atamis.co.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
NEL Single Point of Access - Ophthalmology and Enhanced Optometry Services
Reference number: PRJ2241
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure an NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service that ensures referrals are managed by one provider across the system, serving all our providers equitably with reduced costs, delivering efficiencies and identifying issues to help support the NEL population with targeted and improved education and feedback to referrers.
North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is looking to procure the SPOA across its seven places (Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney).
The services need to be able to provide fast access improved pathway to enhance referral processing and clinical triage. The SPOA will facilitate digital enablement and innovations with a dynamic system to coordinate advice and refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services.
The SPOA should provide a strong collaboration between primary, optometry, community and secondary care systems as we are looking for a partnership in delivering the best quality service for NEL patients.
The service specification provides details of what will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality.
The procurement will be undertaken under the Provider Selection Regime regulations, competitive process.
Applications are now open from Friday 13th February 2026 with a deadline for applying of the 20th March 2026 17:00. Applications must be made through Atamis.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
500 000.00
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:
UKI
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
North East London (NEL) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is seeking to procure a NEL wide ophthalmology SPOA service to manage all referrals from optometrists and GPs to ophthalmology services.
The successful provider will work in partnership with commissioners, providers and referrers (GPs and Optometrists) to ensure referrals are processed efficiently and all NEL patients are seen at the right place at the right time.
The service will include clinical triage, administration of referrals, referrer/patient education, development of pathways and capacity in the NEL system whilst driving for a reduction in unnecessary referrals and secondary care activity with increased management of eye related issues in primary care and community services.
The ICB is looking for a provider that understands how to ensure equitable access that tackles inequalities, enables referrers to learn from feedback and can reduce the overall costs within the NEL system but still help to improve the patients experience and outcomes.
The NEL population is diverse and is approximately over 2.2 million people covering seven boroughs (places); Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge (outer NEL), Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and City and Hackney (Inner NEL).
Potential providers should be forward thinking looking to incorporate digitalisation to improve efficiency and build on the core service by using appropriate new technologies to enhance referral and provider capacity management. The SPOA will facilitate the use of technology to coordinate advice and guidance/refer, capacity planning and implement patient choice where required. Thereby reducing the pressure and avoidable referrals to specialist led services.
The service specification provides details of the service and outcomes that will need to be delivered, and we welcome providers who can demonstrate suitable experience of delivering similar services in the community that are both effective and of high quality.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: PSR five key criteria
/ Weighting: 75
Cost criterion: FMT
/ Weighting: 25
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
500 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 36
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
Two 12 month periods at the authorities discretion.
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 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:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
14/02/2026
Local time: 17:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
15/02/2026
Local time: 17:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
NHS England (London Region)
London
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
13/02/2026