Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
NHS England
7&8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP
UK
Contact person: Neelam Saroe
E-mail: neelamsaroe@nhs.net
NUTS: UKE
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.england.nhs.uk//
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.england.nhs.uk//
I.3) Communication
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at:
https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
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
Market Engagement Webinar - Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (West Midlands)
Reference number: AG25014
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
*This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN)*<br/><br/>NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU) on behalf of NHS England – Midlands (West) (referred to as the Commissioner) wish to inform the market of a future procurement opportunity for a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP). The DESP service is expected to cover the following ICB areas in the West Midlands region: -<br/><br/>1. NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care Board (STW ICB) and<br/>2. NHS Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (SSOT ICB).<br/><br/>The Commissioner would like to invite interested Providers to a Market Engagement Webinar taking place on Wednesday 12th November 2025 at 11:00am via MS Teams, prior to the publication of the formal tender which is due to be published November 2025. The Market Engagement Webinar will be split into two parts as follows: - <br/><br/>1. Background on the proposed service.<br/>2. Information on the Procurement Process. <br/><br/>If your organisation is interested in attending the Market Engagement Webinar, then please register your interest by responding to the short questionnaire on Atamis by 10:00am on Monday 10th November 2025 by following the instructions given in section VI.3.0.1 - Additional information below. <br/><br/>Please note, a MS Teams link for the event will only be shared by email to relevant attendees who have completed and submitted the questionnaire on Atamis to register their interest. Attendees are restricted to two people per organisation and invites will be sent to all registered attendees on Monday 10th November 2025.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
31 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85121281
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKG2
Main site or place of performance:
The DESP service is expected to cover the following ICB areas in the West Midlands region: -<br/><br/>1. NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care Board (STW ICB) and<br/>2. NHS Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (SSOT ICB).
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
NHS England is responsible for commissioning Section 7A Public Health services which include the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP).<br/><br/>The DESP programme/service is designed to detect diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions in people with diabetes. The programme offers eye screenings to diabetic patients aged 12 and above. Screening appointments are typically offered at local venues linked to the patient’s GP practice and HM Prison detained settings.<br/><br/>The goal is to identify any eye problems early on, allowing for timely treatment and reducing the risk of sight loss. If a positive screening result is found, patients are referred to a hospital eye service for further evaluation and management.<br/><br/>NHS England - West Midlands, has reviewed the existing DESP services delivered in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care Board (STW ICB) and the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (SSOT ICB). These services cater to an eligible population of 123,243 individuals.<br/><br/>With the current contract nearing its end, the new procurement aims to achieve the following benefits:<br/>• Improve patient engagement and outcomes<br/>• Enhance stakeholder relationships to foster collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement in the delivery of the service.<br/>• Quality assurance<br/>• More cost-effective use of NHS resources.<br/><br/>If your organisation is interested in attending the Market Engagement Webinar, then please register your interest in attending this webinar by responding to the short questionnaire on Atamis by 10:00am on Monday 10th November 2025 by following the instructions given in section VI.3.0.1 - Additional information below.
II.2.14) Additional information
Please note the Contract Notice Publish date is only indicative at this time and is subject to change
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
24/11/2025
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
This is purely an early engagement exercise; any subsequent procurement will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when published.<br/><br/>This is a market testing exercise and does not commit the Commissioners to carry out a procurement process. Current services will remain in place during this period in line with existing contracts and service level agreements.<br/><br/>The procurement will be advertised in accordance with the Provider Selection Regime(PSR) Notice. The awarding of this contract will be subject to the HealthCare Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 will not apply to this award.<br/><br/>The Contracting Authority will be using an eTendering system for this market engagement exercise. To express an interest and access the questionnaire go to the 'Live Opportunities' list on the e-tendering portal at the following<br/>link: https://health-family-contract-search.secure.force.com/?searchtype=Projects and register your interest.<br/><br/>You can search for the opportunity by entering the following contract reference: C387688 - EOI: Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) - NHS England (West Midlands).<br/><br/>Please note the deadline to complete the questionnaire to confirm you place at the Market Engagement Webinar is 10:00am on Monday 10th November 2025.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
09/10/2025