Published date: 12 May 2021

This notice was replaced on 21 October 2021

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Awarded contract (published 21 October 2021)

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Contract summary

Industry

  • Health services - 85100000

Location of contract

East of England

Value of contract

£40,800,000 to £73,150,000

Procurement reference

tender_269114/958351

Published date

12 May 2021

Closing date

22 June 2021

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

1 April 2022

Contract end date

31 March 2027

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The Contracting Authorities (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") for this procurement are: NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (as Coordinating Commissioner), NHS Basildon & Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.
The Authority is looking for a capable provider to deliver a single contract for the delivery of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) for the population of mid and south Essex (MSE), for all land-based provision (across all ages) with the exception of secure mental health transport. Additionally, the service will be provided to patients registered with NHS West Essex CCG in relation to journeys to/from the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre. Lotting this service was deemed inappropriate as it would result in unnecessary fragmentation and complexities.
The NEPTS will encompass:
- Booking & Eligibility Assessment;
- Transportation of patients; and
- On Site support at local NHS Acute Trust sites.
During 2019/20, approximately 178,000 journeys were undertaken across the in-scope NEPTS provision. Although there are no current plans in place that will change the expected activity levels for the in-scope provision, the proposed contract model will provide flexibility for any fundamental changes in activity to be adjusted for within the term.
NEPTS are a key enabler underpinning access to elective care and supporting timely and efficient discharge processes for acute and community providers. As a partner within the system, the NEPTS provider for MSE will support improvements in the latter stages of urgent and emergency care pathways, enabling patient choice and equitable access for elective care.
The Contract will be for a term of 60 months (five years), with the possibility of extending the term for a period of 24 additional months (two years) beyond the initial contracted duration by agreement between the Authority and the Bidder.
The anticipated aggregate contract value including extensions, variations, growth and inflation as advertised in the Find a Tender Service Contract Notice is £73,150,000.
Price scoring will be undertaken on Bidders Price for the first five years of the contract only. Commissioners will accept total bids up to £40,800,000 over the full 5 years contract term, acting as a total affordability envelope for this procurement for the purposes of bidding. Any bids received in excess of such affordability envelope will be rejected as non-compliant.
The contract model for the NEPTS is a block, no additional costs above the bid price will be rechargeable to the Authority. Tolerance levels of 5% will be applied to the contract, which will be monitored on a mobility level, with adjustment to the block being considered if activity goes above tolerance levels.
Further information is available within the ITT pack.

More information

Links

Additional text

Attain is conducting this procurement process as agent for and on behalf of the Authority.
To access the procurement documentation, please go to the Bravo website at: https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk and click on 'Register here' and follow the on-screen instructions. You can access the 'itt_66 - Mid and South Essex Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS)' by clicking on the link called 'View current opportunities' on the Home Page. Please note that the tender will not be accepted by any means other than through the Bravo e-Procurement Portal.
The Services to which this Procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020). As such, the procurement of the Services is being run as a bespoke, single stage application process akin to the Open procedure, involving a number of stages which are outlined within the suite of procurement documents. The Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.
The Authority may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, the Bidder should be aware that after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation to the contract to include (but not be limited to) reduction of activity and removal of funding for Personal Health Budgets and/or an increase in additional low level/low risk journeys where activity may be transferred from the 999 contract to the patient transport service (for example 'GP Urgents' services) in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020).
Further information is available within the procurement documents / ITT pack.

About the buyer

Contact name

NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group

Address

Wren House Hedgerows Business Park, Colchester Road
Chelmsford
CM2 5PF
England

Email

amy.wilson@attain.co.uk

Website

https://attain.bravosolution.co.uk/