External Assessment Centres Framework

Tender description

NICE is seeking to commission external assessment centres (EACs) which will provide a range of health technology assessment (HTA) services to support its technology evaluation programmes and related activities (see above). Suppliers must be able to provide all services within Lots 1 and 2, for Lot 3, 3a or 3b to bid for that Lot. Suppliers need to be able to provide only the services within a work package to bid for any of the work packages within Lot 4. Suppliers can bid for one or more Lots. NICE will consider bids from multidisciplinary centres with knowledge and expertise in health technology assessment, enhanced for Lots 1 and 3 by a close association with frontline clinical services in areas related to medical technologies such as imaging or in vitro diagnostics. Suppliers intending to provide services in Lot 2 will have significant expertise and experience of advanced HTA methods and be able to provide the service in relation to pharmaceuticals, medical, digital and diagnostic technologies. NICE will consider proposals from consortia or networks of organisations meeting the selection criteria and encourages potential suppliers to explore collaborations that will result in the offer of a comprehensive range of services. Lot 1: Clinical and Economic Evidence Assessment Including: critical appraisal of submitted evidence to support the development of NICE outputs; evidence synthesis; de novo economic modelling and critiquing and revising existing models; updating information and evidence on technologies to support guidance review; preparation of evidence summaries on new and novel technologies; systematic review and meta-analysis; market intelligence analysis; supporting identification, topic selection and scoping of medtech products, confirmations of regulatory status for medtech products. Additional information: NICE has had numerous technical issues issuing the notice onto Find a Tender. The notice was published on Contracts Finder on the 15th November 2021. Lot 2: Decision and methodological support services Including: providing technical support to evaluation programmes; advanced methodological development for all types of health technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical and diagnostic technologies and related products; providing educational support; providing advanced methodological, analytical and other ad hoc support to NICE and its independent advisory bodies on the assessment of medicines and medical technologies; providing quality assurance of economic models and other Supplier outputs; providing training on HTA and related disciplines and developing online training resources on HTA for NICE staff and committee members; evidence searching; systematic review and meta-analysis; de-novo modelling. Additional information: NICE has had numerous technical issues issuing the notice onto Find a Tender. The notice was published on Contracts Finder on the 15th November 2021. Lot 3: Primary data generation and analysis and Real World Evidence Generation for Managed Access 3a - Primary data generation and analysis Including: protocol development for promising technologies where the available evidence is insufficient to recommend routine adoption; pragmatic facilitation of collaborative research acting as the academic lead and research sponsor where needed, on clinical, laboratory, and methodological projects investigating the clinical utility of specific healthcare technologies; real-world evidence collection activities including establishing patient registries, analysing register data, and similar schemes; the specification, compilation, validation and analysis of datasets including linkage with other "real-life" data sources. This may include analysis of data protection/ information governance and preparation of paperwork as required. The Supplier may be required to manage a third party to undertake data collection and analysis, developing the contractual paperwork and holding the budget for the work as necessary. Lot 3b - Real World Evidence Generation for Managed Access Including: Managed Access evidence generation using existing registers or databases, feasibility studies, data protocol development, pilot studies; data collection and active surveillance; active data surveillance; grant applications; data linkage and complex modelling and/or analyses; register close down; journal publications Additional information: NICE has had numerous technical issues issuing the notice onto Find a Tender. The notice was published on Contracts Finder on the 15th November 2021. Lot 4: Multiple services Lot 4a - Clinical and Economic Evidence Assessment - additional capacity Including: critical appraisal of submitted evidence to support the development of NICE outputs; evidence synthesis; de novo economic modelling and critiquing and revising existing models; updating information and evidence on technologies to support guidance review; preparation of evidence summaries on new and novel technologies; systematic review and meta-analysis; market intelligence analysis; supporting identification, topic selection and scoping of medtech products, confirmations of regulatory status for medtech products. Lot 4b - Decision and methodological support services - additional capacity Including: providing technical support to evaluation programmes; advanced methodological development for all types of health technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical and diagnostic technologies and related products; providing educational support; providing advanced methodological, analytical and other ad hoc support to NICE and its independent advisory bodies on the assessment of medicines and medical technologies; providing quality assurance of economic models and other Supplier outputs; providing training on HTA and related disciplines and developing online training resources on HTA for NICE staff and committee members; evidence searching; systematic review and meta-analysis; de-novo modelling. Lot 4c - Supplementary services - Research & ethics Including: advice on research governance and ethics support including access to a research ethics committee. Lot 4d - Supplementary services - Technical assessment Including: technical assessment to inform on effective use. The following sections list the general approach NICE takes to the work carried out by the EACs, followed by details of work packages issued under each Lot and specific details of the modules of work generally included in standard work packages. Additional information: NICE has had numerous technical issues issuing the notice onto Find a Tender. The notice was published on Contracts Finder on the 15th November 2021.