South East London Community Adult Audiology Any Qualified Provider (AQP) - future opportunity

Tender description

This is a prior information notice providing advanced notice of an upcoming procurement opportunity. NHS South East London CCG is seeking to award new contracts for Community Adult Audiology services under an Any Qualified Provider (AQP) model. The aim of the service will be to provide a comprehensive patient-centered Community Adult Audiology service which will include the provision of hearing aids for age related hearing loss (non complex) in-line with national guidance (NICE) and local requirements for the patients registered with a GP Practice within South East London CCG. It is expected that following a procurement process in early 2022, new AQP contracts will start on 1st April 2022 and run for a period of three years until 31st March 2025 with a further extension option of up to two years to 31st March 2027. The indicative annual value of activity through the AQP is £2,700,000 (Ex VAT). Please note that AQP contracts awarded will have no minimum contract value as the contract value for a particular AQP provider will be dependent on activity and patient choice. The CCG will accept bids from providers who are able to demonstrate sufficient experience, capability, capacity, workforce and premises to deliver the specified services. Further details on how to access the service requirements and specifications, the tariff of payment, the draft contract and the procurement process and evaluation criteria will be set out in the subsequent contract opportunity notice and accompanying procurement documentation in January 2022. The CCG is currently scheduled to publish the procurement opportunity via Find a Tender and Contracts Finder on 10th January 2022. Interested providers should monitor the Find a Tender and Contracts Finder sites for the upcoming advertisement which will provide instructions on how to access the tender portal to express an interest in the opportunity, access the tender documentation and submit a bid. Although the opportunity is not yet published on the tender portal, interested providers may wish to ensure they have registered an account on the portal in advance of the opportunity being published by visiting the "Register" page at the following link: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login. Additional information: London Shared Services (previously NELCSU) is managing this process on behalf of NHS South East London CCG (The Authority). The services to which this advert relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations) and the "Light Touch Regime" (LTR) governing the procurement of Health, Social, Education and Other service contracts. This will be an AQP process. Neither the use of any term such as "Tender process" or "Procurement", nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that The Authority intends to hold itself bound to any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 services under the Light Touch Regime.