DHSC: GPH: Mothers Living with HIV Formula Milk Funding Scheme 2027

{
  "id": "082359-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-08-28T16:43:58+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-06eef4",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PMQG-9965-CHZR",
    "name": "Department of Health & Social Care"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "C462285",
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        "status": "planning",
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        "suitability": {
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        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2028-03-31T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2027-02-01T00:00:00Z",
          "maxExtentDate": "2030-03-31T23:59:59+01:00"
        }
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            "description": "Baby food"
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          {
            "id": "15511000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Milk"
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    "title": "DHSC: GPH: Mothers Living with HIV Formula Milk Funding Scheme 2027",
    "value": {
      "amount": 875000,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "amountGross": 1050000
    },
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand supplier interest, capability and capacity to deliver a service that ensures infants born to mothers living with HIV in England have timely access to formula milk and related sterilising equipment for up to 12 months from birth.\nThis preliminary market engagement (and any resultant procurement) forms part of wider work by DHSC to implement actions in the HIV Action Plan for England, 2025 to 2030, specifically the commitment to fund formula milk and related sterilising equipment for the infants of women living with HIV.\nDHSC is seeking an outcome-focused service that:\n• Provides equitable access to formula milk and related sterilising equipment for eligible families, minimising inequalities in access and outcomes.\n• Operates in a manner that respects privacy, dignity and confidentiality.\n• Provides a seamless and reliable service for families and referring professionals.\nCurrent provision of formula milk support across England is variable. This inconsistent provision can create inequalities, particularly for families experiencing financial hardship, language barriers or difficulties accessing services. DHSC is seeking to establish a nationally funded service that enables eligible families to receive formula milk and related sterilising equipment from birth until the infant reaches 12 months of age.\nThe service should:\n• Support equitable access across England, including for groups who may face additional barriers to engagement with services.\n• Support referrals from multiple settings, including HIV services, antenatal clinics, primary care and VCSE organisations.\n• Respect privacy, confidentiality and be sensitive to potential stigma/discrimination.\n• Implement appropriate eligibility assessment, safeguarding, privacy and information governance arrangements.\n• Ensure continuity of access to products that comply with all relevant regulatory and nutritional requirements, reducing the impact of potential supply disruptions.\nDHSC are sharing a draft specification with the market to invite feedback from interested parties. We have not prescribed a preferred delivery model, and we welcome Potential Providers to present innovative proposals which would be capable of achieving our required outcomes as described within the specification.\nDHSC is particularly interested in hearing from suppliers who can demonstrate experience in and/or can meet the criteria of any of the following:\n• Delivery of outsourced funding schemes for similar service provision (either locally or nationally).\n• Provision, administration and/or distribution of pre-paid cards or vouchers where funds can be used by in-scope users to purchase formula milk and related sterilising equipment from retailers.\n• Provision, administration and/or distribution of formula milk and related sterilising equipment directly to end users.\n• Manufacturers of formula milk and related sterilising equipment.\n• Retailers who supply formula milk and related sterilising equipment.\n• Awareness, knowledge and understanding of HIV prevention interventions, and their role in reducing inequalities in education, access and uptake of such interventions, particularly for people most in need.\nDHSC is also keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.\nDHSC will also accept responses at the PME stage from external stakeholder groups who hold an active interest in this opportunity but may not have the capability and/or interest to deliver the services.\nFeedback from the market will be taken into consideration to help shape the departments proposed scope to ensure that the offer meets service needs.\nPlease note that at this stage a route to market has not yet been determined. However, should the outcome of this PME determine that the best value route to market is via a framework or DPS, then any subsequent invitation to tender and notices will be restricted to those organisations which are appointed to the applicable framework or DPS, and will be governed by the PCR 2015 or the PA 2023 as stipulated by the framework or DPS in question.\nContract Value: The estimated total value of the contract is £350,000.00 per annum, including VAT. This annual value is applicable to the initial term, and the optional extension period(s).\nContract Term: An initial term of 14-months (inclusive of 2 months mobilisation), with the option to extend for one or more further periods up to a maximum of 24 months.\nDisclaimers - this PME:\n• Does not signify the commencement of a competitive procurement.\n• Does not constitute any commitment by the Department of Health and Social Care to procure services.\n• Does not create any obligation on the Department.\n• Does not provide a competitive advantage to any suppliers engaging with DHSC at this early stage, and DHSC will ensure equal treatment of all interested parties at all times. Details of the preliminary market engagement process undertaken will be included within any resultant procurement documentation.\nAny funding estimates referenced are indicative only and subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final scope or funding envelope of any future contractual activity.",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2026-10-26T23:59:59Z"
    },
    "specialRegime": [
      "lightTouch"
    ],
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PMQG-9965-CHZR",
      "name": "Department of Health & Social Care",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKI32",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "SW1H 0EU",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "39 Victoria Street"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PMQG-9965-CHZR",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "name": "Victoria McLaren",
        "email": "ccsinbox@dhsc.gov.uk"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "082359-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082359-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-08-28T16:43:58+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-09-28T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "This is not a call for competition, but an opportunity to gather feedback to better understand market capabilities, refine final specifications, decide the procurement strategy, encourage supplier engagement and identify any barriers.\nThe PME will consist of two dual running stages:\n• A supplier webinar, offering interested providers an overview of the objectives and requirements for the upcoming contractual opportunity. The event will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams on 9 September 2026 at 14:00. To confirm interest and request attendance to the webinar, suppliers should send a message via Atamis or send an email to ccsinbox@dhsc.gov.uk quoting “PME Webinar – Mothers Living with HIV Formula Milk Funding Scheme 2027” by 8 September 2026 at 17:00hrs. Suppliers should provide names and email addresses for planned attendees – a maximum of three individuals will be permitted to attend per organisation. The MS Teams link will be shared with suppliers who express an interest in attending prior to the webinar. However, as timescales for invitations being issued may vary, DHSC would advise that suppliers wishing to attend the webinar keep their own diary placeholder.\n• Suppliers will be invited to complete a structured questionnaire (via a Microsoft Form). The questionnaire should be completed by no later than 28 September 2026 at 13:00hrs.\nSuppliers are not required to attend the webinar to participate in the questionnaire element of this PME, and vice versa.\nInterested parties can access the relevant documentation via the Atamis system at https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome using the contract reference C462285. Further instructions on how to participate in this PME are included within the document “HIV Formula Milk Funding Scheme PME Questionnaire V3”.\nThe input by suppliers may help shape the final approach and procurement strategy. Alongside structured responses, the questionnaire will also allow suppliers to raise any additional questions."
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}