Official UK procurement notice
Digital Primary Care Open Framework
Authority: NHS England (Central government)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionPLEASE NOTE - This is not a 'call to action' notice and requires no response to the Authority.
This notice is published in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 as a Planned Procurement Notice (UK3). It provides advance notice that NHS England intends to establish an open framework using the competitive flexible procedure for the future procurement of Digital Primary Care General Practice Information Technology (GPIT) solutions, ahead of the publication of a tender notice.
Digital systems are fundamental to the delivery of modern general practice services. NHS England's Digital Services for Integrated Care (DSIC) programme is improving digital products across care settings to support and enable an integrated care system, working with technology suppliers to deliver a choice of commonly assured, intuitive and innovative products and services. This framework will be key to this, as well as supporting commitments in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan (10YHP), national digital strategy, and the GP Contract’s digital requirements.
For the purposes of this procurement, GPIT encompasses the digital solutions (products and services) that support the commissioning, delivery, administration and continuous improvement of general practice. This includes technologies used by clinicians, administrative staff, patients and commissioners to facilitate access to care, care delivery, clinical decision-making, service integration, population health management and operational efficiency.
The technology used in general practice falls into two groups: core digital capabilities needed to deliver care, including the recording, management and access of patient health information (‘Foundation’ Electronic Patient Record solutions); and broader digital capabilities which provide clinical and operational support solutions to complement, extend or enhance the core digital capabilities (sometimes referred to as ‘Non-Foundation’ solutions).
The Authority intends to establish a lotted open framework in accordance with section 49 of the Procurement Act 2023. It is anticipated that the framework will provide a simplified route to market for General Practice Information Technology (GPIT), enabling access to innovative digital solutions whilst securing value for money for the NHS.
The indicative lotting structure is as follows:
- Lot 1: Foundation Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Solutions
- Lot 2: Clinical and Operational Support Solutions
- Lot 3: Research and Development
The above Lots are characterised by the digital capabilities they consist of. For further description of the capabilities listed below, please see the supporting document attached titled ‘Description of Framework Capabilities’.
Further details of the requirements for appointment to the framework will be available in the tender documentation.
Lot 1 (Foundation Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:
- Appointments Management - GP
- Consultation Management - GP
- Patient Information Maintenance - GP
- Prescribing - GP
- Referral Management - GP
- Resource Management
Lot 2 (Clinical and Operational Support Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:
- Advice and Guidance (Professional to Professional)
- Care Plans
- Caseload Management
- Clinical Decision Support
- Communication Management
- Cross Organisation Appointment Booking
- Cross Organisation Workforce Management
- Custom Workflows
- Digital Diagnostics
- Digital Dictation
- Dispensing
- Document Management
- Domiciliary Care
- Emergency Alerts
- GP Extracts Verification
- Medical Reports
- Medicines Optimisation
- Population Health Management
- Remote Patient Monitoring
- Reporting
- Risk Stratification
- Scanning
- Self-Service Appointment Check In
- Social Prescribing
- Task Management
- Telecare
- Video Consultation
Lot 3: Research and Development
This lot will offer successful suppliers on Lots 1 and 2 the opportunity to be involved in research and development to aid the authority with developing and proving out new capabilities and standards through discovery to public beta activities, covering key areas required to evolve solutions and support national strategy.
The framework will:
- Permit the appointment of multiple suppliers to each lot;
- Permit the appointment of same suppliers across different lots;
- The framework is expected to reopen at planned intervals during its term; and
- Allow for auto enrolment (unless opted out of) onto Lot 3 for successful suppliers awarded a place on Lot 1 or Lot 2.
Call-off contracts will be run and awarded primarily by (but not limited to) Integrated Care Boards and general practices through mechanisms that may include direct award and competitive flexible procedures in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Detailed service models, delivery requirements, and performance expectations will be set out in future tender documentation which will be made available through Find a Tender when the UK4 Tender Notice is published.
Indicative Timeline:
The framework procurement will follow a multi-stage competitive flexible procedure and is intended to be issued in November 2026, subject to final governance approvals that are currently in progress. Framework go-live is expected in Q3 2027. A full procurement timetable will be available in the published tender notice and tender documentation.
Please note: this timetable is indicative and subject to change. The dates set out in the UK4 Tender Notice will take precedence.
Prior Notices
Formal market engagement for this Procurement took place between May and June 2025. Full details of this and materials released in the market engagement will be shared alongside the future tender documentation.
Notice Status and Disclaimer
This Planned Procurement Notice is issued to provide advance market visibility only. It is not a call for competition, an invitation to tender, a request for information, or request for commitment to proceed with a procurement. The information and dates contained in this notice are indicative and subject to change. The Authority reserves the right to amend, revise, or withdraw any aspect of a future procurement in line with service requirements, the Procurement Act 2023, and applicable government policy.
Market participation
The Authority anticipates that the framework will be accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
Consortia and subcontracting arrangements are expected to be permitted, subject to conditions of participation.
Suppliers must be registered on the Central Digital Platform.
www.gov.uk/government/publicati… ↗
to enable bid readiness.
- How the procedure runs: Two Stage Process
CPV: Data services · Document management software package · Medical software package · Research and experimental development services · Software implementation services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Open framework · open framework scheme (admission reopens)
- Call-offs
- every call-off is a further competition among the appointed suppliers
- Places
- up to 9999 suppliers
- Framework period
- 3 yrs · up to 6 yrs from 20 Sept 2027
- Scheme runs until
- 19 Sept 2033
Who may buy through it
The Framework is anticipated to be available to:
NHS England, NHS trusts, foundation trusts, health boards and other NHS organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Primary care organisations and providers of NHS-funded healthcare services, including GP practices.
Central government departments, executive agencies and arm's length bodies, including the Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence and Home Office bodies.
Other UK public sector organisations undertaking functions comparable to those described above.
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · all with a published valueLot #1Foundation Electronic Patient Record (EPR) SolutionsPlannedRenewalPublished value£649,447,889
(Foundation Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:
- Appointments Management - GP
- Consultation Management - GP
- Patient Information Maintenance - GP
- Prescribing - GP
- Referral Management - GP
- Resource Management
Lot #2Clinical and Operational Support SolutionsPlannedRenewalPublished value£135,301,480
(Clinical and Operational Support Solutions) will consist of the following capabilities:
- Advice and Guidance (Professional to Professional)
- Care Plans
- Caseload Management
- Clinical Decision Support
- Communication Management
- Cross Organisation Appointment Booking
- Cross Organisation Workforce Management
- Custom Workflows
- Digital Diagnostics
- Digital Dictation
- Dispensing
- Document Management
- Domiciliary Care
- Emergency Alerts
- GP Extracts Verification
- Medical Reports
- Medicines Optimisation
- Population Health Management
- Remote Patient Monitoring
- Reporting
- Risk Stratification
- Scanning
- Self-Service Appointment Check In
- Social Prescribing
- Task Management
- Telecare
- Video Consultation
Lot #3Research and DevelopmentPlannedRenewalPublished value£54,000,000
This lot will offer successful suppliers on Lots 1 and 2 the opportunity to be involved in research and development to aid the authority with developing and proving out new capabilities and standards through discovery to public beta activities, covering key areas required to evolve solutions and support national strategy.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- “Digital Primary Care Open Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 9999 suppliers, not a single contract: each call-off is a further competition, so the pricing contest starts after appointment.
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How NHS England buys Software-related services (CPV 7226), and who usually turns up
NHS England’s published record next to the market for the same work. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Software-related services (CPV 7226) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 84 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid14% / 25%
2–324% / 6%
4–617% / 38%
7+45% / 31%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Foundation Electronic Patient Record (EPR) SolutionsCPV 4818Published estimate£649m
This lot is listed as CPV 4818. The table above uses the notice category.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 72 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid19%
2–340%
4–614%
7+26%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #2Clinical and Operational Support SolutionsCPV 4831Published estimate£135m
This lot is listed as CPV 4831. The table above uses the notice category.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 72 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid19%
2–340%
4–614%
7+26%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
Lot #3Research and DevelopmentCPV 7310Published estimate£54m
This lot is listed as CPV 7310. The table above uses the notice category.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 11 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid18%
2–336%
4–60%
7+45%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Open framework scheme
- Who may use this agreement
- The Framework is anticipated to be available to: NHS England, NHS trusts, foundation trusts, health boards and other NHS organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Primary care organisations and providers of NHS-funded healthcare services, including GP practices. Central government departments, executive agencies and arm's length bodies, including the Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence and Home Office bodies. Other UK public sector organisations undertaking functions comparable to those described above. · open scheme: new suppliers can join during the term
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 2 May 2025, 11:49 BST
- Last source update
- 6 Oct 2026, 16:17 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 5 Aug 2027
- Authority reference
C454613- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-094419- Latest notice
- Planned procurement notice (UK3)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-050c1eFind a Tender
- How it runs
Two Stage Process
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 10 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Appointment period ends
- 10 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
The ITT will be made available via the Health Family e-tendering portal Atamis - atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗
Timeline
2 May 2025 → 20 Sept 2027 · 7 dates- Planning notice published2 May 2025, 11:49 BST
- Market engagement20 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
Communication The market engagement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, using NHS England’s e-Sourcing portal Atamis, at health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ↗. Interested organisations are requested to express their interest in the services by visiting the Atamis e-Sourcing portal linked to above and searching for Atamis Reference number C356639 Requests to participate must be submitted electronically via Atamis. Once registered on Atamis, organisations will be directed to published material both on Atamis and an external Confluence site. This material includes a link to an MS Forms Market Engagement Questionnaire, which organisations are encouraged to complete and submit by 5pm on the 20th of June 2025. Please note that clarification questions will be accepted up to 5pm on the 6th of June 2025. 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, via Atamis. This notice is an information gathering exercise and therefore publication or response does not commit the Authority or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. The Authority will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Useful Links
- Home - NHS Transformation Directorate (transform.england.nhs.uk ↗)
- NHS England » Digital Primary Care (www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/di… ↗)
- Primary Care Digital Services Operating Model: (www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/di… ↗) [Note: a new version of this Model is being prepared for publication]
- Digital Services for Integrated Care (digital.nhs.uk/services/digital-ser… ↗)
- Buying Catalogue: (buyingcatalogue.digital.nhs.uk ↗)
- Central Digital Platform (optional registration) www.gov.uk/government/publicati… ↗
- Latest notice published18 days ago6 Oct 2026, 16:17 BST
- Today24 Oct 2026
- Tender notice expectedin 17 days9 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Admission / appointment period endsin 18 days · period end, not a bid countdown10 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 286 days5 Aug 2027, 23:59 BST
- Contract startsin 331 days20 Sept 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 2 May 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published2 May 2025, 11:49 BSTUK2
- Pipeline notice published22 May 2025, 07:42 BSTUK1
- Status changed to planned22 May 2025, 07:42 BST
- Planned procurement notice published6 Oct 2026, 16:17 BSTUK3
- Published value updated to £838,749,3696 Oct 2026, 16:17 BSTwas £400,000,000
- Procurement method changed6 Oct 2026, 16:17 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender