Dorset School Aged Immunisation Service - Market Engagement

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of NHS England South West's (the Commissioner's), intention to recommission School Aged Immunisation Services in Dorset. The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering these services and help inform the commissioning strategy. The NHS School Aged Immunisation (SAI) programmes cover vaccinations to all children and young people of school age, whether they attend state school, independent school, complex needs schools or alternative settings. Children and young people that are educated at home can attend community clinics or their local school to receive the vaccines. NHS England Public Health Commissioning Teams are responsible for the commissioning of local SAI services under the Section 7a mandate in line with the national programme requirements and a national service specification. NHS England is recommissioning the SAI Programme in Dorset, as a single lot. The current contract with the incumbent provider ends on the 31st July 2027, and the new contract will commence on 1st August 2027, with an anticipated 4 year initial term with options to extend being explored. The block contract value is anticipated to be approximately £4,000,000 for the initial 4 years with possible a contract extension being explored. The anticipated financial model is expected to be a block plus variable element. The variable payment will be made for additional activity delivered over and above the agreed activity plan set for block and at an enhanced tariff for routine immunisations and at a marginal tariff for seasonal influenza. The contract will also include and Access & Inequalities fund which is a block value based on the proportion of the eligible population living in the 20% most deprived postcodes. This will be a ring-fenced / identified pot aimed at supporting those additional interventions needed to improve uptake in those least likely to accept vaccination via the core offer. For further information see the Schedule 2G. Immunisation is one of the most successful and cost- effective health protection interventions. High immunisation rates are key to preventing the spread of infectious disease, complications and possible early death among individuals and to protecting the population's health. Vaccinations are provided, on behalf of the NHS, in line with the National Childhood Immunisation Programme which aims to prevent school aged children from developing vaccine preventable childhood diseases that are associated with significant mortality and morbidity The programmes currently in scope are: • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations (Year 8) • Diphtheria, Tetanus and Poliomyelitis (Td/IPV) booster (Year 8) • Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) conjugate vaccine (Year 9) • School-aged children's Seasonal influenza (flu) vaccinations (Reception - Year 11) • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) catch up vaccinations (Reception - Year 11). This scope may be extended in future to include additional programmes as advised/recommended by the Joint Committee of Vaccinations and Immunisations and/or at the request of the Commissioner. It is anticipated that TUPE will apply. The Commissioner will be using the NHS Standard Contract; likely the 'shorter-form'. The latest version is available at the following link and made up of three parts: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/shorter-form-nhs-standard-contract-2025-26-particulars-service-conditions-general-conditions/ Indicative timeline: A timetable for the key dates of the procurement process is given below. Providers should be aware that the dates are subject to change. Market engagement: November - December 2025 Briefing event and tender publication: May / June 2026 Tender Closes: July / August 2026 Bidder presentation: September/October 2026 Contract Award: December 2026 Service commencement: 1st August 2027 To allow potential providers to reflect on the proposed services, the Commissioner has provided early indicative information as part of this notice (located within the Atamis e-procurement portal) which includes: 1. National service specification 2. Schedule 2G Please note all the above documents are in draft form and yet to be finalised. The Commissioner welcomes your feedback on these documents via return of the market engagement questionnaire. Details on how to access the market engagement questionnaire and early indicative information are contained within the 'VI.3. Additional information' section. We kindly ask you to submit these by midday Wednesday 3rd December 2025. This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.