Official UK procurement notice
National Framework Agreement for the provision of Secure Patient Transport Services
Authority: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
Re-procurement plannedNational Framework Agreement for Teledermatology and Telemicrobiology Services · tender expected
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust wishes to establish a Framework Agreement under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (and as amended) (the PSR) for use by all Relevant Authorities (and any future successors to these organisations).
"Relevant authority" is defined in section 12ZB(7) of the National Health Service Act 2006. It means a combined authority, an integrated care board, a local authority in England, NHS
England, an NHS foundation trust or an NHS trust established under section 25 of that Act.
For the avoidance of doubt, any successor bodies of any of the above entities shall be entitled to place Orders and shall be deemed Relevant Authorities for the purposes of this Framework Agreement.
This framework agreement aims to support mental health patient requirements through the provision of secure patient transport services.
Suppliers will be awarded to the framework for the remaining of the initial 2 year framework period. The framework includes options to extend for up to a further 2 years in annual increments.
CPV: Ambulance services · Health services · Patient-transport vehicles · Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
How this framework works
From the published notice- Bids received
- 11 bids received · 6 suppliers appointed
- Electronic auction
- Electronic auctions may be used in further competitions
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1DESCRIPTION OF SERVICESAwardedRenewal
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
The Supplier will provide secure patient transport services.
The expected outcomes of the Services will be:
- Provide patients with a safe, professional, and quality service which is appropriate to their needs.
- Provide the appropriate vehicle and accompanying suitably qualified and experienced staff in a timely manner.
- Convey patients to the appropriate destination in a vehicle suitable for their needs, ensuring their dignity and respect.
- Provide a high-quality service based on individual patient needs which meets industry best practice and NICE guidance.
- Provide an efficient, easy to use booking system for Contracting Authorities to utilise to minimise delays.
- Provide all appropriate paperwork and service level reports in accordance with national and local requirements.
- Eliminate aborted journeys/empty vehicles to provide a financially and environmentally sustainable service.
REASON FOR NOTICE
This is an intention to award notice to conclude a framework agreement using the competitive process.
LIFETIME VALUE OF AGREEMENT
£25,000,000
RELEVANT AUTHORITIES ABLE TO USE THE AGREEMENT
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust wishes to award new suppliers to an existing Framework Agreement under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (and as amended) (the PSR) for use by all Relevant Authorities (and any future successors to these organisations).
"Relevant authority" is defined in section 12ZB(7) of the National Health Service Act 2006. It means a combined authority, an integrated care board, a local authority in England, NHS England, an NHS foundation trust or an NHS trust established under section 25 of that Act.
For the avoidance of doubt, any successor bodies of any of the above entities shall be entitled to place Orders and shall be deemed Relevant Authorities for the purposes of this Framework Agreement.
DURATION OF AGREEMENT
The original framework will run for a term of 2 years with options to extend for up to a further 2 years in annual increments. This notice concerns the annual reopening of the framework, therefore suppliers awarded to this framework under this notice will be awarded to the remaining period of the initial 2 year term, with the option to extend for up to a further 2 years in annual increments.
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).
Published sub-criteria (5)
- Quality and Innovation: 30%
- Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice: 20%
- value: 10%
- Social Value: 10%
- Integration, collaboration and service sustainability: 30%
Published award criteria (5)
- Quality and Innovation: 30
- Integration, collaboration and service sustainability: 30
- Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice: 20
- Social Value: 10
- value: 10
- Price carries 10 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 1 point. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “National Framework Agreement for the provision of Secure Patient…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 27 Aug 2025, 10:56 BST
- Last source update
- 26 Mar 2026, 13:16 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- 1 Oct 2025 – …
- Authority reference
F/094/SPTS/24/MH- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-027921- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-058e51Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Publisher note: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this framework agreement is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by midnight at the end of 4th November 2024. This framework agreement has not yet been formally concluded; this notice serves as an intention to establish the framework agreement under the PSR. Written representations should be made to [email protected] The decision was proposed by a Senior Commercial Specialist at Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and approved by the Commercial Procurement Manager and the Director of Commercial Procurement Services for Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. No conflicts of interest were detected or declared during the procurement process. The relative importance of the key criteria that the relevant authority used to make a decision are set out at section II.2.5 of this notice. Each of the 5 Key Criteria elements were weighted in consideration of the subject-matter and with a view to securing the needs of the people who use the services, improving the quality of the services, and improving the efficiency of in the provision of the services. The chosen providers met the selection criteria and met or exceeded the published required minimum total score of 65% across the key criteria for award to the Framework Agreement.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 29 Sept 2025, 14:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 90 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 1 Oct 2025, 14:00 BST
Timeline
29 Sept 2025 → 26 Mar 2026 · 3 dates- Admission / appointment period ends388 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown29 Sept 2025, 14:00 BST
- Bids opened386 days ago1 Oct 2025, 14:00 BST
- Notice published210 days ago26 Mar 2026, 13:16 GMT
Notice history
1 event · 3 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete26 Feb 2026, 14:24 GMT
Published amendments (1 · 0 deadline changes)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | TextVI.3 | — | This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) confirmation of establishment of a framework agreement. This framework agreement has been concluded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. This framework agreement has now been formally concluded using the co… | |
| — | TextEntire Section to be replaced by Section V.2 Award of contract · V.2 | — | Contract No 1 A contract/lot is awarded: YesV.2) Award of contract V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract 26 February 2026 V.2.2) Information about tenders Number of tenders received: 11 The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor Amvale Medical Transport Ltd Unit 1C-D Birkdale Road, South Park Industrial Estate Scunthorpe DN17 2A… |
1 amendment published without a description.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast6 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
All 6 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £25,000,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.
Contract 017394-2026-1-1
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Contract 017394-2026-2-2
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Contract 017394-2026-3-3
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Contract 017394-2026-4-4
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Contract 017394-2026-5-5
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Contract 017394-2026-6-6
- Signed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
6 commercial parties on the notice- Amvale Medical Transport LtdFramework contractor
- LSA Secure Ltd trading as LSE Secure Medical ServicesFramework contractor
- Mersey Medical Services LtdFramework contractor
- Patient Transport (UK) ltdFramework contractor
- Spark Medical LimitedFramework contractor
- Starcross Trading Limited t/a BEARS AmbulanceFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Technical selection criteria
- Economic and financial selection criteria