Award

Auditory brainstem implant (ABI) for children with congenital abnormalities of the auditory nerves or cochleae

NHS ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

02 Dec 2025 at 14:32

Award

22 Jan 2025 at 15:48

Summary of the contracting process

NHS England has awarded contracts under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) for Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) services aimed at children with congenital abnormalities of the auditory nerves or cochleae. This procurement falls within the health services category and involves highly specialised services for children, including surgical implantation and multidisciplinary rehabilitation. The contracts have been awarded to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, effective from 1 March 2025 to 28 October 2029, with an option to extend for up to 24 months. The total value of these contracts amounts to £5,201,000, split between the two trusts. The procurement stage is complete, and the method utilised was 'limited', bypassing traditional competitive tendering due to its specialised nature.

This tender represents a substantial opportunity for specialised healthcare providers to deliver critical auditory health services to young children, creating avenues for enhanced service delivery and professional collaboration. The contract specifically addresses the needs of children who cannot benefit from conventional hearing aids or cochlear implants, highlighting the scope for multidisciplinary teams and innovative approaches in healthcare service provision. Businesses already engaged in specialist ear, nose, and throat services can leverage existing expertise and infrastructure to provide high-quality support, clinical assessments, surgical expertise, and post-operative care. This procurement is ideal for large-scale healthcare providers with established capabilities in complex paediatric cases, providing both the financial impetus and societal impact of improving children's health outcomes.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Auditory brainstem implant (ABI) for children with congenital abnormalities of the auditory nerves or cochleae

Notice Description

This is a Contract Award Notice to award contracts using the Most Suitable Provider Process to a providers for Auditory brainstem implant (ABI) for children with congenital abnormalities of the auditory nerves or cochleae.<br/><br/>The auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) service is for highly complex children (interested organisations should note the scope includes children under the age of 5) with profound deafness who have no functional hearing as a result of congenital abnormalities affecting the auditory nerve or the cochlea, meaning that they are unable to use conventional hearing aids or cochlear implants. These children require highly specialist service input to include multidisciplinary assessment, surgical implantation and rehabilitation (including maintenance of the implant). The provider must already have a contract with NHS England for specialist ear, nose and throat services for children.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) service is for highly complex children (interested organisations should note the scope includes children under the age of 5) with profound deafness who have no functional hearing as a result of congenital abnormalities affecting the auditory nerve or the cochlea, meaning that they are unable to use conventional hearing aids or cochlear implants. These children require highly specialist service input to include multidisciplinary assessment, surgical implantation and rehabilitation (including maintenance of the implant). The provider must already have a contract with NHS England for specialist ear, nose and throat services for children.

In addition to the core MDT (healthcare scientist (audiology), speech & language therapist, consultant ENT surgeons who specialise in both cochlear implantation and skull base surgery, consultant neurosurgeons who specialise in skull base surgery and administrator), the service must have additional named specialists with whom they work:

- Consultant neuroradiologist

- Paediatric clinical psychologist (with experience of working with hearing impaired children and/or complex needs)

- Consultant paediatric neuro-anaesthetist

- Rehabilitation therapist

- Teacher of the Deaf

- Paediatric ophthalmologist

- Paediatric cardiologist

- Paediatric neurologist

All team members should be suitably qualified and registered with accredited professional bodies and be highly experienced in their clinical specialty.

This is for an existing service with existing providers.

Contract are intended to be awarded to:
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust

Contracts are schedule to start on the 1 March 2025 to the 28 of October 2029 with the option to extend for a further 24 months.

Total combined value of the contracts will be PS5,201,000 these will split under the following Contracts:
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust: PS2,450,000
Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust: PS2,751,000

Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract 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 via surinder.kahlon@nhs.net by Wednesday 5 February 2025. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04d584
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078974-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£5,201,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Dec 20252 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
6 Feb 20241 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS ENGLAND
Contact Name
Surinder Kahlon
Contact Email
surinder.kahlon@nhs.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LEEDS
Postcode
LS1 4AP
Post Town
Leeds
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE4 West Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE42 Leeds
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Leeds
Electoral Ward
Hunslet & Riverside
Westminster Constituency
Leeds South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (1

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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