Award

Rio Community EPR

NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

07 Oct 2025 at 14:27

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process was led by the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, based in Carlisle, United Kingdom, for the "Rio Community EPR" project. This initiative focuses on a community electronic patient record (EPR) system serving women and children and falls under the IT services industry. The direct award has been completed as of 7th October 2025, ensuring continued interoperability and clinical safety which was vital due to the technical complexities involved. This direct procurement approach was employed to maintain continuity of care without the risk associated with a system overhaul. The awarded contract runs from 7th October 2025 until 15th September 2027 and covers multiple regions across the United Kingdom, including UKC, UKD, UKE, UKF, UKG, UKH, UKI, UKJ, and UKK.

This contract presents substantial opportunities for business growth, particularly for companies specialising in IT services, software development, and systems integration. ACCESS UK LTD, the appointed supplier, exhibits the requisite operational support and local experience necessary for this project. Businesses adept in maintaining and enhancing existing healthcare IT infrastructure, as well as those capable of ensuring seamless service continuity, would be well-suited to compete in similar tenders. The strategic extension aligns future competitive procurement with broader healthcare IT advancements and improves potential contract value control, thus offering strong incentives for engaging with NHS technology procurements.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Rio Community EPR

Notice Description

This is a community EPR for women and children.

Procurement Information

Key justifications Single-supplier technical dependency: The current Community EPR is deeply integrated with local workflows, interfaces, device endpoints, and vendor-specific data structures, making immediate replacement technically impractical and unsafe. Continuity of clinical care and patient safety: Any interruption, parallel migration, or hurried cutover risks data loss, access delays, and clinical safety incidents for core community services. Interoperability with existing systems: The incumbent provides proven, live interfaces to acute EPRs, pathology, community devices, and commissioning feeds that would require time-consuming re-engineering if changed. Data migration and integrity risk: Preserving a stable supported platform until a carefully planned migration reduces the likelihood of corrupted historical records, audit gaps, and downtime. Co-terming and strategic procurement alignment: Extending the incumbent allows the Trust to co-term community and acute solutions so the forthcoming competitive procurement can target a single, comprehensive EPR, improving future competition and total cost of ownership. Time required for safe procurement and transition: A competitive tender, detailed clinical evaluation, implementation planning, and a safe transition window require a multi-year runway that a direct award extension provides. Value for money compared with stop-gap replacement: Replacing the system now would incur duplicate costs for parallel licensing, re-training, new interfaces, and accelerated implementation premiums, which outweigh a limited extension to the incumbent. Supplier capability and service continuity: Access UK Ltd has demonstrable operational support, local experience, and existing contractual responsibility for system maintenance and clinical uptime. Financial and commercial rationale Avoidance of sunk and duplicate costs: Extending the incumbent prevents immediate duplication of licensing, integration, and training costs that would be unavoidable with a fast replacement. Controlled procurement spend: A fixed-term extension allows budgeting and consolidation of bids in the downstream tender, improving negotiation leverage and total contract value control. Reasonable short-term pricing lever: The direct award can include performance and pricing reviews to protect value for money during the extension term.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a9be
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062952-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£208,267 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Oct 20256 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Oct 20256 months ago
Contract Period
6 Oct 2025 - 15 Sep 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CARLISLE
Postcode
CA2 7HY
Post Town
Carlisle
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Carlisle

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

ACCESS

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a9be-2025-10-07T15:27:22+01:00",
    "date": "2025-10-07T15:27:22+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05a9be",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-NHS-RNN",
            "name": "NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-NHS",
                "id": "RNN"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PDXN-7482-RVVM"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Cumberland Infirmary, NCIC Trust HQ, Pillars Building, Infirmary Street",
                "locality": "Carlisle",
                "postalCode": "CA2 7HY",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKD12"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "ncicpurchasing@mbht.nhs.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/",
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-02343760",
            "name": "ACCESS UK LTD",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "02343760"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PBNW-7697-HCPQ"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Armstrong Building Oakwood Drive",
                "locality": "Loughborough",
                "postalCode": "LE11 3QF",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKF22"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "servelec.lg.bids@theaccessgroup.com"
            },
            "roles": [
                "supplier"
            ],
            "details": {
                "url": "http://www.theaccessgroup.com",
                "scale": "large",
                "vcse": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-NHS-RNN",
        "name": "NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "C338836",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Rio Community EPR",
        "description": "This is a community EPR for women and children.",
        "status": "complete",
        "procurementMethod": "direct",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
        "procurementMethodRationale": "Key justifications Single-supplier technical dependency: The current Community EPR is deeply integrated with local workflows, interfaces, device endpoints, and vendor-specific data structures, making immediate replacement technically impractical and unsafe. Continuity of clinical care and patient safety: Any interruption, parallel migration, or hurried cutover risks data loss, access delays, and clinical safety incidents for core community services. Interoperability with existing systems: The incumbent provides proven, live interfaces to acute EPRs, pathology, community devices, and commissioning feeds that would require time-consuming re-engineering if changed. Data migration and integrity risk: Preserving a stable supported platform until a carefully planned migration reduces the likelihood of corrupted historical records, audit gaps, and downtime. Co-terming and strategic procurement alignment: Extending the incumbent allows the Trust to co-term community and acute solutions so the forthcoming competitive procurement can target a single, comprehensive EPR, improving future competition and total cost of ownership. Time required for safe procurement and transition: A competitive tender, detailed clinical evaluation, implementation planning, and a safe transition window require a multi-year runway that a direct award extension provides. Value for money compared with stop-gap replacement: Replacing the system now would incur duplicate costs for parallel licensing, re-training, new interfaces, and accelerated implementation premiums, which outweigh a limited extension to the incumbent. Supplier capability and service continuity: Access UK Ltd has demonstrable operational support, local experience, and existing contractual responsibility for system maintenance and clinical uptime. Financial and commercial rationale Avoidance of sunk and duplicate costs: Extending the incumbent prevents immediate duplication of licensing, integration, and training costs that would be unavoidable with a fast replacement. Controlled procurement spend: A fixed-term extension allows budgeting and consolidation of bids in the downstream tender, improving negotiation leverage and total contract value control. Reasonable short-term pricing lever: The direct award can include performance and pricing reviews to protect value for money during the extension term.",
        "procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
            {
                "id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
            },
            {
                "id": "additionalRepeatExtensionPartialReplacement"
            }
        ],
        "specialRegime": [
            "lightTouch"
        ],
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "complete",
                "suitability": {
                    "vcse": true
                }
            }
        ]
    },
    "awards": [
        {
            "id": "1",
            "status": "pending",
            "value": {
                "amountGross": 249921,
                "amount": 208267,
                "currency": "GBP"
            },
            "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
            "aboveThreshold": false,
            "suppliers": [
                {
                    "id": "GB-COH-02343760",
                    "name": "ACCESS UK LTD"
                }
            ],
            "items": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "additionalClassifications": [
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "48000000",
                            "description": "Software package and information systems"
                        },
                        {
                            "scheme": "CPV",
                            "id": "72000000",
                            "description": "IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support"
                        }
                    ],
                    "deliveryAddresses": [
                        {
                            "region": "UKC",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKD",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKE",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKF",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKG",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKH",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKI",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKJ",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        },
                        {
                            "region": "UKK",
                            "country": "GB",
                            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                        }
                    ],
                    "relatedLot": "1"
                }
            ],
            "contractPeriod": {
                "startDate": "2025-10-07T00:00:00+01:00",
                "endDate": "2027-09-15T23:59:59+01:00"
            },
            "relatedLots": [
                "1"
            ],
            "documents": [
                {
                    "id": "062952-2025",
                    "documentType": "awardNotice",
                    "noticeType": "UK5",
                    "description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
                    "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/062952-2025",
                    "datePublished": "2025-10-07T15:27:22+01:00",
                    "format": "text/html"
                }
            ],
            "milestones": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "type": "futureSignatureDate",
                    "dueDate": "2025-10-07T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "status": "scheduled"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "language": "en"
}