Planning

Agenda for Change Job Evaluation IT Solution

NHS ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

30 Jan 2026 at 07:36

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

15 Dec 2025 at 16:28

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS England is currently in the planning stage for the procurement of an Agenda for Change Job Evaluation IT Solution aimed at supporting the NHS in England. The contract, with a gross estimated value of GBP 2.6 million, focuses on the software and IT services sector, specifically in developing a digital system for job evaluation. This opportunity is defined within the scope of central government public authority and targets service needs conducive to the NHS Job Evaluation Schemes (JES). Interested suppliers should engage in preliminary market activities through the NHS England e-Tendering portal, with clarification questions due by 16th January 2026, and responses by 6th February 2026. These efforts form part of a strategic initiative to ensure fair and modernised job evaluations across approximately 205 NHS Provider organisations and upcoming Integrated Care Boards in England.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in IT consulting, software development, and support services to engage with a high-value public sector client. Organisations adept in creating robust digital systems, especially SMEs, stand to benefit from involvement in this project. By participating in the pre-market engagement exercises, businesses can influence the procurement strategy and showcase their ability to deliver scalable solutions tailored to public healthcare needs, thereby positioning themselves for future collaborations with NHS England. Enterprises with a focus on innovation, compliance with the Equality Act 2010, and efficient deployment of digital evaluation systems will likely find this contracting opportunity highly beneficial for business growth and establishing a lasting partnership with one of the largest public health systems globally.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Agenda for Change Job Evaluation IT Solution

Notice Description

This Pre-Market Engagement Exercise is being run to support the procurement and development of the Job Evaluation digital system (JE DS) for the NHS in England. The NHS Job Evaluation Schemes (JES) (https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/nhs-job-evaluation-handbook) underpins the Agenda for Change (AfC) (https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/agenda-change) contract as the mechanism for determining the pay bands for all posts under the NHS terms and conditions of service (AfC) (https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/tchandbook). JES is operated in partnership with trade unions both locally and nationally. It is the responsibility of each NHS employer to comply with the Equality Act 2010 which mandates equal pay for work of equal value. JES delivers the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and, where implemented correctly, ensures that staff are paid correctly for the work that they are asked to deliver by their employer, as is their contractual right. The objective of the programme is to establish a new digital system to make sure the job evaluation scheme is applied fairly across the board. The introduction of a JE digital system in England forms part of a wider plan to restore confidence, build capacity, and modernise job evaluation in the NHS. These actions were agreed as part of the 2023 'non-pay' Agenda for Change deal for England (https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/agenda-change-pay-deal-2023-non-pay-commitments-update), recommendations from which were agreed in principle by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in May 2025 and supported by NHS England executives. Through this RFI, NHS England is consulting the market on a potential national JE Digital System solution for England currently covering approximately 205 NHS Provider organisations and by April 2027, 26 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). A full description of the current requirements for the Agenda for Change Job Evaluation Digital Solution can be accessed in the Request for Information Documents, linked to this Notice.

Planning Information

Suppliers interested in this opportunity are requested to complete the RFI document related to the Agenda for Change Job Evaluation IT Solution. Clarification questions and responses must be submitted via the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal, Atamis. The preliminary market engagement documents and questionnaire can be found on Atamis by searching for "C405090 - Agenda for Change Job Evaluation IT Solution". To register on the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal and to access this opportunity, please go to https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. You can then search for the opportunity and access any further information. The deadline for submitting clarification questions relating to this RFI will be 17:00 16th January 2026. This preliminary market engagement exercise is due for return by 13:00 6th February 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f610
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008278-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

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
£2,166,667 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jan 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
31 Mar 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS ENGLAND
Contact Name
NHS England Commercial Team
Contact Email
england.commercialqueries@nhs.net
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 8UG
Post Town
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Further Information

Notice Documents

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. 

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