Award

External Finance Support

NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP-PROCUREMENT SERVICES (HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS TRUST)

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

11 Feb 2026 at 11:28

Planning

09 Jan 2026 at 10:42

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for providing external finance support is led by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, based in Cardiff. With the aim of addressing significant financial challenges faced by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, this tender seeks consultancy services in financial management. The tender adheres to Welsh devolved regulations and falls within the services category, focusing primarily on financial management consultancy (CPV code 79412000) to support the Health Board's efforts towards financial stability. This procurement has reached the award stage, with the contract valued at £600,000 GBP signed on 10 February 2026, expected to be completed by 31 March 2026. The procurement method employed was a restricted procedure, with the project located in Cardiff, UK.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for growth for businesses in the consultancy sector, particularly those with expertise in financial management. Given the focus on delivering high-impact financial solutions, consultancy firms specialising in strategic financial planning and management, adept at working within public sector constraints, would find themselves well-suited to participate. The contract requires swift delivery of decision-grade options to aid the Health Board's financial trajectory, providing nuances that allow firms to showcase their analytical proficiency and innovative approaches. Businesses can leverage this opportunity to gain significant exposure within the public sector while contributing to the sustainability of healthcare financial systems under Welsh Government oversight.

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Notice Title

External Finance Support

Notice Description

This contract commissions time-limited external support to assist Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in responding to a significant and worsening financial position while operating under Welsh Government oversight and escalation arrangements. The Health Board is forecasting a 56.2m GBP deficit in 2025/26, compared to a 27.7m GBP deficit outturn in 2024/25, and faces a material underlying financial gap in 2026/27 that cannot be addressed through business-as-usual savings alone. In the context of the 2026/27 planning round and the requirement to demonstrate a credible medium-term route to financial sustainability, the Board has agreed to commission independent support to identify the scale and nature of change required to alter the current financial trajectory. The purpose of the assignment is to develop a finite, decision-grade set of approximately five to seven high-impact options that explicitly set out what activity, services or sites would need to slow, stop, be consolidated, decommissioned or traded off in order to materially improve the financial position in 2026/27 and demonstrate a credible path to medium-term financial balance. The focus is on making the consequences of affordability explicit rather than developing narrative strategies, consensus or recommendations on preferred options. Each option must be articulated in granular operational terms, including affected services or sites, the nature of the change, workforce implications linked directly to service and activity change (including WTE impact), financial impact and phasing, delivery dependencies and constraints, and key risks and trade-offs including impacts on access, quality, safety and workforce. Options must clearly distinguish between what could realistically contribute in 2026/27 and what would deliver benefit in later years. The work will complement existing internal savings programmes, bring independent challenge and judgement, avoid optimism bias and untested productivity assumptions, and be delivered at pace within a tight timeframe. Outputs must be suitable for Board consideration and engagement with Welsh Government. The external support will provide analysis and option appraisal only, with all substantive outputs completed by no later than 31 March 2026.

Lot Information

Lot 1

This contract commissions time-limited external support to assist Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in responding to a significant and worsening financial position while operating under Welsh Government oversight and escalation arrangements. The Health Board is forecasting a 56.2m GBP deficit in 2025/26, compared to a 27.7m GBP deficit outturn in 2024/25, and faces a material underlying financial gap in 2026/27 that cannot be addressed through business-as-usual savings alone. In the context of the 2026/27 planning round and the requirement to demonstrate a credible medium-term route to financial sustainability, the Board has agreed to commission independent support to identify the scale and nature of change required to alter the current financial trajectory. The purpose of the assignment is to develop a finite, decision-grade set of approximately five to seven high-impact options that explicitly set out what activity, services or sites would need to slow, stop, be consolidated, decommissioned or traded off in order to materially improve the financial position in 2026/27 and demonstrate a credible path to medium-term financial balance. The focus is on making the consequences of affordability explicit rather than developing narrative strategies, consensus or recommendations on preferred options. Each option must be articulated in granular operational terms, including affected services or sites, the nature of the change, workforce implications linked directly to service and activity change (including WTE impact), financial impact and phasing, delivery dependencies and constraints, and key risks and trade-offs including impacts on access, quality, safety and workforce. Options must clearly distinguish between what could realistically contribute in 2026/27 and what would deliver benefit in later years. The work will complement existing internal savings programmes, bring independent challenge and judgement, avoid optimism bias and untested productivity assumptions, and be delivered at pace within a tight timeframe. Outputs must be suitable for Board consideration and engagement with Welsh Government. The external support will provide analysis and option appraisal only, with all substantive outputs completed by no later than 31 March 2026

Planning Information

Given the urgency of the tender, market research was undertaken directly by the end user.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060280
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012299-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Restricted procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

79412000 - Financial management consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£600,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Feb 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
12 Jan 2026Expired
Award Date
10 Feb 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
28 Feb 2026 - 28 Feb 2026 24 hours
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIP-PROCUREMENT SERVICES (HOSTED BY VELINDRE UNIVERSITY NHS TRUST)
Contact Name
Gracie Westlake, Lowri Crossman
Contact Email
gracie.westlake@wales.nhs.uk, lowri.crossman@wales.nhs.uk
Contact Phone
+44 2921501500, +442921500801

Buyer Location

Locality
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF14 4HH
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Delivery Location
TLL22 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan

Local Authority
Cardiff
Electoral Ward
Heath
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

MCKINSEY & COMPANY INC UNITED KINGDOM

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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