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Unscheduled/Urgent Dental Care (UDC) to NHS Sussex ICB

NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) on behalf of NHS England

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 17:33

Tender Notice
Award

23 Jan 2026 at 10:39

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB), acting on behalf of NHS England, has initiated a procurement process to award contracts for Unscheduled/Urgent Dental Care (UDC) services across Sussex. The process began with an intention to award notice dated 18 February 2026, transitioning into an award phase shortly thereafter. This procurement falls under the Health Care Services Provider Selection Regime (PSR) without the confines of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The contract awards, which were confirmed on 13 November 2025 after the standstill period, will commence on 1 April 2026 and last for up to 18 months. iDental Care Limited, Sussex Community Foundation Trust, and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust are the awarded providers, catering to Brighton & Hove, West Sussex, and East Sussex, respectively. This procurement is specifically within the dental-practice services category, and the contracts are valued up to £3,983,020 collectively.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, especially for entities within the healthcare services domain focused on urgent care delivery. The procurement method—Direct Award Process C without a prior competitive call—highlights a streamlined approach benefiting current contract holders. Businesses well-versed in rapid response healthcare, particularly those offering dental services that accommodate urgent care needs, may find themselves suitably positioned for future opportunities when new service procurements open in October 2027. The focus on service integration, reducing health inequalities, and enhancing social value indicates that future tenders may favour businesses prioritising innovation, sustainability, and community impact, which align with NHS's strategic goals.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Unscheduled/Urgent Dental Care (UDC) to NHS Sussex ICB

Notice Description

This is an intention to award notice. Urgent dental care necessitates the need for simple, rapid access to a dental professional within and outside of normal working hours. Details are set out in the Clinical Standard for Urgent Dental Care (V2) dated 10 January 2023. It states that the difference between emergency, urgent and non-urgent dental need is key as the time in which care should be provided differs between each category. Urgent dental care is defined as one that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. It further states urgent dental care is the triage and management of these conditions either within or outside of normal working hours. NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) intends to award contracts to 3 existing providers following Direct Award Process C of the UK Health Care Services (PSR) Regulations 2023 for UDC services in the Sussex area. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. The terms of the existing UDC contracts are due to expire on 31st March 2026 and NHS Sussex ICB have proposed that new UDC contracts should replace the existing contracts at the end of their term. All requirements outlined in Regulation 6(5) of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 have been met, including that the considerable change threshold has not been met, and therefore Direct Award Process C has been determined as the appropriate provider selection process. After conducting assessments of the existing providers, taking into account the key criteria and applying the basic selection criteria, NHS Sussex ICB is content that the existing providers are satisfying the original contracts and will likely satisfy the proposed contracts to a sufficient standard. The awarded contracts will each be for a term of up to 18 months and are due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 30th September 2027. The total maximum contract value of these contracts is PS3,983,020. There are 3 contracts being awarded to 3 providers as follows:- 1. UDC for Brighton & Hove - iDental Care Limited 2. UDC for West Sussex - Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT) 3. UDC for East Sussex - East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT)

Lot Information

UDC for Brighton & Hove

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. Urgent dental care necessitates the need for simple, rapid access to a dental professional within and outside of normal working hours. Details are set out in the Clinical Standard for Urgent Dental Care (V2) dated 10 January 2023. It states that the difference between emergency, urgent and non-urgent dental need is key as the time in which care should be provided differs between each category. Urgent dental care is defined as one that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. It further states urgent dental care is the triage and management of these conditions either within or outside of normal working hours. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of up to 18 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 30th September 2027. The total maximum value of the contract is PS1,220,432. The ICB intends to procure a new service commencing from 1st October 2027, as part of which other providers will have an opportunity to express interest.

UDC for West Sussex

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. Urgent dental care necessitates the need for simple, rapid access to a dental professional within and outside of normal working hours. Details are set out in the Clinical Standard for Urgent Dental Care (V2) dated 10 January 2023. It states that the difference between emergency, urgent and non-urgent dental need is key as the time in which care should be provided differs between each category. Urgent dental care is defined as one that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. It further states urgent dental care is the triage and management of these conditions either within or outside of normal working hours. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of up to 18 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 30th September 2027. The total maximum value of the contract is PS1,522,526. The ICB intends to procure a new service commencing from 1st October 2027, as part of which other providers will have an opportunity to express interest.

UDC for East Sussex

This transparency notice serves as an intention to award the contract to the existing provider, using Direct Award Process C under PSR. Urgent dental care necessitates the need for simple, rapid access to a dental professional within and outside of normal working hours. Details are set out in the Clinical Standard for Urgent Dental Care (V2) dated 10 January 2023. It states that the difference between emergency, urgent and non-urgent dental need is key as the time in which care should be provided differs between each category. Urgent dental care is defined as one that requires urgent attention but is not a life-threatening situation. It further states urgent dental care is the triage and management of these conditions either within or outside of normal working hours. The awarded contract for this Lot will be for a term of up to 18 months and is due to commence from 1st April 2026, terminating 30th September 2027. The total maximum value of the contract is PS1,240,062. The ICB intends to procure a new service commencing from 1st October 2027, as part of which other providers will have an opportunity to express interest.

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 publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 5th February 2026. 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-060d0d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014998-2026
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

85130000 - Dental practice and related services

85131000 - Dental-practice services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£3,983,020 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Feb 20266 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
13 Nov 20259 months 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 Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) on behalf of NHS England
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEWES, EAST SUSSEX
Postcode
BN7 2FZ
Postcode Area
Brighton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ22 East Sussex CC
Delivery Location
TLJ21 Brighton and Hove, TLJ22 East Sussex CC, TLJ27 West Sussex (South West), TLJ28 West Sussex (North East)
Local Authority
Lewes
Electoral Ward
Lewes Bridge
Westminster Constituency
Lewes

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
3
Supplier Names

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT)

Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT)

iDental Care Limited

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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