Planning

GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service - Early Market Engagement, Norfolk and Waveney

NHS NORFOLK AND WAVENEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

23 Feb 2026 at 16:47

Summary of the contracting process

NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board is undertaking an early market engagement for the service provision of the GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) in Norfolk and Waveney. Currently in the planning stage, this engagement is set to gather expressions of interest for a service focused on medical practice services, specifically for patients referred by their existing GP under the SAS. This procurement process falls under the category of health services, aiming to ensure primary medical care for vulnerable and challenging patients across Norfolk and Waveney. The intended start date for the contract is early in the 2026/27 fiscal year, with a soft market testing response deadline of 6th March 2026. The contract value is estimated at approximately £150,000 per annum, over a potential duration of three years plus a two-year extension option, totalling £750,000.

This early engagement presents a noteworthy opportunity for businesses in the medical services industry, particularly those experienced in delivering services under the Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) Contract. Firms with capability, capacity, and the readiness to deliver quality primary care to vulnerable patients in Norfolk and Waveney are encouraged to participate. The procurement method invites feedback and expressions of interest to gauge market interest and inform future service specifications and commissioning decisions. This tender could benefit businesses aiming to establish or expand their footprint in the health services sector, particularly those with expertise in handling Special Allocation Scheme Services. Potential providers should demonstrate their ability to maintain service quality and adapt to variable patient referrals throughout the contract term.

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Notice Title

GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service - Early Market Engagement, Norfolk and Waveney

Notice Description

*This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN) for Expressions of Interest (EOI)*<br/><br/>NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB is conducting an initial market engagement exercise to establish potential interest to deliver a GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service in Norfolk and Waveney.<br/><br/>The GP Special Allocation Scheme is for patients who have been referred by their existing GP. There are currently 108 patients that are being treated in the Scheme. It is anticipated that the contract shall start within the early 2026/27 financial year and the estimated contract value will be circa PS150,000 per annum. The contract is expected to be for 3 years, with an option to extend for a further 2, with an estimated lifetime value of PS750,000. <br/><br/>The service will be required to provide good quality, safe primary medical services for this group of vulnerable and challenging patients and ensure a consistent approach to service provision across Norfolk and Waveney.<br/><br/>The new service provision will ensure that patients assigned to the Special Allocation Scheme are cared for in an individual manner, involving multi-disciplinary teams that will seek to ensure their successful return to general primary medical services and registration with a GP practice.<br/><br/>Please note that an Expression of Interest in this market engagement will not automatically entitle involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement(s) conducted as a result of this event will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when it may be published.<br/><br/>Potentially interested parties are invited to feedback their comments with regard to their interest, capacity, capability and readiness in delivering these services in Norfolk and Waveney.<br/>Commissioners wish to understand:<br/><br/>1. Organisation name and contact details<br/>2. Are you currently providing a Special Allocation Scheme for patients? Are you providing any other services under an APMS Contract? If so, please state which Commissioner your contract is with and provide contract start and end dates?<br/>3. Does your organisation have the capability, capacity and readiness to provide the GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service across Norfolk and Waveney? If so, please provide further details. Please provide a short overview of your area of expertise and previous experience of delivering Special Allocation Scheme Services.<br/>4. Taking into account the potential number of patients that are referred to the Special Allocation Scheme and the quality-of-service provision required, do you consider your organisation able to provide this service within the indicative envelope over the full contract term?<br/><br/>Providers are requested to answer these questions within the Atamis requirements section when registering interest<br/>(via https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome ref C423998)<br/><br/>NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB is not bound to follow any particular procurement process at this stage. Responding to this EOI will not guarantee providers further involvement in any future process the ICB decides to follow.<br/><br/>Should this Early Engagement lead to a Procurement process, providers will be required to register interest for this separately and should not rely on their response to this PIN notice. The ICB has not determined which Procurement process to follow at this stage of Early Engagement.

Lot Information

Lot 1

NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB is conducting an initial market engagement exercise to establish potential interest to deliver a GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service in Norfolk and Waveney.

The GP Special Allocation Scheme is for patients who have been referred by their existing GP. There are currently 108 patients that are being treated in the Scheme. It is anticipated that the contract shall start within the early 2026/27 financial year and the estimated contract value will be circa PS150,000 per annum. Any proposed contract will be for a period of 4 years plus the option to extend for up to an additional 2 years, however this may be subject to change.

The service will be required to provide good quality, safe primary medical services for this group of vulnerable and challenging patients and ensure a consistent approach to service provision across Norfolk and Waveney.

The new service provision will ensure that patients assigned to the Special Allocation Scheme are cared for in an individual manner, involving multi-disciplinary teams that will seek to ensure their successful return to general primary medical services and registration with a GP practice.
Please note that an expression of interest in this market engagement will not automatically entitle involvement in any future procurement exercise. Any procurement(s) conducted as a result of this event will be advertised separately and all organisations wanting to participate will need to respond to the procurement advertisement as and when it may be published.

The Commissioners are keen to receive early market feedback via an online questionnaire to support the development of new service specification.

The aim of this Expression of Interest is to;
1. provide the market with visibility of the proposed opportunity;
2. support the ICB decision making to inform the future commissioning of services (as applicable);
3. to help define the future service approach, model and timelines;
4. to gauge the level of interest from the market of capable providers with capacity across the region to deliver the services noted above.

A further advertisement will be issued at the appropriate time. The deadline for Soft Market Testing responses is by 17:00 hours on 6th March 2026.

Please note this is a market testing exercise and does not commit the ICB to carry out any further procurement process. Current services will remain in place during this period in line with existing contracts and service level agreements. Any future opportunity will be carried out in accordance with the ICB's procurement obligations under the Provider Selection Regime.

This is an early market engagement exercise only and at this stage the proposed contract length and anticipated contract value are to be determined and will be communicated during any future next steps.

Please note that whilst this market engagement has been advertised on behalf of NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB and NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB, from the 1st April 2026 the ICBs will merge together and form the new NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICB.

The Contracting Authority will be using an eTendering system for this market testing exercise. The online questionnaire can be found via the 'Live Opportunities' list on the e-procurement system at the following link: https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome

You can search for the opportunity by entering the following contract reference:
C423998 - GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service Early Market Engagement. Additional information: The Contracting Authority will be using an eTendering system for this market testing exercise. The online questionnaire can be found via the 'Live Opportunities' list on the e-procurement system at the following link: https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome

You can search for the opportunity by entering the following contract reference:
C423998 - GP Special Allocation Scheme (SAS) Service Early Market Engagement

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065a7d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016239-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85100000 - Health services

85121000 - Medical practice services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£750,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Feb 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
9 Mar 20266 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS NORFOLK AND WAVENEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
NORWICH
Postcode
NR1 2DH
Post Town
Norwich
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH5 Norfolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk
Delivery Location
TLH1 East Anglia

Local Authority
Norwich
Electoral Ward
Lakenham
Westminster Constituency
Norwich South

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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