Planning

Procurement of Process Outsourcing Services for the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (Supported) Route - market engagement

NHS ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

17 Apr 2026 at 08:21

PlanningUpdate

15 Apr 2026 at 08:20

Planning

14 Apr 2026 at 14:45

Summary of the contracting process

NHS England is in the planning stage of a procurement process for outsourcing services related to the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (Supported) Route. This initiative seeks a delivery partner to provide specialist support in areas such as practitioner portfolio assessment, digital platform maintenance, and credentialing services. The main industry category is education and training services. A Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) event is scheduled for Thursday 23 April 2026, from 10:00am to 11:00am, held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Interested suppliers must register by Wednesday 22 April 2026 and complete a Request for Information (RFI) by Friday 24 April 2026. The proposed contract, valued at up to £900,000 excluding VAT, will commence in July 2026 and span three years with potential for a one-year extension.

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities for companies with expertise in education services, digital platforms, and quality assurance processes. Particularly, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate, as the contract is suitable for these entities. The engagement seeks to gather insights from prospective providers to inform NHS England's procurement approach, although participation in the PME is not mandatory for future bids. Organisations with strengths in academic, clinical, and technical delivery are well-positioned to benefit from and contribute effectively to this contract.

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Notice Title

Procurement of Process Outsourcing Services for the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (Supported) Route - market engagement

Notice Description

NHS England intends to procure a delivery partner to support the provision of outsourced professional services for the Centre for Advancing Practice (CfAP) ePortfolio (Supported) Route. This route is a critical mechanism for recognising advanced clinical practice equivalence across the NHS workforce. The ePortfolio (Supported) Route relies on specialist outsourced academic, clinical, technical, and operational expertise to support end to end delivery. These services include, but are not limited to: * Processing and reviewing practitioner portfolios * Convening and administering quality assurance panels * Maintaining and developing the digital ePortfolio platform * Developing and supporting digital credentialing functionality These components are essential to sustaining the existing route and enabling future developments, including area specific capabilities and consultant level pathways. Market Engagement Event NHS England is hosting a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) event for prospective providers interested in delivering process outsourcing services for the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (Supported) Route. The event will provide: * An overview of the proposed service model * NHS England's requirements and desired outcomes * An outline of the anticipated procurement approach and timescales * An opportunity for participants to provide feedback on NHS England's assumptions and intended outcomes. Event Details * Date: Thursday 23 April 2026 * Time: 10:00am - 11:00am * Format: Virtual (Microsoft Teams) Registration and Participation This is a free and open event available to all prospective service providers. Organisations wishing to attend must register via the following https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/52720a23-d190-4d2a-8125-6e83dd69c23f@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3 . Full joining details will be issued to registered attendees only. * Registration deadline: Wednesday 22 April 2026 Each organisation may nominate up to two attendees. When registering, please include: * Names and job titles of attendees * A brief summary of your organisation's technical capability * Relevant experience in delivering analogous outsourced services (e.g. professional education services, portfolio assessment, digital platforms, quality assurance, or credentialing services) Request for Information (RFI) As part of this market engagement, interested suppliers are also required to complete the attached Request for Information (RFI) and submit it via the portal by: * Friday 24 April 2026 The proposed contract duration is three years (an initial two-year term with the option to extend for one year). The contract value is up to PS900,000 (exclusive of VAT) over the full term. Anticipated service commencement: July 2026. This market engagement is conducted solely to inform NHS England's decision making process and does not commit NHS England to proceeding with a procurement. Should NHS England decide to proceed, a separate Contract Notice will be published. Participation in this PME is not mandatory to participate in any future procurement, and organisations that do not engage at this stage will not be disadvantaged.

Planning Information

NHS England is hosting a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) event for prospective providers interested in delivering process outsourcing services for the Centre for Advancing Practice ePortfolio (Supported) Route. The event will provide: • An overview of the proposed service model • NHS England’s requirements and desired outcomes • An outline of the anticipated procurement approach and timescales • An opportunity for participants to provide feedback on NHS England’s assumptions and intended outcomes. Event Details • Date: Thursday 23 April 2026 • Time: 10:00am – 11:00am • Format: Virtual (Microsoft Teams) Registration and Participation This is a free and open event available to all prospective service providers. Organisations wishing to attend must register via the following https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/52720a23-d190-4d2a-8125-6e83dd69c23f@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3 . Full joining details will be issued to registered attendees only. • Registration deadline: Wednesday 22 April 2026 Each organisation may nominate up to two attendees. When registering, please include: • Names and job titles of attendees • A brief summary of your organisation’s technical capability • Relevant experience in delivering analogous outsourced services (e.g. professional education services, portfolio assessment, digital platforms, quality assurance, or credentialing services) Request for Information (RFI) As part of this market engagement, interested suppliers are also required to complete the attached Request for Information (RFI) and submit it via the portal by: • Friday 24 April 2026 The proposed contract duration is three years (an initial two‑year term with the option to extend for one year). The contract value is up to £900,000 (exclusive of VAT) over the full term. Anticipated service commencement: July 2026. This market engagement is conducted solely to inform NHS England’s decision making process and does not commit NHS England to proceeding with a procurement. Should NHS England decide to proceed, a separate Contract Notice will be published. Participation in this PME is not mandatory to participate in any future procurement, and organisations that do not engage at this stage will not be disadvantaged.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068240
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034966-2026
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, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£900,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 May 20266 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
2 Jul 2026 - 2 Jul 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
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
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

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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