D3 Tenders | Market Engagement for the Provision of STRS Patient Transport Services

Notice Information

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Notice Title

Market Engagement for the Provision of STRS Patient Transport Services

Notice Description

The South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS) provides specialist paediatric critical care retrieval and transfer services for critically ill children across a network of hospitals. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is preparing to procure a dedicated 24/7 patient transport service, including specialist ambulances and Ambulance Technicians, to support the safe and timely transfer of patients to specialist paediatric intensive care units (PICUs).<br/><br/>With this Prior Information Notice (PIN), the Authority wishes to inform the market of this upcoming opportunity and undertake a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) exercise to better understand supplier capability, market capacity, mobilisation considerations, and potential delivery models ahead of any formal procurement process.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust ("the Authority") is undertaking a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) exercise in relation to the future procurement of Patient Transport Services for the South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS).

STRS is a specialist paediatric critical care retrieval service based at Evelina London Children's Hospital. The service provides emergency and urgent retrieval and transfer of critically ill children between referring hospitals and specialist paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) across a regional network.

The Authority is seeking to procure a dedicated specialist patient transport service operating on a 24/7 basis. The proposed service is expected to support the rapid deployment and transfer of specialist clinical retrieval teams and critically ill paediatric patients.

The anticipated scope of services includes, but is not limited to:

Provision of specialist ambulances suitable for paediatric critical care transport;
Provision and maintenance of associated ambulance equipment;
Provision of Ambulance Technicians and operational support staff;
Vehicle maintenance, servicing, cleaning, and compliance management;
Support for rapid mobilisation and time-critical patient transfers;
Provision of contingency and resilience arrangements; and
Participation in contract governance and performance management arrangements.

The Authority anticipates that the service model will operate on the basis that:

The Supplier provides ambulances, associated equipment, and Ambulance Technicians; and
The Authority provides the clinical retrieval team (e.g. doctors and nurses).

The service is expected to include:

Two (2) dedicated ambulances available on site at all times;
One (1) backup vehicle available 24/7; and
Access to a resilience vehicle for contingency scenarios.

The future provider is anticipated to:

Be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC);
Have a certified CQC Registered Manager in place;
Operate within a clinical healthcare environment; and
Demonstrate the ability to deliver a highly reliable, time-critical service.

As part of this PME exercise, interested suppliers will be invited to:

Review the PME briefing document, draft Specification, and PME questionnaire;
Submit written feedback to the Authority;
Participate in supplier engagement discussions and/or one-to-one sessions (where applicable); and
Raise clarification questions during the PME period.

The PME documentation can be accessed via the Atamis procurement portal. Suppliers who experience difficulties accessing the portal, or who wish to request the PME documentation directly, may contact: cread@ecovategroup.com

The Authority intends to undertake a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 ("PSR 2023"). However, the final procurement approach may be refined following completion of the PME exercise.

The indicative timeline currently anticipates:

Launch of formal tender process: June 2026;
Contract award: September 2026;
Mobilisation period: October 2026; and
Contract commencement: 1 November 2026.

The Authority is particularly interested in obtaining market feedback regarding:

Vehicle availability and lead times;
Mobilisation requirements and timelines;
Workforce availability and operational models;
Interim or phased delivery solutions; and
Commercial considerations and key market constraints.

Participation in this PME exercise is not part of a formal procurement process, and responses will not be evaluated or scored.

Notice Details

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Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID: ocds-h6vhtk-069666
Publication Source: Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043332-2026
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

85143000 - Ambulance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value: Not specified
Lots Value: Not specified
Awards Value: Not specified
Contracts Value: Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date: 12 May 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline: Not specified
Future Notice Date: 20 Sep 20265 months 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

Buyer & Supplier

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Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer: GUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
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 9RT
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): TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Delivery Location: TLI44 Lewisham and Southwark
Local Authority: Southwark
Electoral Ward: London Bridge & West Bermondsey
Westminster Constituency: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Further Information

Notice URLs

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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