Tender

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Midlands Critical Care Transfer Service Ambulance Provider

NHS England

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

17 Aug 2026 at 10:38

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

07 Jul 2026 at 13:23

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS England is procuring a dedicated ambulance provider for the Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services, hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The service covers time-critical transfers for neonatal critical care, paediatric critical care, adult critical care and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), supporting NHS specialised commissioned services. It brings together Neonatal Critical Care Retrieval Services (CenTre and NTS), Paediatric Critical Care Retrieval Services (CoMET and KIDS), the Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCOTS) and ECMO transfers for adults, children and neonates. Delivery covers the Midlands for neonatal, paediatric and adult critical care. ECMO provision is supra-regional and supports the devolved nations. The requirement is classified as ambulance services (CPV 85143000).

The procurement has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through an open procedure, with electronic submission allowed in English via the Atamis e-tendering portal, reference C462374. Questions were due by 1 September 2026 at 12:00, and tenders were due by 6 October 2026 at 12:00. The intended award decision date was 8 December 2026 at 23:59. The single lot is valued at £85,200,000. The contract is planned to run from 1 April 2029 to 31 March 2039, with an extension option of up to two years to 31 March 2041. Evaluation is weighted 70% technical quality, 10% social value and 20% commercial terms. Economic and technical selection requirements are set out in the Tender Procurement Pack. The service is intended to recur from 1 April 2039.

This opportunity suits ambulance operators able to provide a dedicated, clinically capable critical care transfer service at substantial scale. Suppliers need the operational capability to support neonatal, paediatric and adult critical care retrievals, together with ECMO transfers involving adults, children and neonates. The service must support time-critical NHS activity across the Midlands and provide supra-regional ECMO coverage that also supports the devolved nations. Strong technical quality is central to competition, accounting for most of the evaluation weighting, so bidders should be able to demonstrate robust clinical, operational and transport arrangements for complex patient transfers. The requirement also suits providers with the capacity to deliver a continuous, dependable service throughout the year, alongside credible social-value commitments and competitive commercial terms.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Midlands Critical Care Transfer Service Ambulance Provider

Notice Description

This procurement activity is hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (the "Authority") on behalf of the NHS England, for the requirement of a Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services Ambulance Provider. This service covers the ambulance provider provision for the Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services (MCCTs) for Neonatal Critical Care, Paediatric Critical Care, Adult Critical Care, and ECMO Transfer Services. The Midlands Critical Care Transfer Services covers the Midlands region for Neonatal, Paediatric, and Adult Critical Care, and for the ECMO service provides supra-regional care and supports the devolved nations. This service is for a combined dedicated ambulance transfer service to support the clinical and operational delivery of the NHS Egland Specialised Commissioned services for: * Neonatal Critical Care Retrieval Services (CenTre & NTS) * Paediatric Critical Care Retrieval Services (CoMET & KIDS) * Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation Transfer Service (ECMO) (Adult, Paediatric, and Neonatal) * Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCOTS) The MCCTs Ambulance Provider will provide 24/7 365-day service provision to support the delivery of these time critical services. Full detail can be viewed on Atamis ref C462374.

Planning Information

Suppliers wishing to participate in this market engagement exercise and express an interest in this requirement are requested to review/respond to the requirements, as detailed in the Briefing Note Document via the Health Family Single eCommercial System Portal (Atamis). https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome Please search for project C457299. To View documents please register interest and then navigate "My Proposals and quotes".

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c530
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077981-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85143000 - Ambulance services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£85,200,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£85,200,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
6 Oct 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
21 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2029 - 31 Mar 2039 Over 5 years
Recurrence
2039-04-01

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS England
Additional Buyers

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS 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 8UG
Postcode Area
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

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...