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Market Engagement - NHS National Discovery Service Architecture (Knowledge and Library Services)

NHS ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

13 Jul 2026 at 17:01

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The pre-procurement exercise initiated by NHS England involves a market engagement for the "NHS National Discovery Service Architecture" under the planning stage. This initiative is focused on the health and care industry, specifically aimed at enhancing knowledge and library services. Based in London, this engagement seeks suppliers capable of delivering integrated systems that support NHS England’s objectives. A webinar will take place on 22nd July 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00 BST to discuss the programme requirements further. Key deadlines for engagement include submitting clarification questions by 17th July 2026 and completing the Request for Information by 14th August 2026. The contract is expected to commence on 1st April 2027 and may continue until 2032, based on organisational priorities.

This tender represents significant growth potential for businesses specialising in IT services, particularly those offering library software packages and management systems. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to participate, given the suitability criteria. The contract will require the provision of hosted services, with suppliers needing to demonstrate capabilities in integrating with existing NHS systems such as OpenAthens and providing a seamless user experience. The gross value of the contract is indicated to be £3,306,000 and offers opportunities for collaboration, especially for firms experienced in developing solutions that offer direct access to a wealth of medical and education resources. Businesses that thrive on delivering scalable and innovative IT solutions could greatly benefit from competing in this procurement process.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Market Engagement - NHS National Discovery Service Architecture (Knowledge and Library Services)

Notice Description

This pre-procurement exercise is being run to engage suppliers capable of delivering all or some elements of the National Discovery Service for the NHS in England. This must include: * A discovery layer to seamlessly connect health and care staff and learners to trusted, high-quality knowledge and evidence resources in one place, using a single search. * Holdings management that can manage collections of content bought both nationally and locally. * Link enhancement that provides end-users with direct access to the full text of digital holdings from multiple platforms and enables library-to-library sharing of resources under the terms of the NHS Copyright Licence Plus. Additional information: * The contract(s) will be for the supply of hosted services as described above * We estimate the contract(s) to start on 1 April 2027 and that it/they will run for 3 years with optional extensions. This may be subject to change based on organisational priorities * Suppliers will be required to collaborate to produce an effective, integrated user experience * Systems must integrate effectively with other services in the ecosystem such as NHS OpenAthens, regional Koha library management systems, research repositories and content from diverse suppliers * If a transition period is required between current and new suppliers then this will be accommodated within the agreed contract period * A description of the high-level requirements can be found in the associated RFI document * The value referenced below covers all three requirements for the initial contract period plus extensions

Planning Information

Suppliers interested in this opportunity are requested to complete the Request for Information (RFI) document related to the National Discovery Service Architecture for the NHS. Please remember that this is a preliminary market engagement and not a competitive tender. This process is being carried out in accordance with the principles outlined in the introduction to the RFI document, and its primary aim is to inform future decision-making. The RFI document and questionnaire can be found on Atamis by searching for "C439911". To register on the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal and to access this opportunity, please go to: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. You can then search for the opportunity and access any further information. Clarification questions and responses must be submitted via the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal, Atamis. A webinar will be held on Wednesday 22/07/2026 at 14:00 to 15:00 (BST) for 1 hour to further explain the requirements and aims of the programme. To book a slot for the webinar, please submit your details using the link below: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1f97000b-80e0-46fb-b2ec-f6bea6229ff5@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3 The deadline for submitting questions relating to this RFI prior to the Market Engagement Event is 17:00 17/07/2026. NHSE will aim to respond to questions submitted before this deadline, during the Market Engagement Event. The overall deadline for submitting questions relating to this RFI will be 17:00, 29/07/2026. This preliminary market engagement exercise is due for return by 17:00, 14/08/2026. If you experience any difficulties accessing the documents, please contact england.supplier@nhs.net

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c9ff
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065815-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

48160000 - Library software package

48161000 - Library management system

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

72212160 - Library software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,755,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Jul 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Aug 20265 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

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

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. 

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