--- title: "W202845 - RFI for benchmarking" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY" published: "2025-09-24" --- # W202845 - RFI for benchmarking Buyer: NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d.json) ## Summary The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), a central government public authority in Newcastle upon Tyne, is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "W202845 - RFI for benchmarking." This initiative focuses on engaging with the market to gather insights on benchmarking services that could support operational efficiency, contact centre operations, and customer experience among others. The market engagement notice has been scheduled for completion by 31st October 2025, with a registration deadline on 30th October 2025. This tender relates to administrative services for business operations and consultancy in several related fields, covering the entire UK region. This Request for Information (RFI) represents a significant opportunity for businesses in the consultancy and business services sectors, particularly those offering expertise in financial, insurance, and management consultancy, to partner with NHSBSA. Companies, including SMEs and VCSEs, that provide benchmarking and performance assessment capabilities, are especially well-suited to compete in the planned procurement. The RFI process will shape future procurement strategies compliant with the Procurement Act 2023, presenting potential growth opportunities for firms capable of enhancing NHSBSA’s service efficiencies through innovative benchmarking practices. ## Notice The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is an Arm's Length Body (ALB) of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We deliver a wide range of national services for the NHS, contractors, patients and the public. NHSBSA currently undertakes benchmarking in selected areas of its business, both internally and with external support, alongside informal peer networks. This RFI is intended to explore how additional external benchmarking services could complement and broaden that activity across all NHSBSA services. NHSBSA is interested exploring alternative options for benchmarking across its diverse services. As a business services provider, our activities are potentially often comparable to private sector organisations (e.g. insurance companies, shared services providers) as well as other NHS Arm's Length Bodies. This RFI will help us understand how external suppliers can support benchmarking that is credible, repeatable, and insightful, with clear value for money. Scope of services We are particularly interested in benchmarking services that can support: * Operational efficiency - cost per transaction, turnaround times, digital adoption * Contact centre operations * Customer experience - across digital and offline channels * Digital and technology delivery * Back-office services cost/size including Finance, Commercial and HR * Maturity assessments and performance dashboards - providing structured frameworks and visibility of progress NHSBSA is open to comparators from both public and private sectors where relevant. NHSBSA are carrying out this pre-tender market engagement exercise to understand more about the market capabilities for benchmarking our services and at this stage we are seeking high-level input to enable us to assess our options which may potentially inform any future procurement strategy ensuring compliance with The Procurement Act 2023 in respect of benchmarking services. Interested parties must register an interest in this RFI via https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome (search opportunities using system reference C387227). Suppliers can register from 25th September 2025 and the RFI documents will be made available on 25th September 2025. Registration for the event will close on 30th October 2025 12:00 BST. As part of our pre-tender market engagement process for the provision of External Benchmarking Services, Registered suppliers are invited to attend a Supplier Briefing Session which will consist of a presentation via Microsoft Teams which will be held on 20th October 2025 09:30-10:30. Suppliers may also request an optional 1-2-1 session on 20th & 22nd October 2025. Written RFI responses are requested by no later than Friday 31st October 2025 12:00 BST. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) invites all interested economic operators to participate in an RFI and a Supplier Webinar, followed by a number of 121 sessions in addition to a number of questions. Suppliers can answer and submit following the presentation. Following this pre-tender market engagement should a procurement follow, then depending upon the chosen route to market and value (existing framework or covered procurement) it will be governed by either the Public Contract Regulations 2015 or the Procurement Act 2023. Any subsequent invitation to tender and notices will be aligned to the relevant regulation/act. As this RFI is exploring the market capability and associated costs which are unknown at present this is reflected in the Total Contract Value set out in this notice. Once the RFI process has concluded we hope to have a greater understanding of any potential contract value. ### Planning Information The full scope of the engagement is set out within the Scope of this Notice. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059351-2025 | | 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 | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 24 Sep 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Apr 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Apr 2026 - 1 Apr 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY | | Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE | | Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne | | Postcode | NE15 8NY | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear | | ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside | | Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne | | Electoral ward | Lemington | | Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 75 - Administration, defence and social security services - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 66170000 - Financial consultancy, financial transaction processing and clearing-house services - 66171000 - Financial consultancy services - 66519310 - Insurance consultancy services - 66523000 - Pension fund consultancy services - 72221000 - Business analysis consultancy services - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73210000 - Research consultancy services - 73220000 - Development consultancy services - 75112000 - Administrative services for business operations - 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services - 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services - 79411100 - Business development consultancy services - 79412000 - Financial management consultancy services - 79419000 - Evaluation consultancy services - 79900000 - Miscellaneous business and business-related services - 79996000 - Business organisation services ## Release History - 24 Sep 2025 at 14:27 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059351-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059351-2025 24th September 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05a14d.json.