---
title: "Preliminary Market Engagement For Specialist Mental Health Patient Transport Services."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077b43"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077b43"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077b43.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077b43.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Swansea Bay University Health Board"
published: "2026-09-28"
---

# Preliminary Market Engagement For Specialist Mental Health Patient Transport Services.

Buyer: Swansea Bay University Health Board  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077b43

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## Summary

Swansea Bay University Health Board is planning specialist patient transport services for people with mental health needs and learning disabilities. The service is categorised as ambulance services (CPV 85143000). The Health Board is the buyer, with procurement support from NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust. The stated delivery area is Wales. The procurement is planned as a single service lot, with the whole requirement grouped together rather than separately described service packages. The service is intended to meet patient transport needs in these specialist care areas; the buyer has been gathering market information to shape how the service will be delivered and specified. This is an intention to procure, not an invitation to submit a tender.

The process is at planning: the Health Board has not yet invited tenders. It expects to publish a further notice on 8 October 2026. The planned contract period runs from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2028. The estimated value is £623,602, with a gross value of £748,322.40. The buyer has not set out the expected procurement procedure, evaluation criteria or supplier eligibility requirements at this stage. It has completed preliminary market engagement, using supplier input to inform its procurement strategy, service specification, commercial model and evaluation approach. The engagement included informal pricing for representative patient journeys, current pricing structures, preferential rates, discounts and cost-saving proposals. Suppliers were also asked about possible participation in the Health Board’s Priority Supplier Programme.

The planned service is relevant to providers experienced in specialist mental health and learning-disability patient transport. The buyer has already sought input from incumbent and other known providers in this sector, including pricing for representative patient journeys and information about existing pricing structures. It also invited suppliers to describe preferential rates, discounts and cost-saving proposals, indicating that commercial value and service delivery models are being considered as the future specification and evaluation approach are developed. Suppliers may also wish to consider the Health Board’s Priority Supplier Programme, which was presented during engagement and prompted expressions of interest. The engagement itself does not give participants an advantage or disadvantage in the later tender; the buyer says all suppliers will receive equal treatment. No particular accreditations, staffing standards or minimum capacity have yet been set out.

## Notice

Swansea Bay University Health Board undertook a preliminary market engagement exercise in relation to the proposed procurement of Specialist Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Patient Transport Services. The engagement was carried out to gain market intelligence on service delivery models, pricing structures, and potential opportunities for value for money. Information gathered through the exercise will be used to develop the procurement strategy and service specification for the planned procurement process. The preliminary market engagement exercise was undertaken exclusively to inform the Health Board's understanding of the market and support the development of the procurement strategy, service specification, and tender documentation. Participation in the exercise does not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent procurement process, and all suppliers will be afforded equal treatment during the formal tender exercise.

### Planning Information

A market engagement exercise was undertaken with incumbent providers and other known providers operating within the specialist mental health patient transport sector. Suppliers were requested to provide informal pricing against a series of representative patient journey scenarios and to submit details of their current pricing structures, together with any preferential rates, discounts, or cost-saving proposals that could be offered. Suppliers were also provided with information regarding the Health Board’s Priority Supplier Programme (PSP) and invited to indicate their interest in participation. The information received will be used to inform the procurement strategy, service specification, commercial model, and evaluation approach for the forthcoming tender exercise.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091310-2026 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 28 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Dec 2026 - 30 Nov 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £623,602 |
| 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 | Swansea Bay University Health Board |
| Additional buyers | Velindre University NHS Trust |
| Locality | PORT TALBOT |
| Postcode area | Swansea |
| Postcode | SA12 7BR |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL4 Mid and South West Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL44 Neath Port Talbot |
| Local authority | Neath Port Talbot |
| Electoral ward | Baglan |
| Westminster constituency | Aberafan Maesteg |
| Delivery location | TLL Wales |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85143000 - Ambulance services

## Release History

- 28 Sep 2026 at 10:42 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091310-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091310-2026
  28th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/procurement-services/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-077b43. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077b43.json.