--- title: "APX058 - Framework for the Provision of Agency Nursing, Care, Support and Ancillary Staff" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Apex Housing Association" published: "2026-10-05" --- # APX058 - Framework for the Provision of Agency Nursing, Care, Support and Ancillary Staff Buyer: Apex Housing Association Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5.json) ## Summary Apex Housing Association is seeking agency staffing services for its housing services and schemes in Northern Ireland. The requirement covers two areas: agency nursing staff, including Residential Officers to support nursing and residential care, and agency care, support and ancillary staff. These workers will provide temporary cover for ad hoc, emergency and short-term assignments as required. The work is delivered across Northern Ireland. The arrangement is a multi-supplier framework, with separate agreements for each staffing area. For nursing and residential care providers, the requirement centres on supplying suitably qualified agency nurses and Residential Officers. For wider care and support providers, it covers temporary agency staff across a range of services and schemes operated by Apex Housing. Apex invited tenders using a competitive flexible procedure, with a pass/fail participation stage followed by an award assessment. Responses to both stages were due through eTendersNI by 30 October 2026 at 12:00 noon. Award decisions were scheduled by 1 December 2026. The framework period for both lots runs from 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2029, with two possible 12-month extensions, potentially extending to 3 January 2031. The estimated gross value is £17 million: £2.5 million for nursing and Residential Officer staffing, and £14.5 million for care, support and ancillary staffing. Each lot is assessed separately. Price carries 60% of the score, the staffing methodology 25%, and training, compliance and safeguarding 15%. Up to three suppliers may be ranked on each lot. Nursing suppliers must be registered with RQIA or have applied for registration by the submission deadline. This framework is suited to recruitment agencies and staffing providers able to supply qualified, experienced and compliant temporary workers for housing, care and related services. Nursing agencies with the required RQIA registration, or an application in progress, can pursue the nursing and Residential Officer lot. Providers with a broader care workforce may be suited to the care, support and ancillary lot. Strong proposals will need to explain how staff are sourced and supplied, and demonstrate effective staff training, compliance and safeguarding arrangements, as these areas form part of the quality assessment. The framework is intended to cover urgent, emergency and short-term assignments across multiple services and schemes. Suppliers should be equipped to respond to staffing requirements as they arise; assignments are offered in ranked order, and there is no guaranteed volume or value of work. ## Notice The Contracting Authority intends to establish a multi-supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of suitably qualified, experienced and compliant Agency Workers to meet temporary staffing requirements across a range of services and schemes operated by Apex Housing. The Framework Agreement for each Lot shall commence on the Commencement Date and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years. The Contracting Authority shall have the option to extend the Framework Agreement by up to two (2) further periods of twelve (12) months (2+1+1). The Framework Agreement will facilitate the provision of Agency Workers for ad hoc, emergency and short-term assignments on an as-required basis. The requirements have been divided into the following Lots: * Lot 1 - Provision of Agency Nursing Staff * Lot 2 - Provision of Agency Care, Support and Ancillary Staff Each Lot will be assessed and awarded independently and will result in a separate Framework Agreement. Apex intends to appoint a maximum of three Suppliers to each Lot, based on their final ranking. ### Lot Information Provision of Agency Nursing Staff This Lot covers the provision of suitably qualified Agency Nursing Staff and Residential Officers to support nursing and residential care services operated by Apex Housing. Renewal: Framework may be extended for two additional 12 month periods. Agency Care, Support and Ancillary Staff This Lot covers the provision of suitably qualified and experienced Agency Care, Support and Ancillary Staff to provide temporary cover for ad hoc, emergency and short-term assignments across a range of services and schemes operated by Apex Housing. Renewal: Framework may be extended for two additional 12 month periods. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093857-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 5 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | 30 Oct 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Jan 2027 - 3 Jan 2029 | | Recurrence | 2030-09-09 | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £17,000,000 | | Lots value | £17,000,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Apex Housing Association | | Locality | DERRY / LONDONDERRY | | Postcode area | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT48 6HL | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN0A Derry City and Strabane | | Local authority | Derry City and Strabane | | Electoral ward | City Walls | | Westminster constituency | Foyle | | Delivery location | TLN Northern Ireland | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff - 79622000 - Supply services of domestic help personnel - 79624000 - Supply services of nursing personnel - 85300000 - Social work and related services ## Release History - 5 Oct 2026 at 14:03 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093857-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093857-2026 5th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://etendersni.gov.uk - 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-0780d5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5.json.