NECS466 Termination of Pregnancy Service (TOPS) for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board

North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) is working for and on behalf of NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (the Contracting Authority), who are conducting a Request for Information (RFI) exercise in order to gain a better understanding of the capacity and appetite of the market to deliver Termination of Pregnancy Services to be delivered across the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board region.

It is important to note that this PIN/RFI is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a contract notice is published on Find and Tender Service and on Contracts Finder.

It should be noted that this PIN/RFI invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this RFI exercise only, and it is NOT part of any pre-qualification or selection process. This PIN/RFI is intended as an awareness, communication, and information gathering exercise. An expression of interest is no indication of a commitment to participate in the RFI process nor does it infer any preferential or special status on those individuals and organisations who express an interest.

Additional information: NECS is utilising an electronic tendering tool to manage this RFI exercise and communicate with potential providers. Accordingly, there will be no hard copy documents issued to potential providers and all communications with NECS, including RFI submissions, will be conducted via Atamis: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

If you have already registered on the system (e.g. to access contracts with another Health Family organisation) then there is no need to re-register.

If you have not already done so you should now register as a Supplier on the shared system.

You can register here: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

It is free to register on the portal and it can be accessed at any time of day providing you have a working internet connection. If you find that you need any advice or support in registering please contact the Atamis helpdesk using the following details:

Phone: 0800 9956035 E-mail: [email protected] Opening times 8am - 6pm

An Atamis Supplier guide can be accessed by clicking on this link.

PLEASE NOTE: You may be asked if you wish to merge your account with an existing organisation. This is based on a number of criteria including the domain name of your email address, so please ensure that you do register with your official work email address.

RFI documentation will be available on the e-tendering site on 14/06/2023

Potential providers are to note that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (as amended) may apply to a future procurement including the New Fair Deal non-statutory policy setting out how pensions issues are to be dealt with when staff are compulsorily transferred from the public sector to independent providers delivering public services.

Completed RFI questionnaires must be submitted by 12:00 noon on 26 June 2023.

Following review of returned RFI responses, should the commissioner wish to seek further clarification to any part of the responses, further market engagement may be carried out. Providers will be made aware of these arrangements via the Atamis system.

A market engagement event will be held via Microsoft Teams on the Thursday 29 June 2023 in the form of presentation for 1 hour including a Question & Answer session 10.30-11.30am.

To register your interest in attending please send a message via the Atamis e-tender portal including name role and organisation of attendee(s).