External Assessment Centres

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) seeks to commission external assessment group (EAG) services to support a variety of technology evaluation programmes from 01/04/2022 for a period of three years in the first instance. More information on NICE's programmes can be found at: http://www.nice.org.uk/. More information on the NICE strategy can be found here. NICE's technology evaluation programmes require a range of high-quality Health Technology Assessment (HTA) services from organisations with knowledge of novel technologies, the life sciences industry and HTA methods development. NICE uses its technology programmes to develop guidance on the value of new and novel medicines, devices, diagnostic and digital (including those with Artificial Intelligence) technologies that have the potential to offer substantial benefit to patients and/or the NHS, and on the safety and efficacy of interventional procedures. NICE also facilitates specialist clinical data collection and analysis services (and increasingly does this in close collaboration with manufacturers, NHS England and NHS Improvement and national registries) to support guidance producing programmes.

Lot 1 - Clinical and economic evidence assessment critical appraisal of company submissions; evidence synthesis; economic modelling; support for guidance review processes; preparation of evidence summaries; support for guidance on the full range of diagnostic technologies and pathways, confirmation of regulatory status, preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals. To support guidance development for data-driven technologies NICE may require data analytics support or a technical assessment to ensure the appropriate standards are met.

Lot 2 - Primary data collection, analysis and oversight pragmatic facilitation of collaborative research; real-world evidence collection activities including data collection feasibility assessments, establishing patient registries, analysing observational/registry data and similar schemes, oversight of data collections, and preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals, research and ethics advice service (may include a range of services from applying for regulatory approval to conduct research re. ethics, HRA and R&D processes or just advice on the regulatory requirements of proposed data collection).

Lot 3 - Decision and methodological support services providing decision support to individual topics; advanced methodological development for all NICE health technology programmes, providing technical resource support to guidance topics, providing educational training and support to NICE staff and committees, preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals.

Lot names and details are subject to change. Final details of the Lots and description of scope will be confirmed in the contract notice when released.

Please refer to Section 5 for details of the Supplier information day

Additional information: Supplier information session

NICE will hold an information session for interested suppliers virtually by Zoom on Thursday 17 June 2021 at 9:30-13:00 GMT. The aims of the information session are:

 To provide an introduction to the NICE evaluation programmes and related activities.

 To provide potential suppliers with an overview of services to be commissioned, contract requirements and tender timescale.

 To seek comments and feedback from potential suppliers about the services to be commissioned.

Suppliers should note that once the session is completed, NICE will finalise the tender documentation and release a contract notice, estimated to be released in August 2021.

Interested organisations can register delegates for the information session with [email protected] by 1600hrs GMT on 9th June 2021.

The email subject line must read EAC Tender Supplier Information Session 9th June 2021, and the body text should show the

• delegate's name

• full contact details including:

o the name of the company

o address

o direct telephone number

o email address.

Following the closure of registration registered delegates will be a sent a draft copy of the Requirements Specification and the details required to attend the Supplier Information Session by Zoom.

Late registrations will not be accepted. NICE will not be able to provide any expenses, subsistence or other costs for delegates attending the session. NICE reserves the right to further restrict the number of delegates if necessary.