Provision of an Audiology Service for Sussex Ref 18.414 - Market Engagement

This is a market engagement Process. The seven Sussex CCGs are jointly re-procuring community audiology services, as part of wider plans to improve health and social care for the whole of Sussex. This approach will enable CCGs to commission services in a more efficient and effective manner across a larger area.

The aims of the procurement are to; • Commission best value service provision for the taxpayer • Use the experience of the last 6 years to improve the service offer for patients • Address unwarranted variation in provision across Sussex • Address inefficiencies for both commissioners and providers arising from the current model

The seven CCG's are Brighton & Hove CCG, High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, Coastal West Sussex CCG, Horsham & Mid Sussex CCG, Crawley CCG, Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG, and Hastings and Rother CCG.

All seven CCGs will re-procure the existing Adult Hearing Aids Service for age related hearing loss, currently offered to patients aged 55 or older.

Two CCG's, Crawley CCG and Horsham & Mid Sussex CCG, will in addition re-procure the existing Community Audiology services available to patients under the age of 55.

The anticipated contract duration is 5 years.

Service commencement will be 1/4/2020.

The annual value across all of the CCGs is approximately £8m (£40m for a whole life cost of 5 years)

This is a market engagement process designed to help the Commissioner form a view of the best way to commission the service and is not the beginning of a Tender exercise. It is intended as an awareness and communication exercise offering an opportunity for potential providers to understand commissioning intensions. A further tender advertisement will be issued at the appropriate time where required.

A Request for Information document is available and contains further information. Providers are asked to follow the instructions to access the document which also contains an invitation and registration form for Bidder representatives to attend an engagement event (the date of which will be provided in due course).

The RFI document is available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home

The deadline for submission of completed RFI's is 12:00 midday on Friday 3rd May 2019.

Additional information: Instructions to access the portal 1. Browse to the SoEPS Commissioning Support portal https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning 2. Click the "Register" link on the left-hand side of the page. 3. Enter your correct business and user details. 4. Note the email address and password chosen and Click "Register My Company" when complete. 5. Login to the portal with the username/password. 6. You will be prompted to change your password on first login. 7. Hover your mouse over the "Tenders" button on the main toolbar and choose the relevant option: - "My Tenders" shows a list of the opportunities in which you have already expressed an interest or to which you have been invited - "Awarded" shows a list of tenders awarded on the system (where these are were open to all) - "Current" shows a list of all the advertised opportunities on the system (i.e. open to all) in which you are able to express an interest - "Forthcoming" shows a list of pipeline projects (including those in which providers can still express an interest - i.e. deadlines not yet reached) 8. Click on the "View Details" button for relevant opportunity to access the content, clicking "Express an Interest" where required to do so. 9. Click the relevant procurement as required then click the "Opt-In" at the bottom of the page to start building your submission to the procurement stage. This will move the project over to your "My Tenders" page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only). 10. Note the deadline for completion and follow the on screen instructions to complete the PQQ/ITT, accessing any attached documents as required. 11. Any questions on specific opportunities should be directed through the portal messaging facility. If you have any questions on the above or general questions around tendering with NHS South of England Procurement Services Commissioning Support please contact: [email protected]