External Assessment Centres

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for improving outcomes for people using the NHS and other public health and social care services. NICE does this by:

• Producing evidence-based guidance and advice for health, public health and social care practitioners. • Developing quality standards and performance metrics for those providing and commissioning health, public health and social care services. • Providing a range of information services for commissioners, practitioners and managers across the spectrum of health and social care.

NICE's guidance and advice can be used by the NHS, local authorities, employers, voluntary groups and anyone else involved in delivering care or promoting wellbeing. Documents describing the methods and processes employed by NICE in developing its guidance are available from the Institute's website (available at www.nice.org.uk). NICE's technology evaluation programmes require a range of high quality HTA services from organisations with knowledge of novel technologies, the life sciences industry and novel research methodologies. NICE uses its non-drug technology programmes to develop guidance on the value of new and novel device, diagnostic and digital 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 facilitates collaborative research involving industry, academia and the NHS to generate evidence on the clinical utility or longer term use of selected technologies. NICE also provides specialist observational data collection and analysis services. NICE also develops technology appraisals guidance which contains recommendations on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments within the NHS. NICE seeks to commission external assessment centre (EAC) services to support a variety of technology evaluation programmes from 01/04/2018 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/NICE invites potential suppliers to attend a workshop regarding this work. The workshop allows NICE to engage with potential suppliers to assist and inform NICE in its decision making in regards to areas of the specification where there is uncertainty. SUPPLIER WORKSHOP NICE will hold a workshop for interested suppliers at its Manchester offices on Friday 28 April 2017 which will be attended by senior NICE staff. Please see the Additional Information section for further details and how to register for this workshop.

Additional information: NICE invites potential suppliers to attend a workshop regarding this work. The workshop allows NICE to engage with potential suppliers to assist and inform NICE in its decision making in regards to areas of the specification where there is uncertainty. NICE will hold a workshop for interested suppliers at its Manchester offices on Friday 28 April 2017 which will be attended by senior NICE staff. The aims of the workshop 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 some of the services to be commissioned. Suppliers should note that once the workshop is completed, NICE will finalise the tender documentation and release an OJEU contract notice, estimated to be released in June 2017. Delegates will be provided with a copy of the draft Requirement Specification for the current service once they have registered. Venue; National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Level 1A, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BT Maps and directions available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/getinvolved/contact_us.jsp Interested organisations can register a maximum of two delegates for the day with [email protected] by 1600hrs GMT on 19/04/2017. The email subject line must read EAC Tender Workshop 28/04/2017 and the body text should show the delegate's name and full contact details, including the name of the company, address, direct telephone number and email address. Late registrations will not be accepted. NICE will not pay any travel expenses, subsistence or other costs for delegates attending the workshops. NICE reserves the right to further restrict the number of delegates if necessary because of accommodation or other organisational factors.