A seemingly endless succession of large-scale “Framework Agreements” have been rolled out by NHS England and the Department of Health in recent months, creating conditions for more rapid award of contracts with a pre-authorised shortlist of private, public sector and non-profit providers with limited if any further competitive tendering.
Recent examples include a £500m facilities management framework NHS and public sector, an £800m framework for a range of health IT services, a £10 billion “open opportunity” to reduce waiting times, and a massive £47bn construction framework.
It’s possible to trawl through the general terms of these agreements and also check out the NHS SBS Approved Organisation List and over 1194 Approved Organisations that have access to the framework agreement portfolio and as such, can utilise any NHS SBS framework agreement whenever required.
Full story on The Lowdown, 14 September 2020
