NHS tenders are open notices from NHS buyers, and this page lists them as they appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, refreshed daily. It groups notices by who is buying, not by what is bought, so cleaning, catering and IT notices appear alongside clinical care whenever an NHS buyer posts one. For care contracts from all buyers, including councils, see health and social care tenders. Below: which NHS bodies we count and miss, which rulebook applies, and what a bid can be asked for.
What this NHS tenders list covers, and what it misses
NHS buyers we count
The live list above counts NHS trusts, foundation trusts whose name includes NHS or a health word such as Hospital, Health or Care, integrated care boards (ICBs), NHS England, other bodies with NHS in the name, and ambulance services. NHS Shared Business Services is one example. We group by the buyer name on the notice, so a body whose name has none of those words is missed, not guessed.
NHS buyers we don’t count
Our name filter doesn’t count Welsh health boards whose published name leaves out “NHS”, or Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts (unless the name includes “Ambulance Service”). That is a limit of the filter, not a judgment about those bodies. Health care that councils buy isn’t counted here. For notices delivered in those nations from any buyer, see tenders in Wales and tenders in Northern Ireland.
Where else NHS bodies publish tenders
Notices for procurements started from 24 February 2025 go on Find a Tender, the central digital platform, and PPN 019 says they need not be duplicated on Contracts Finder. Contracts Finder still carries notices for procurements started under the old rules, such as award notices and call-offs from older frameworks. Our guide compares Find a Tender vs Contracts Finder. Which rules a body in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland follows depends on its devolution status. We cover Find a Tender and Contracts Finder only.
What NHS bodies buy from small firms, beyond clinical care
Where the Provider Selection Regime doesn’t apply, trusts buy under the Procurement Act 2023, and gov.uk guidance counts NHS trusts and foundation trusts as central government authorities. These trade pages show notices that can come from NHS buyers:
- Estates and building maintenance: facilities management tenders
- Cleaning: cleaning tenders
- Catering: catering tenders. Gov.uk guidance first published in 2018 lists food and “NHS Hotel Services” among non-medical spending categories.
- IT, software and data: IT services tenders
- Medical equipment and consumables: medical equipment tenders
- Training: training tenders
- Care: social care tenders and home care tenders
On above-threshold contracts, the buyer must consider lots, or give reasons for not using them.
Which rules an NHS tender follows
In England, health care services within the CPV codes in Schedule 1 to the Provider Selection Regime Regulations 2023, bought by relevant authorities such as ICBs, NHS England and NHS trusts, follow the Provider Selection Regime (PSR), in force since 1 January 2024. Their other procurement follows the Procurement Act 2023, which is disapplied for regulated health procurement.
Check the notice and tender pack for the regime the buyer is following. The PSR allows direct award in some cases (regulation 6), so some health care contracts are not advertised as open tenders. For the processes, read how to win NHS contracts.
NHS trusts count as central government: the £12,000 and £135,018 figures
The Procurement Regulations 2024 list NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts as central government authorities, so gov.uk guidance says they now face the lower £12,000 below-threshold figure rather than £30,000.
If a trust advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on the central digital platform (section 87). It can instead invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising (guidance, para 23).
On a regulated below-threshold contract, section 85 bars a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but the buyer can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside) (guidance, para 16).
Above threshold, the central government goods and services threshold is £135,018 including VAT (thresholds guidance). Two caveats: devolved Welsh central government authorities have a £30,000 notice figure, and Northern Ireland transferred authorities stay exempt from below-threshold regulation (guidance, para 9).
National NHS buying bodies and frameworks
A 2023 review by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England said NHS Supply Chain’s supplier base predominantly focuses on medical devices and consumables, with some 1,300 active suppliers, and that NHS spend through it is “only 20% of the non-pay spend in total”.
A DHSC accounting officer assessment describes NHS Shared Business Services as a joint venture between DHSC and Sopra Steria, specialising in back and middle-office shared solutions for the UK health sector.
The Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Service) took that name on 1 April 2026, and its 2025 to 2026 annual report mentions supporting various NHS Trusts.
Gov.uk’s 2018 guidance also says service providers, which include all trusts, make their own purchasing decisions, so a trust’s own notices matter. See how frameworks work.
What NHS buyers can ask you for
DBS checks for staff
A buyer can ask for DBS checks on staff who will do the work, and gov.uk says a more detailed check can be requested for certain roles, for example in healthcare. Standard and enhanced checks are only for certain roles, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules (DBS eligibility guidance).
Cyber Essentials (PPN 014)
PPN 014 covers central government bodies and NHS bodies. Its listed characteristics include handling citizens’ personal information and supplying ICT systems that store or process OFFICIAL-level data, and it says the scheme “should not be applied to all contracts as a matter of course”. Where it applies, evidence of Cyber Essentials (or equivalent) is needed before award. See Cyber Essentials for government contracts.
Insurance: check what is stated in the pack
The buyer sets the levels in the tender pack. Above threshold, a buyer can’t require insurance for performing the contract to be in place before award. Insurance you must hold by law, such as employers’ liability, is the exception (guidance, para 20).
In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 29 of 470 live notices (about 6%) stated insurance requirements in the notice itself, across all buyers, not only NHS (how we count). See public liability insurance.
On Pro, we check what notices that fit your trade and area state, and flag points a notice leaves vague to confirm in the pack. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
Questions
Which NHS bodies are included in this list?
The list counts NHS trusts, foundation trusts whose name includes NHS or a health word such as Hospital, Health or Care, integrated care boards, NHS England, other bodies with NHS in the published name, and ambulance services. It groups buyers by the name on the notice and takes notices from Find a Tender and Contracts Finder only. A body whose name has none of those words is not counted.
Why can't I see my Welsh health board or Northern Ireland trust here?
Our name filter doesn't count Welsh health boards whose published name leaves out "NHS", or Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care Trusts (unless the name includes "Ambulance Service"). That is a limit of the filter, not a judgment about those bodies. Our Wales and Northern Ireland region pages list notices delivered in those nations from any buyer.
Can a cleaning, catering or IT firm win NHS contracts?
Yes, if a trust advertises a notice and you meet its conditions. Outside the Provider Selection Regime, which covers relevant health care services in England, NHS trusts buy under the Procurement Act 2023. This site has trade pages for cleaning, catering, IT services and facilities management. The buyer sets its requirements in the tender pack.
What is the smallest NHS trust contract that has to be advertised with a notice?
If a trust advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice on the central digital platform (£30,000 for devolved Welsh bodies; Northern Ireland transferred authorities are exempt). It can instead invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising the procurement in any other way, and then no tender notice is needed. So £12,000 is the figure at which advertising triggers a notice, not a minimum for every contract.
Is every NHS contract advertised as an open tender?
No. The Provider Selection Regime allows direct award for relevant health care services in some cases (regulation 6). Below threshold, a trust can invite quotes from chosen suppliers without a notice. Buyers can also award contracts under a framework. Our guide to how to win NHS contracts covers the processes.