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Coming up· published 29 Oct 2025

External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic Test Directory

NHS England · Lambeth, Greater London

NHS England is planning this contract. It is a contract for other health and social care in Lambeth.

Source: Find a Tender, published 30 Oct 2025. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.

Key dates

  1. 2025

    Pipeline notice published

    Planning Notice · 16:23

    View notice
  2. 2026

    Tender notice expected

    Date given in the buyer's earlier notice

01

About this tender

In brief

NHS England is planning this contract. It is a contract for other health and social care in Lambeth. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The estimated value is £2,400,000.

Find a Tender published it on 30 October 2025. The notice number is 069861-2025. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-05d767. Bids are made through the buyer's Atamis portal.

Summary of the contracting process

NHS England, through the NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU), is planning a public procurement process for the provision of an External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for genomic tests as listed in the Genomic Test Directory. The procurement falls under the health services category, with a focus on services and a planned status, and covers the entirety of England.

Prospective suppliers are invited to engage in a market engagement exercise to evaluate the current and future capabilities for this specialised service. The process involves registering interest and completing a questionnaire by 12 noon on Friday, 21st November 2025. The anticipated contract is valued at £2,400,000, including a potential one-year extension, and aims to commence by 30th January 2026.

The tender requires providers to demonstrate competence with genomic testing requirements and the ability to manage quality assessment processes effectively. This engagement exercise provides an optimal platform for qualified providers to shape the outcomes and methodologies of the future tendering process.

The notice in full

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU), on behalf of NHS England Specialised Commissioning (referred to as the Commissioner), is undertaking a market engagement exercise to understand the current and future capacity and capability for the provision of NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic Test Directory services across England from potential providers within this specialised commissioning area.

Interested parties are encouraged to register their interest and participate in the market questionnaire which will provide feedback to commissioners. Please note that this is not a call for competition although the commissioner would encourage all potential providers to respond to this market engagement exercise.

Lots (1)

  1. 01

    Lot 1Planned

    NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit (AGCSU), on behalf of NHS England Specialised Commissioning (referred to as the Commissioner), is undertaking a market engagement exercise to understand the current and future capacity and capability for the provision of NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic Test Directory services across England from potential providers within this specialised commissioning area.

    Interested parties are encouraged to register their interest only if they are able to deliver the full list of the requirements. Participation to this market engagement will close at 12 noon of Friday 21st November 2025.

    The NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH) Service Specification requires each NHS GLH to:

    The NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH) Service Specification requires each NHS GLH to:

    * Deliver the genomic tests which are prescribed in the NHS National Genomic Testing Directory (the Directory);

    * Participate and achieve satisfactory performance in UKAS-accredited (or newly developed pilots offered in compliance with ISO 17043) external quality assurance schemes to assure the quality of testing, analysis, interpretation and reporting of tests prescribed in the Directory, including Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), in the following areas:

    The anticipated contract duration for this service is 2 years, with an option to extend the contract by a further 1 year period at the Commissioner's discretion. The total contract value of PS2,400,000.00 includes the 1 year option to extend.

    If, as a result of the market engagement, competition is absent or minimal, the Commissioner may use the Most Suitable Provider Process or Direct Award Process C. Where competition is absent, Direct Award Process A will be utilised.

    Following market engagement and review of capable providers, the Commissioner will consider the most appropriate PSR process to formally commission this service.

    NHS England (National) Specialised Commissioning is the contracting and commissioning authority for this service. To register your interest and access the questionnaire, please follow this link:

    https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome

    The project reference is C397948 and the closing date for submission of the completed questionnaire is: 12 noon Friday 21st November 2025.

02

Key facts

Every field the notice carries. Anything it leaves blank is listed under its table.

Contract

Service
Other
Procurement type
Standard
Category
Services
Contract period
Not specified - Not specified
Lots
1

Procedure

Notice type
Planning Notice
Current stage
Planning
Stages so far
Planning
Published on
Find a Tender Service
Buyer's portal
Atamis

Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.

Values

Tender value
£2,400,000

Not stated in the notice: lots value, awards value, contracts value.

Status

Tender
Planned
Lots
Planned

Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.

References

Find a Tender notice
069861-2025
Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d767
CPV code
85100000 - Health services
CPV division
85 - Health and social work services
03

Location

NHS England is based in Lambeth. The area the service covers can be wider, so check the notice and the lots.
Local authority
Lambeth
Town
South East London
Postcode
SE1 8UG
Electoral ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Region
Greater London
Sub-region
Lambeth
Area
Inner London - East
Country
England
04

Buyer

Contracting authority

Organisation
NHS England
Category
Services
Contact
Collette Palmer
Address
London, SE1 8UG · Greater London · England

Not stated in the notice: phone.

05

Documents and links

Official sources for this notice. The tender pack itself sits on the buyer's portal.
06

Questions about this tender

When will the External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic… tender open?

NHS England has not yet given a date for the tender notice. An early notice is the time to answer any market engagement questions and gather the evidence a bid will need.

How much is the External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic… contract worth?

The estimated value is £2,400,000.

Who is the buyer for External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic…?

NHS England, based in Lambeth, Greater London. The named contact is Collette Palmer.

How do I bid for External Quality Assessment (EQA) service for the tests listed in the Genomic…?

Register on the buyer's Atamis portal, download the tender pack and check every condition of participation before you start writing. Care Sync Experts writes and reviews care tender bids from £1,500 + VAT.

Want help winning this tender?

We write and review care tender bids: quality answers, case studies and social value, checked against how the buyer scores before you submit.

What to do next

  1. Read the early notice in full.
  2. Answer any market engagement questions.
  3. Gather your evidence and case studies now.
  4. Check your policies are up to date.
  5. Watch for the tender notice.