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Preliminary Market Engagement for Optometry Services for NI Prison population

Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 4 Oct 2026, 17:48.

Opportunity overview

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice is to inform the market of our envisaged procurement plan for the provision of optometry services for the Northern Ireland Prison (NIP) population. Optometry services are required to support the assessment, diagnosis and management of eye health and vision needs and to ensure access to optometric care comparable to that available within community primary care. It is envisaged that the Supplier(s) will be expected to provide a comprehensive optometry service on behalf of Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland, delivered within prison healthcare settings. The service is expected to be delivered across the following Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) sites: Maghaberry Prison Hydebank Wood Secure College Magilligan Prison This may include, but will not be restricted to: 1. Provision of routine and urgent optometric assessments and examinations. 2. Detection and diagnosis of ocular conditions and referral to appropriate healthcare services where clinically indicated. 3. Prescription, supply, fitting, repair and replacement of spectacles. 4. Provision of appropriately qualified and registered optometry professionals, able to work within a secure prison environment. 5. Use of suitable clinical equipment and systems to support safe and effective service delivery. 6. Administrative, record‑keeping and governance arrangements to support service oversight and continuity of care. We hope that the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) will help encourage supplier interest in this tender. It will also help us understand any barriers to tendering that suppliers currently face, including challenges associated with delivering optometry services within prison settings, so these can be considered when drafting the HSC tender.

Classification

  • CPV75231230 — Prison services
  • CPV85100000 — Health services
  • CPV85121281 — Ophthalmologist services
  • CPV85160000 — Optician services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
ocds-h6vhtk-065dda
Main Procurement Category
services
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Contract period

Starts
1 Nov 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Oct 2030, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
85100000
Description
Health services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
85160000
Description
Optician services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
85121281
Description
Ophthalmologist services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
75231230
Description
Prison services

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
The PME is an information-gathering exercise designed to help inform the development of the future tender. It includes the CP12 - Preliminary Market Engagement Questionnaire v1.0 and CP13 - Explanatory Document v1.0. What you need to do now: 1) If you are not registered on eTendersNI, please do so as soon as possible (https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps/home.do). 2) Those interested in participating in such preliminary market engagement should access the 'Preliminary Market Engagement for Optometry Services for NI Prison population ' via eTendersNI (https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps/home.do) at their earliest convenience, by searching for Resource ID / CfT Reference Number 6359685 3) Using the eTendersNI secure messaging service, please see a broadcasted copy of the CP12 PME Questionnaire and a copy of the CP13 PME Explanatory Document. All completed responses must be submitted via the secure eTendersNI messaging area of the CFT no later than 15:00, Friday 13th March 2026. Please note that with reference to the information containing estimated date of publication of contract notice - this is only an anticipated date and subject to change.
Due
13 Mar 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
017708-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
27 Feb 2026, 09:56
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service
Id
GB-PPON-PWNJ-1991-NGDW

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PWNJ-1991-NGDW

Address

Street Address
77 Boucher Crescent
Locality
Belfast
Postal Code
BT12 6HU
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKN06

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - central government
Entry 2
Scheme
UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS
Id
GB-NIR
Description
Northern Irish devolved regulations apply

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Belfast · UKN06 · BT12 6HU · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 017708-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·