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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Market Engagement – NHS National Discovery Service Architecture (Knowledge and Library Services)

NHS England · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 27 Sept 2026, 02:12.

Opportunity overview

This pre-procurement exercise is being run to engage suppliers capable of delivering all or some elements of the National Discovery Service for the NHS in England. This must include: • A discovery layer to seamlessly connect health and care staff and learners to trusted, high-quality knowledge and evidence resources in one place, using a single search. • Holdings management that can manage collections of content bought both nationally and locally. • Link enhancement that provides end-users with direct access to the full text of digital holdings from multiple platforms and enables library-to-library sharing of resources under the terms of the NHS Copyright Licence Plus. Additional information: • The contract(s) will be for the supply of hosted services as described above • We estimate the contract(s) to start on 1 April 2027 and that it/they will run for 3 years with optional extensions. This may be subject to change based on organisational priorities • Suppliers will be required to collaborate to produce an effective, integrated user experience • Systems must integrate effectively with other services in the ecosystem such as NHS OpenAthens, regional Koha library management systems, research repositories and content from diverse suppliers • If a transition period is required between current and new suppliers then this will be accommodated within the agreed contract period • A description of the high-level requirements can be found in the associated RFI document • The value referenced below covers all three requirements for the initial contract period plus extensions

Classification

  • CPV48000000 — Software package and information systems
  • CPV48160000 — Library software package
  • CPV48161000 — Library management system
  • CPV72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • CPV72212160 — Library software development 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
C439911
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Has Renewal
Yes
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Apr 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Mar 2030, 23:59
Max Extent Date
31 Mar 2032, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
48160000
Description
Library software package
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
48161000
Description
Library management system
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
72212160
Description
Library software development services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
48000000
Description
Software package and information systems
Entry 5
Scheme
CPV
Id
72000000
Description
IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
Suppliers interested in this opportunity are requested to complete the Request for Information (RFI) document related to the National Discovery Service Architecture for the NHS. Please remember that this is a preliminary market engagement and not a competitive tender. This process is being carried out in accordance with the principles outlined in the introduction to the RFI document, and its primary aim is to inform future decision-making. The RFI document and questionnaire can be found on Atamis by searching for "C439911". To register on the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal and to access this opportunity, please go to: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome. You can then search for the opportunity and access any further information. Clarification questions and responses must be submitted via the NHS England’s e-Tendering portal, Atamis. A webinar will be held on Wednesday 22/07/2026 at 14:00 to 15:00 (BST) for 1 hour to further explain the requirements and aims of the programme. To book a slot for the webinar, please submit your details using the link below: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1f97000b-80e0-46fb-b2ec-f6bea6229ff5@37c354b2-85b0-47f5-b222-07b48d774ee3 The deadline for submitting questions relating to this RFI prior to the Market Engagement Event is 17:00 17/07/2026. NHSE will aim to respond to questions submitted before this deadline, during the Market Engagement Event. The overall deadline for submitting questions relating to this RFI will be 17:00, 29/07/2026. This preliminary market engagement exercise is due for return by 17:00, 14/08/2026. If you experience any difficulties accessing the documents, please contact england.supplier@nhs.net
Due
14 Aug 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
065815-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
13 Jul 2026, 18:01
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
NHS England
Id
GB-PPON-PDPT-3135-BWWY

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PDPT-3135-BWWY

Address

Street Address
Wellington House, 133-135 Waterloo Rd
Locality
London
Postal Code
SE1 8UG
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI45

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI45 · SE1 8UG · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 065815-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·