Care tender writing to win local authority, NHS and ICB care contracts
Local authority and ICB care tenders are scored on quality as well as price, and the Procurement Act 2023 changed how they are advertised and evaluated. Our tender writing team scans for opportunities in your area, writes the bid and handles the submission, from £495.
How the Procurement Act 2023 changed care tenders
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force in February 2025, the biggest overhaul of UK public procurement in over a decade. Combined with the move from Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) under the Health and Care Act 2022, it has significantly shifted how care contracts are won.
In practice that means simpler competitive procedures, a stronger emphasis on social value, more transparency on awarded contracts, and integrated commissioning across health and social care through ICB partnerships. Providers who understand the new framework win more bids.
If your last successful bid was before 2025, your method statements and pricing strategy may still be aligned to the old regime. Bringing your bid approach up to date with the Procurement Act 2023, and writing for ICB commissioning patterns rather than CCGs, is now critical for competitive bidding.
Sources: Cabinet Office: Procurement Act 2023; NHS England: Integrated Care Boards.
What is a care tender?
A care tender (or "bid") is a formal application to deliver services for a public-sector commissioner, typically a local authority, NHS trust or Integrated Care Board. Commissioners use tenders to award contracts because they are legally required to run fair, transparent processes when spending public money.
Tenders come in different commercial structures, each with its own implications for how you bid and win.
| Type | What it is | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Pre-approved supplier list for a set period | Win a place; commissioners then choose from you and others over the framework's life |
| DPS | Dynamic Purchasing System: an open framework you can join at any time | Apply when ready; remain available for "call-off" contracts within scope |
| Direct contract | Single contract for a specific service | Compete for one fixed contract; winner takes all |
| Spot purchase | One-off purchase for a single placement | Quick informal procurement, often through approved providers |
Types of contracts we help win
We support providers across the full range of care commissioning pathways, from council frameworks to NHS contracts and integrated care commissioning.
LA frameworks
Adult social care frameworks: homecare, supported living, residential.
Dynamic Purchasing Systems
Open-list frameworks councils use for ongoing call-off opportunities.
NHS frameworks
National and regional clinical services and healthcare provision contracts.
ICB contracts
Integrated Care Board commissioning, which replaced CCGs in July 2022.
Continuing Healthcare
Specialist long-term care packages for complex health needs.
Children's services
LA-commissioned children's homes, supported accommodation and fostering frameworks.
The Cura five-stage tender approach
Bidding without a process is bidding to lose. Our methodology, refined across 50+ tenders, positions every bid for the highest possible score under the new Procurement Act framework.
- 1
Opportunity scan
We identify tenders matching your capacity, capability and ratings.
- 2
Diagnostic
Bid fit assessment, scoring criteria mapping, win-theme strategy. About 2 days.
- 3
Bid build, fast
5 to 10 days standard. 3-day urgent turnaround available.
- 4
Submission
Compliance check, portal upload, final review before the deadline.
- 5
Post-submission and debrief
Clarification responses, presentation prep (if required), and a win-or-lose debrief feeding into your next bid.
A realistic tender lifecycle
Tender opportunities typically run 4 to 12 weeks from publication to deadline. We can deliver a competitive bid in 5 to 10 working days for most local authority tenders, with a 3-day urgent turnaround for close-to-deadline cases.
We deliver an urgent 3-day turnaround for LA tenders when you have spotted an opportunity late. Get in touch and we will start the diagnostic the same day.
What's in every tender package
Every package includes the following as standard.
Bid fit assessment
Honest go/no-go diagnostic with a scoring forecast.
Method statements
Bespoke answers to every scored question, mapped to the evaluator criteria.
Case studies
2 to 3 anonymised case studies tailored to the commissioner's priorities.
Pricing strategy
Competitive pricing model with a sustainability margin.
Social value
Evidenced social value response aligned to the Procurement Act 2023.
Portal and submission
Full portal handling, document uploads and deadline management.
Post-submission
Clarification responses plus a win or loss debrief.
*All packages subject to terms and conditions.
Tender support packages
Three transparent packages: choose based on bid complexity and the level of support you need.*
Local Authority tender
For single LA tenders: frameworks, DPS placements or direct contract bids.
- Full bid build
- Up to 15 scored questions
- 5 to 10 day standard delivery
NHS Framework or ICB tender
For NHS Frameworks and ICB commissioning: more complex scoring and clinical governance evidence.
- Full bid build
- Clinical governance focus
- Presentation prep*
Multi-tender strategy
Strategic tender programme: opportunity scanning, 3 bids in 6 months, win-rate optimisation.
- 3 tenders supported
- Opportunity scanning
- Reusable bid library
*All packages subject to terms and conditions.
Simple 50/50 payment
50% at the start to begin the bid build, and 50% when you win. No win, no second invoice, so our fee is tied to the outcome.
Common reasons care tenders lose
The most common pitfalls we see, and how our methodology addresses each.
!Bidding for tenders you can't actually deliver
The biggest cause of failed bids: applying for contracts beyond your operational capacity, registration scope or geographical reach. Commissioners spot this in scoring.
!Generic method statements that don't match the scoring criteria
Reusing the same answers across bids without mapping them to the specific evaluator criteria leads to mediocre scores. Each tender has its own weighting and priorities.
!Weak social value evidence
Under the Procurement Act 2023 and the Social Value Model, social value typically carries 10% of the scoring weight in central government contracts and is increasingly common in council and NHS bids, yet most bids treat it as an afterthought.
!Pricing that is either too aggressive or too soft
Underpricing wins the bid but loses you money. Overpricing loses on the quality-cost ratio. The skill is finding the competitive, sustainable point.
Where to find care tenders
Four main sources cover almost every care tender published in the UK. Our team monitors all of these daily on behalf of clients.
Contracts Finder (GOV.UK)
Main government portal for central government and many local authority contracts in England.
contractsfinder.service.gov.uk ↗Find a Tender Service
Official site for higher-value public contracts. Larger NHS Frameworks and DPS opportunities appear here.
find-tender.service.gov.uk ↗Local authority e-tendering portals
Councils publish through regional portals such as ProContract (Due North) and the London Tenders Portal.
ProContract · London Tenders PortalSpecialist care-sector aggregators
Sites such as Health & Social Care Tenders and Bidstats collect and list notices from multiple portals.
Health & Social Care Tenders · BidstatsCuraFlow Tenders: free tender alerts inside CuraFlow Grow (coming soon)
Real outcomes from our clients
Anonymised summaries of recent tender wins.
Supported living · LA DPSWon DPS placement without prior referrals, September 2025
A new supported living provider applied to an LA DPS with no track record. Through bespoke method statements and direct communication with the council, we secured the DPS placement and the first call-off contract within 8 weeks.
Domiciliary care · LA frameworkFirst-time LA framework win, October 2025
An established domiciliary provider expanding into a new region. We built the bid around CQC-aligned governance evidence and competitive pricing. Framework place awarded at the first attempt.
Specialist care · ICB CHCWon ICB CHC contract, 12-week process
A specialist provider bidding for an ICB-commissioned Continuing Healthcare contract with complex clinical governance requirements. The bid scored well above the winning threshold, for a substantial annual contract value.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need CQC or Ofsted registration before I can tender?
What's the difference between a Framework, DPS and direct contract?
What's "social value" in tender scoring?
How are ICBs different from CCGs?
Can you help me with a tender I've already started?
What's a method statement?
How long does a tender process take?
What if my bid is unsuccessful? Can you help improve it?
Do you offer ongoing tender support?
Further reading and sources
Ready to win your next care tender?
No obligation. An honest bid-fit assessment.