Official UK procurement notice
APX058 - Framework for the Provision of Agency Nursing, Care, Support and Ancillary Staff
Authority: APEX HOUSING ASSOCIATION (Housing)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe Contracting Authority intends to establish a multi-supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of suitably qualified, experienced and compliant Agency Workers to meet temporary staffing requirements across a range of services and schemes operated by Apex Housing.
The Framework Agreement for each Lot shall commence on the Commencement Date and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years.
The Contracting Authority shall have the option to extend the Framework Agreement by up to two (2) further periods of twelve (12) months (2+1+1).
The Framework Agreement will facilitate the provision of Agency Workers for ad hoc, emergency and short-term assignments on an as-required basis.
The requirements have been divided into the following Lots:
- Lot 1 – Provision of Agency Nursing Staff
- Lot 2 – Provision of Agency Care, Support and Ancillary Staff
Each Lot will be assessed and awarded independently and will result in a separate Framework Agreement. Apex intends to appoint a maximum of three Suppliers to each Lot, based on their final ranking.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 9 Sept 2030, 23:59 BST.
- How the procedure runs: The Framework Agreements will be procured using the Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with section 20(2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 (“the Act”). The procedure will comprise: (i) a Conditions of Participation Stage, assessed on a Pass/Fail basis (ii) an Award Stage, at which quality and price submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the published award criteria, assessment methodology and weightings. Responses to both the Conditions of Participation and Award Stage requirements must be submitted together through eTendersNI by the Closing Date and Time. Each Lot will be assessed and awarded independently and will result in a separate Framework Agreement. Apex intends to appoint a maximum of three Suppliers to each Lot based on their final ranking. The Contracting Authority may progress and conclude the award of one Lot independently of the other. Following assessment of the final Tenders, the Contracting Authority may undertake an Optional Preferred Supplier Stage in accordance with section 5.3.12 of Document 01 – Instructions to Suppliers before concluding the award and entering into the relevant Framework Agreement. Suppliers will be notified through eTendersNI of the outcome of each stage of the procurement process, including whether their Tender has been successful or unsuccessful. Tenders received after the Closing Date and Time may not be considered.
CPV: Social work and related services · Supply services of domestic help personnel · Supply services of nursing personnel · Supply services of personnel including temporary staff
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 4 Jan 2027
Published description of the framework
The Framework Agreement will operate as a ranked multi-supplier framework.
Up to three suppliers will be appointed to each Lot and ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd based on the outcome of the tender evaluation.
Where the Contracting Authority requires Agency Workers, assignments will be offered to the highest-ranked supplier in the first instance.
If that supplier is unable to meet the requirement within the timescales specified in the Framework Agreement, the Contracting Authority may offer the assignment to the next-ranked supplier, and thereafter to the third-ranked supplier where necessary.
No guarantee is given as to the volume or value of Services to be procured under the Framework Agreement.
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Provision of Agency Nursing StaffRenewalPublished value£2,500,000
This Lot covers the provision of suitably qualified Agency Nursing Staff and Residential Officers to support nursing and residential care services operated by Apex Housing.
- Economic & financial standing
At the Tender Submission Deadline, the Supplier must hold current RQIA registration as a Nursing Agency. Evidence of registration must be provided in response to Question 15 of the PSQ. A pending application for registration will not satisfy this Condition of Participation.
This requirement applies only to Lot 1. Suppliers tendering only for Lot 2 should respond “Not Applicable” to Question 15 of the PSQ.
Lot #2Agency Care, Support and Ancillary StaffRenewalPublished value£14,500,000
This Lot covers the provision of suitably qualified and experienced Agency Care, Support and Ancillary Staff to provide temporary cover for ad hoc, emergency and short-term assignments across a range of services and schemes operated by Apex Housing.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (3)
- Proposed Methodology for the Provision of Agency Staff: 25%
- Staff Training, Compliance & Safeguarding: 15%
- Tender Evaluation Sum: 60%
Published award criteria (3)
- Tender Evaluation Sum
- Proposed Methodology for the Provision of Agency Staff
- Staff Training, Compliance & Safeguarding
- Price carries 60 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 6 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “APX058 - Framework for the Provision of Agency Nursing, Care, Support…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How APEX HOUSING ASSOCIATION buys Supply services of personnel including temporary staff (CPV 7962), and who usually turns up
APEX HOUSING ASSOCIATION has little published record in this market. Compared with other frameworks and DPS only. Whole-market view: Supply services of personnel including temporary staff (CPV 7962) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Across this market, small firms won 53% of awards with a known supplier size.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Across this market, 67% of winners were registered in the delivery region.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 34 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Across this market, at least 36% of awarded procurements had no recorded rival.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid9%
2–39%
4–613%
7+69%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS: the price is set later, on each call-off.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Provision of Agency Nursing StaffCPV 7962Published estimate£2.5m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid3%
2–342%
4–622%
7+32%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £808k8 awards in 36m · last 6 months ago | 5 live · £7.8m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=3 | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs |
Lot #2Agency Care, Support and Ancillary StaffCPV 7962Published estimate£15m
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid3%
2–321%
4–625%
7+50%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £808k8 awards in 36m · last 6 months ago | 5 live · £7.8m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=3 | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| 1 award in 36m · last 6 months ago | 1 live · £3.0m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 9 Sept 2030
- First published
- 5 Oct 2026, 14:03 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Oct 2026, 11:51 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 1 Dec 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-093857- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0780d5Find a Tender
- How it runs
The Framework Agreements will be procured using the Competitive Flexible Procedure in accordance with section 20(2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023 (“the Act”).
The procedure will comprise:
(i) a Conditions of Participation Stage, assessed on a Pass/Fail basis
(ii) an Award Stage, at which quality and price submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the published award criteria, assessment methodology and weightings.
Responses to both the Conditions of Participation and Award Stage requirements must be submitted together through eTendersNI by the Closing Date and Time.
Each Lot will be assessed and awarded independently and will result in a separate Framework Agreement.
Apex intends to appoint a maximum of three Suppliers to each Lot based on their final ranking. The Contracting Authority may progress and conclude the award of one Lot independently of the other.
Following assessment of the final Tenders, the Contracting Authority may undertake an Optional Preferred Supplier Stage in accordance with section 5.3.12 of Document 01 – Instructions to Suppliers before concluding the award and entering into the relevant Framework Agreement.
Suppliers will be notified through eTendersNI of the outcome of each stage of the procurement process, including whether their Tender has been successful or unsuccessful.
Tenders received after the Closing Date and Time may not be considered.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via eTendersNI- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Appointment period ends
- 30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
5 Oct 2026 → 4 Jan 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published23 days ago5 Oct 2026, 14:03 BST
- Latest notice published13 days ago15 Oct 2026, 11:51 BST
- Today29 Oct 2026
- Admission / appointment period endsin 28h · period end, not a bid countdown30 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 33 days1 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 66 days4 Jan 2027
Notice history
2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 5 Oct 2026- Tender notice published5 Oct 2026, 14:03 BSTUK4
- Tender notice published15 Oct 2026, 11:51 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)
Conditions of Participation amended for Lot 1- At the Tender Submission Deadline, the Supplier must hold current RQIA registration as a Nursing Agency. Evidence of registration must be provided in response to Question 15 of the PSQ. A pending application for registration will not satisfy this Condition of Participation. This requirement applies only to Lot 1. Suppliers tendering only for Lot 2 sho…
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender