Market Engagement - oral nutritional supplements for care homes

• We wish to procure the following three oral nutritional supplements or equivalent:

o Ensure Compact (Abbott Nutrition)

o Fortisip Compact (Nutricia)

o Altraplen Compact (Nualtra)

• These will need to be supplied and delivered to up to 30 care homes distributed throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and the West Midlands participating in a research trial.
• Supply will be in batches to named care homes to be delivered monthly.
• Care homes will be given the option to use one of the three brands so a delivery to any given home will only be one brand, but should include all available flavours, or the flavours specified in the order.
• The maximum order size will be approximately 1020/month.
• The first care homes will start ordering these ONS from Oct 2025 and orders from subsequent care homes will start at different times throughout the following 15 months.
• Each care home will have the monthly delivery for 12 months.
• Orders will be placed between Oct 2025 and April 2028.
• Each care home will specify their actual needs monthly so the actual delivery amount will vary according to their needs. This is to avoid over-ordering and product wastage.
• The pattern of ordering will mean most ONS are ordered between Aug 2026 and Jun 2027 (i.e. all 30 care homes are active, after Jun 2027 care homes will start leaving the trial)
• ONS normally have a 12-month shelf-life from date of manufacture. The delivered ONS will be expected to have at least a 6-month shelf-life.

Please email Megan.worth@plymouth.ac.uk by 04/08/2025 with any expressions of interest and clarification questions