Independent Learning Responses

What the buyer is asking for

This procurement is required to modernise and strengthen the independent investigations supply market, to align with national expectations for learning responses. The proposed framework will be used by NHS England independent investigation teams, national commissioning teams and other authorised NHS commissioners who require independent, system‑based investigations or assurance/learning reviews. The framework will be divided into Lots: Lot 1. Specialist Advisor Role Including: Lot 1a: Investigation Lead Lot 1b: Specialist Clinical / Subject Matter Expert Lot 1c: Systems Based Learning Response Expert Advisor Lot 1d: Patient/Family Liaison Lot 2: Quality Governance Review Lot 3: Systems Based Learning Response (including patient safety incident investigation) Lot 4: Thematic Review Lot 5: Pathway/Service Review Lot 6: Safety/Action Review

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 30%priceCommercial30% weighting
• 60%qualityTechnical60% Weighting
• 10%qualitySustainability & Social Value10% Weighting

9 lots

You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for all of them.

• Specialist Advisor Role, Investigation Lead£20m

  This lot is suitable for individuals who are able to lead high profile and complex investigations from a wide range of healthcare settings often at regional or national level.

• Specialist advisor role, Specialist Clinical/Subject matter expert£20m

  This lot is suitable for those who have a thorough understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and treatment options related to their specialty or field of review.

• Specialist advisor role, Systems based learning response expert advisor£20m

  This lot is aimed at those who are experts in systems-based analysis and development of areas for system wide improvement.

• Specialist advisor role, Patient/Family Liaison£20m

  Demonstrates compassionate, trauma-informed engagement and the ability to support complex or sensitive patient and family liaison. Able to support complex patient and family liaison, including engagement across sensitive, high-profile or contentious cases involving multiple stakeholders.

• Safety Governance Review£20m

  This lot is intended to explore broader concerns relating to culture, competence, workforce capability, leadership, risk assessment and continuous improvement.

• Systems based learning response (including patient safety incident investigation)£20m

  This lot provides end-to-end, expertly led, systems-based learning response. It is particularly suited to complex or high-profile cases with significant learning potential across multiple providers, organisations or systems.

• Thematic Review£20m

  This lot supports understanding of common links, themes or issues across a cluster of investigations, incidents, concerns or learning responses.

• Pathway/Service Review£20m

  This lot supports proactive or reactive review of pathway or service design in response to identified safety concerns, emerging hazards, service redesign or planned transformation activity.

• Safety Action Review£20m

  This lot is intended to assess whether actions taken in response to patient safety incidents, investigations or learning responses have improved safety, reduced risk and led to meaningful, sustainable change.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 52 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published2 days ago

   4 Nov 2026, 10:31 GMT
2. Clarification questions byin 19 days

   25 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 40 days

   16 Dec 2026, 12:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 115 days

   1 Mar 2027, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

5 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice23 Feb 2026, 14:12 GMT016108-2026
2. Pipeline or early engagement notice26 Mar 2026, 13:28 GMT027935-2026
3. Pipeline or early engagement notice26 May 2026, 10:43 BST048509-2026
4. Pipeline or early engagement notice10 Jun 2026, 15:23 BST054842-2026
5. Tender notice4 Nov 2026, 10:31 GMT104535-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender