Atamis: the NHS procurement portal explained
Atamis is the e-commercial system used across the NHS in England, often called the Health Family. NHS England, integrated care boards and many NHS trusts publish and run their procurements on it. For care providers it is the place to find NHS funded opportunities, including some continuing healthcare and complex care work. You register a free supplier account, then search and express interest in the opportunities that fit your services.
What Atamis is and who runs it
Atamis is a commercial and procurement platform adopted across the NHS in England as a single system for the Health Family. Rather than each trust running a separate portal, the NHS uses Atamis to publish tenders, run competitions and manage contracts in one place. For a care provider this is good news, because it concentrates a large share of NHS funded opportunity into one system you can learn once. It sits alongside, rather than replaces, the Find a Tender service for higher value notices.
Who uses Atamis
The Health Family covers NHS England, integrated care boards and NHS trusts, so a wide range of health funded contracts pass through Atamis. Integrated care boards are particularly important for care providers because they commission a lot of the community and continuing healthcare work that domiciliary and complex care providers deliver. Knowing which integrated care board covers your area, and watching its Atamis activity, is one of the more useful habits a health focused care provider can build.
What care opportunities appear there
Care providers most often see continuing healthcare packages, complex and specialist care, health led supported living, reablement and intermediate care, and occasionally larger health and social care frameworks on Atamis. Continuing healthcare, where the NHS funds a person's care because of a primary health need, is a significant category here. If your business does or wants to do NHS funded complex care, Atamis is the system where many of those opportunities are advertised and run.
Registering and setting alerts
Set up a free supplier profile and complete your organisation details, including CQC registration, insurances and contacts. Then use the opportunity search and configure alerts for care related categories so NHS tenders reach you without daily checking. As with council portals, the quality of your profile and the accuracy of your category settings decide how reliably opportunities find you. Take time over it once, and the alerts do the watching afterwards.
Finding work and submitting
Use the opportunity search to find live tenders, then express interest to access the documents. Complete the questionnaire and your responses within the system and submit before the deadline, leaving a margin for upload time. NHS procurements can carry detailed clinical and governance requirements, so read the specification carefully and answer exactly what is asked. Continuing healthcare and complex care often demand strong evidence of clinical oversight, competency frameworks and safeguarding, so prepare that evidence early.
Atamis alongside Find a Tender and councils
Atamis is the NHS portal, but it does not show you everything. Higher value NHS opportunities are also published on the Find a Tender service, and a lot of social care work runs through council portals such as ProContract and In-Tend. A provider that delivers both health and social care needs to watch all three rather than relying on Atamis alone. Map your services to the right systems and set alerts on each, so health funded and council funded opportunities both reach you.
Atamis and the other systems care providers watch
Where to look depending on who funds the care you deliver.
| System | Run by | Care work it surfaces |
|---|---|---|
| Atamis | NHS England Health Family | Continuing healthcare, complex care, health led supported living |
| Find a Tender service | Central government | Higher value NHS and council frameworks and contracts |
| ProContract / In-Tend | Councils | Council funded home care, supported living, residential |
| Contracts Finder | Central government | Lower value spot purchase and smaller call-offs in England |
Not sure if you qualify for a tender? We check it for free, before you pay anything, and we only take bids we believe you can win. See our continuing healthcare tender writing or text TENDER to get started.
Common questions
What is Atamis used for?
Atamis is the NHS England commercial and procurement platform for the Health Family. NHS bodies use it to publish tenders, run competitions and manage contracts, including health funded care.
Where do continuing healthcare opportunities appear?
Many NHS funded continuing healthcare and complex care opportunities are published on Atamis by integrated care boards, though some also appear on Find a Tender and council portals.
Is it free to register on Atamis?
Yes. A supplier account is free. Register, complete your profile, set alerts for care categories and express interest in the opportunities you want to bid for.
What is an integrated care board?
An integrated care board is the NHS body that plans and commissions health services for an area, including a lot of community and continuing healthcare work that care providers deliver. Watch the board covering your region.
Does Atamis show every NHS care opportunity?
No. Higher value NHS work also appears on the Find a Tender service, and much social care runs through council portals. Watch all the relevant systems for the care you deliver.
What evidence do NHS care tenders usually want?
Often strong clinical oversight, competency frameworks, safeguarding and governance, especially for continuing healthcare and complex care. Read the specification and prepare that evidence before you start writing.
Keep reading
Service
Continuing healthcare tender writing
How to find care tenders
CHC homecare framework application
Complex care tenders
Browse all care tender guides, or see care tender writing by service.
Got a tender to check?
Text TENDER to +44 7822 030677and we'll tell you free whether you'd qualify, before you spend a penny.