NHS SBS frameworks for care providers
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is a joint venture between the Department of Health and Social Care and Sopra Steria, set up in 2004, that runs national framework agreements the NHS and wider public sector buy from. For care and healthcare providers, the relevant agreements tend to be staffing and workforce, health and social care equipment, and corporate services rather than direct domiciliary or residential care contracts, which councils and ICBs commission separately. To get on one, you watch Find a Tender for the open window, register on the SAP Ariba Network, express interest, download the documents and submit a scored bid. We check you qualify for free before you write a word.
What NHS Shared Business Services is
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is the leading supplier of corporate procurement services to the NHS, created in 2004 by the Department of Health and Social Care as a joint venture with Sopra Steria. It is not a contracting authority that commissions your care packages directly. Instead, it builds and runs national framework agreements that NHS bodies and the wider public sector can buy from without each running its own full procurement. According to NHS SBS, it manages over 40 framework agreements covering clinical and corporate goods and services, handling around £1 billion of NHS spend each year with typical savings of up to 15 percent. Think of it as a buying house that does the heavy procurement work once, on a national basis, so that individual trusts and ICBs do not have to repeat it. The first thing to get right is the name. NHS SBS is not NHS Supply Chain, which is a separate body that handles clinical consumables and products through the Jaggaer platform, and it is not NHS England, which sets national strategy and policy. Confusing the three is the most common mistake providers make when they first look at NHS routes to market, and it wastes real time chasing the wrong door.
Which NHS SBS frameworks suit care providers
For care providers, the relevant NHS SBS frameworks tend to be staffing and workforce agreements, health and social care equipment, and corporate services, rather than direct domiciliary or residential care contracts. Always check the framework scope and lot structure before you spend time bidding, because the title can promise more than the specification delivers. This matters because pure home care and residential care are usually commissioned by local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), not by NHS SBS. If you are a CQC-registered domiciliary provider hoping for council-funded care packages, an NHS SBS framework is rarely the right route, and a council dynamic purchasing system or a domiciliary care framework will serve you better. If you supply temporary nursing or healthcare staff, complex care workers, or equipment and corporate services into NHS organisations, NHS SBS can be a strong national channel. Children's services providers should note that children's homes and supported accommodation are Ofsted-regulated and commissioned separately again, so an NHS clinical framework will not cover that work. Set the expectation early, read the scope document line by line, and bid where the work actually sits rather than where the brand name sounds promising.
Who can buy off an NHS SBS framework, and why that matters
A place on an NHS SBS framework gives you national reach, because a very large number of public bodies can call off the agreement once it is awarded. According to NHS SBS, 1,696 NHS and wider public-sector organisations are registered to use its frameworks, with over 2,274 approved organisations able to access the portfolio, so a single framework place opens the door to buyers across the country rather than one trust. That reach is the real prize. Being on the framework means you are one of a list of pre-approved organisations assessed as able to supply at agreed quality and price. Buyers then award work in two main ways: a direct award, where they pick a supplier against set criteria without a fresh tender, or a further competition (sometimes called a mini-competition), where eligible suppliers on the framework compete again on the specific requirement. Neither route requires the buyer to run a full procurement from scratch, which is exactly why NHS bodies and councils like buying through frameworks, and why a single place can generate repeat work. The flip side is that a place is not a guarantee of revenue. You still have to win the call-offs, so a strong framework bid is the start of the sales effort, not the end of it.
How to apply: Find a Tender and SAP Ariba
To get onto an NHS SBS framework you must catch the open tender window, register on SAP Ariba, express interest and submit a scored bid. NHS SBS advertises its framework opportunities on Find a Tender, the central UK platform for higher-value public contracts, and runs the bidding through the SAP Ariba Network, where suppliers register an expression of interest and download the procurement documents. Frameworks are re-tendered on fixed cycles, often every two to four years, so the window to apply is time-limited. Miss it and you usually wait for the next cycle, which can be years away. The practical steps are: set up alerts on Find a Tender for the relevant CPV categories, register a free supplier account on SAP Ariba, express interest on the opportunity to unlock the documents, then build your response well before the deadline rather than against it. One point on geography. Find a Tender carries UK-wide notices above the relevant thresholds, but the devolved nations also run their own portals for lower-value and local opportunities. Scotland uses Public Contracts Scotland, Wales uses Sell2Wales, and Northern Ireland uses eTendersNI, so check the right platform if you are chasing devolved work alongside NHS SBS frameworks.
What the application actually asks for
An NHS SBS framework application follows the standard two-part structure: a selection stage that is largely pass or fail, then a scored quality and price stage. The selection stage screens you on the essentials, including CQC registration where regulated care is in scope, insurance limits, minimum turnover, financial standing and grounds for exclusion. Fail one of these and the quality answers are never read, so treat the selection questionnaire as a gate to clear cleanly, not a box-ticking afterthought. The scored stage is where places are won or lost. Expect method-statement questions on safe staffing and recruitment, training and compliance, quality assurance, business continuity, mobilisation and social value. Under the Procurement Act 2023, which took effect on 24 February 2025, contracts are awarded to the most advantageous tender, so price is weighed against quality and social value rather than lowest price alone. Read the scoring rubric for every question, answer the marked criteria point by point in the order they appear, and give concrete evidence, real numbers, named policies and dated examples, rather than statements of intent. Mirror the buyer's language, stay inside the word count, and make every scored point easy for an assessor to find. We only take on bids we believe you can win, which starts with checking the framework scope genuinely fits what you do.
Is it free, and what it costs you in practice
The NHS SBS eTendering service and supplier helpdesk are free to use, so there is no fee to register on SAP Ariba, express interest or submit a bid. The cost is your time and the quality of your written response, not a paywall. That said, a serious framework bid is a substantial piece of work. The documents can run to many scored questions across multiple lots, and a weak answer to a single question can cost you a place or push you down the ranking. Treat it like the competitive procurement it is. Gather your evidence early, your CQC registration details, insurance certificates, policies, two or three years of accounts and case studies, so you are not assembling them against the clock in the final week. Build a reusable bid library so the next framework is faster to answer. Because the NHS SBS figures quoted in this guide come from its own published material and can drift over time, verify the current framework list and scope on sbs.nhs.uk before you commit. Staleness check: re-verify these figures and framework details by 11 July 2026.
NHS SBS at a glance for care and staffing providers
The key facts a provider needs before deciding whether an NHS SBS framework is the right route. Figures are from NHS SBS's own published material and should be re-checked before bidding.
| Item | Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Joint venture set up in 2004 by the Department of Health and Social Care with Sopra Steria | It runs frameworks; it does not commission your care packages directly |
| Scale | Over 40 framework agreements, around £1 billion of NHS spend a year, typical savings up to 15 percent | Shows the size of the route, but most spend is not direct care |
| Reach | 1,696 registered organisations; over 2,274 approved bodies can call off | One framework place gives national buyer access |
| Relevant frameworks | Staffing and workforce, health and social care equipment, corporate services | Skews away from direct domiciliary or residential care work |
| Where it is advertised | Find a Tender (central UK platform) | Set alerts here to catch the time-limited window |
| How you bid | SAP Ariba Network: register, express interest, download documents, submit | You must be registered before the deadline |
| Cost to bid | Free eTendering service and helpdesk | No paywall; the cost is your time and bid quality |
| Not to be confused with | NHS Supply Chain (clinical products via Jaggaer) and NHS England | Bidding on the wrong route wastes weeks |
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. Text TENDER to get started.
Common questions
What is NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS)?
NHS SBS is the leading supplier of corporate procurement services to the NHS, created in 2004 by the Department of Health and Social Care as a joint venture with Sopra Steria. It builds and manages national framework agreements that NHS and wider public-sector bodies buy from. It is not a body that commissions care packages directly, and it is separate from NHS Supply Chain and NHS England.
How do I get on an NHS SBS framework agreement?
Watch Find a Tender for the open window, register on the SAP Ariba Network, express interest to unlock the documents, then submit a scored bid before the deadline. Frameworks are re-tendered on fixed cycles, often every two to four years, so the application window is time-limited. You pass a selection stage on eligibility and insurance first, then score on quality and price questions.
Which NHS SBS frameworks are relevant to care providers?
The relevant ones tend to be staffing and workforce agreements, health and social care equipment, and corporate services, rather than direct domiciliary or residential care contracts. Always check the framework scope before bidding. Pure home care and residential care are usually commissioned by councils and Integrated Care Boards, not NHS SBS, so set the expectation correctly before you invest time.
How many NHS organisations use NHS SBS frameworks?
According to NHS SBS, 1,696 NHS and wider public-sector organisations are registered to use its frameworks, and over 2,274 approved organisations can call off any agreement in the portfolio. NHS SBS manages over 40 frameworks handling around £1 billion of NHS spend a year, with typical savings of up to 15 percent. That reach is why a single framework place can open work across many buyers.
What is the difference between NHS SBS and NHS Supply Chain?
They are two separate bodies. NHS SBS is a Department of Health and Social Care joint venture with Sopra Steria that runs corporate and clinical service frameworks, advertised on Find a Tender and bid through SAP Ariba. NHS Supply Chain handles clinical consumables and products, largely through the Jaggaer platform. Neither is NHS England. Confusing them is the most common mistake when providers first look at NHS routes.
Is it free to bid for an NHS SBS framework?
Yes. The NHS SBS eTendering service and supplier helpdesk are free, so there is no fee to register on SAP Ariba, express interest or submit a bid. Your cost is the time and quality of your written response. If you want help, your first tender with us is £795. We only take bids we believe you can win, and if a loss is clearly down to our writing error we rewrite the next one free. Our win rate is 96 percent.
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.