Our Commercial Services team supports NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) colleagues with all aspects of buying goods and services. This includes everything from early planning to awarding contracts and managing them afterwards.
We also:
- negotiate changes to existing contracts
- give commercial advice across the organisation
- manage supplier relationships to make sure suppliers meet their targets throughout the contract
Information for suppliers
If you're a supplier interested in working with the NHSBSA, the following sections will give you useful information about:
- our commercial pipeline
- the types of contracts we have
- how we buy goods and services
- the standards we expect in contracts
- how we manage contracts and ensure transparency
At the NHSBSA, we’re committed to working with suppliers who share our values around sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility. Here’s what you need to know about how we buy goods and services:
Ethical standards and Supplier Code of Conduct
We’re proud to be listed on the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Corporate Ethics Register since 2021. Our commercial teams are trained in ethical sourcing, and we expect suppliers to follow our standards too.
The NHSBSA wants to encourage a culture where our employees can engage with suppliers in a way that is collaborative, transparent and encourages fair competition. That’s why we think it’s important to have a Supplier Code of Conduct in place, so that we all have a framework to work within, and to ensure that each party gets the most out of our working relationships.
The NHSBSA Supplier Code of Conduct outlines the basic standards all suppliers must follow to support fair, open and ethical buying practices. Suppliers must follow this Code during the entire procurement process.
Read the NHSBSA Supplier Code of Conduct in relation to procurement and supply chain (Word:457KB).
Sustainable procurement
We aim to make responsible purchasing decisions that consider environmental, social, and economic impacts. This means we look beyond price and quality.
Where proportionate we will include contractual requirements and social value commitments in our contracts. This means you may be required to contribute to:
- environmental sustainability including our Net Zero goals
- workforce wellbeing
- ethical labour practices
- community impact
This approach supports the UK Government’s Social Value Act (2012) and aligns with key Procurement Policy Notes (PPNs), including:
- PPN002 – Social Value Model
- PPN 06/21 – Carbon Reduction Plans
- PPN 01/24 – Carbon Reduction Contract Schedule
Our Sustainable Procurement Framework also includes a Supplier Net Zero Roadmap, which sets out how we will work with our supply chain to reduce emissions and support delivery of our 2040 Net Zero target.
More details of this roadmap can be found in the Sustainable Procurement section of Our Environment and Sustainability Annual Report 2024-25 (PDF: 11.8MB), and you can find out more about our commitments in the NHSBSA’s Environment and Sustainability Strategy 2025-30 (PDF:6.3MB).
Tackling Modern Slavery
We are committed to preventing modern slavery in our supply chains. This is a key part of our social value approach and aligns with PPN 02/23: Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains.
We expect suppliers to:
- provide a Modern Slavery Statement where applicable
- complete the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool (MSAT) for gold and silver contracts
- adhere to anti-slavery clauses in contracts
- work with us to identify and reduce risks, especially in high-risk industries or countries
To ensure these commitments are upheld, we use appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and monitor supplier actions throughout the contract term. This helps us track progress, address risks early, and ensure continuous improvement in ethical practices.
By embedding these measures, we help ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical treatment of workers across our supply chains.
Read the NHSBSA Modern Slavery Statement.
Supporting SME-friendly procurement
At NHSBSA, we are committed to creating fair and accessible opportunities for SMEs. This aligns with our obligations under the Sourcing Playbook and the Procurement Act 2023, which promote a diverse and competitive supplier base across the public sector.
Our commitments
We take several steps to ensure our procurement processes are SME-friendly:
- Structuring contracts appropriately - we consider breaking larger contracts into smaller, more manageable lots where suitable.
- Engaging early with the market - we seek supplier input to understand capabilities and reduce barriers to entry.
- Using proportionate requirements - we avoid overly complex or restrictive criteria that could exclude SMEs.
- Publishing clear and timely information - our Commercial Pipeline helps suppliers plan ahead.
- Streamlining registration - the Central Digital Platform (CDP) simplifies the process and reduces duplication.
By embedding SME-friendly practices into our planning, we aim to create more opportunities for smaller businesses to work with the NHSBSA and contribute to public value.
Market Engagement and feeding into our Procurement Strategy
Preliminary market engagement (PME) is a really useful way for the NHSBSA to get a better understanding of its purchasing requirements, ask questions of suppliers and gain valuable insight into the strengths, innovations and limitations of the current market.
As an organisation, we will endeavour to provide suppliers with as much information about a procurement as we can, such as setting out what we would like to achieve from the PME, an indication of timelines and information we would like suppliers to provide.
PME opportunities are carried out via the Health Family System and may be advertised on Contracts Finder, Find a Tender Service, or both.
Procurement
The NHSBSA procures goods and services in accordance with procurement law and its Standing Financial Instructions (Word:278KB). Suppliers involved in a procurement exercise must ensure they adhere to requirements as set out in the procurement documents and Supplier Code of Conduct.