NHS Workforce Alliance Health Workforce Solutions

Summary

This open framework agreement, let under the Procurement Act 2023, gives the NHS and wider public sector access to outsourced staff banks, managed service solutions, temporary and permanent recruitment solutions (domestic and international), workforce management plans and vendor management systems.

 

Updates

17/07/2025 : A supplier webinar took place on Thursday, 03 July 2025. The materials, including an updated question and answer document dated 14 July 2025, are available under the ‘Supplier Engagement’ heading below.

Description

This agreement is a part of the broader portfolio of the NHS Workforce Alliance and will replace Workforce Improvement Services (RM6163) and Managed Staff Banks (RM6278). This open framework agreement is designed to provide sustainable and flexible workforce solutions for public sector organisations that meet both immediate and long-term needs. The framework will cover a range of services including:

  • outsourced staff banks and managed service solutions
  • permanent and temporary recruitment solutions (domestic and international)
  • bespoke workforce management plans.

In addition to the services above we’re expanding NHS workforce planning support. This includes vendor management systems for temporary staff oversight and recruitment specialists for both domestic and international hiring.

The framework agreement is likely to run for eight years.

Benefits

  • access to an NHS England approved route to market
  • flexible solutions will be designed to both offer alternatives to agency staffing and more strategic contracts to manage agency staffing cost pressures and transition to non-agency routes, aligning with NHS England temporary staffing efficiency programme (TSEP)
  • the NHS Workforce Alliance conducts audits to ensure all relevant worker compliance checks are conducted
  • access innovative solutions designed to support the public sector with their workforce challenges
  • access to complete a workforce solution using a single contracting option

Product types

The agreement will have one lot.

Customer engagement

We have held customer engagement sessions to support the development of this agreement. If you have any further queries, you can contact the team at peoplepillarcomms@crowncommercial.gov.uk with ‘RM6380’ in the email subject.

Supplier engagement

The NHS Workforce Alliance has held two supplier webinars.

Below you will find slides, a question and answer document and a recording from the supplier engagement event held on 26 March 2025:

The slides, question and answers document and recording from the supplier engagement event held on 03 July 2025 are available below:

Important links

Prior Information Notice (PIN) Read PIN
Contract Notice in Find a Tender (FTS) Not available yet
Tender documents Not available yet

Timeline

Activity Estimated dates
Pre-market engagement October 2024 to July 2025
Drafting of procurement documentation May to August 2025
Publication of find a tender (FTS) notice 08 August 2025
Tender closes 22 September 2025
Evaluation and approvals period September 2025 to January 2026
Contract Award January 2026
Framework Award February or March 2026