Domiciliary Care Tenders

As with any other developed nation, the United Kingdom has a fast-growing ageing population, as more and more people begin to exit the workforce and step into retirement. For the majority of pensionable individuals, many often age in place, such as in their homes or with other family members. However, for those who require home care assistance, the NHS provides domiciliary care from a paid carer. 

As part of the NHS process to ensure all pensionable individuals who require domiciliary care receive adequate care and service, local councils will complete a free needs assessment upon request. The average cost per hour of an in-house carer can start at £20, depending on where you live, and can cost between £800 – £1,600 per week, depending on how much care a person might need. 

What’s more, recent statistical data provided by the Office of National Statistics project that there will be one pensionable adult for every three adults of working age by 2045 in England and Wales. This represents a 20 per cent increase from current projections. 

These projections leave the public healthcare sector with an opportunity to continuously improve their services, and look towards public suppliers to help aid in the process. With this in mind, private companies or organisations that can provide domiciliary care services can access available healthcare contracts and other social care tenders to help grow their business and support the ageing population. 

What is a domiciliary care tender? 

While the practice of domiciliary care can stretch across a variety of medical and public sector health services, domiciliary health care contracts are a formal process which allows private organisations that can provide these specific services to bid for tenders. 

Typically, a government entity, in this case it may be the NHS, will invite suitable private companies or organisations to bid for council tenders. Through this process, private entities can then provide the necessary domiciliary care services to individuals, and aid the NHS with adequate support, goods and products. 

These tenders are made available to the public, and the procurement process typically involves private entities submitting a bid for the tender. Seeing as the public healthcare system stretches far and wide, there is often a plethora of healthcare tenders available to small, medium and large enterprises. 

What to consider when bidding for a domiciliary contract?

The process of bidding for a domiciliary contract can become increasingly complex, however, private contractors need to consider several factors beforehand as a way to help improve the possibility of winning a healthcare tender. 

Tender criteria

Every contract or healthcare tender made public will require you to provide and verify the necessary criteria. For starters, you will need to provide adequate information on whether your level of experience, contactable references, and whether you can meet the financial threshold. 

Domiciliary service requirements 

Before applying for any tender, you will need to ensure that you meet the necessary domiciliary service requirements. Seeing as you will invest a lot of valuable resources – time and money – into this process, it’s advised to research any available tender through trusted sources and portals, such as the HCI Opportunity Portal. 

Necessary licences and accreditations 

Next, you will need to ensure that you have the necessary licences and accreditations to provide domiciliary services within your region. Typically this will change, and will largely depend on the local authority as every country within the UK has different registration requirements. 

Budget expectations 

As part of the process, your business will need to set up a budget that clearly outlines your employee and resource availability. Using a financial model, and supporting data, you can build a sufficient budget that helps to clearly outline things such as hourly rates, staff wages, cost to the company, transportation costs, and other financial considerations throughout the bidding process. 

Buyer requirements 

Understanding the buyer’s requirements will also help provide you with an indication of whether or not this tender is suitable for your business. Buyers will indicate a specific time frame or period that the contract will operate. Sometimes they might also require you to provide care services outside of your location or jurisdiction, which can create more work for you. 

How to find domiciliary tenders? 

The NHS tendering process can be complex, and without the right framework or necessary guidance, landing the right healthcare tenders can become a challenge for any business. Using procurement services that can provide you with the proper instruction can help ensure you land the right tender for your business. 

Opportunity Search 

HCI provides an all-encompassing tender solution through its Opportunity Search portal. Businesses can access a variety of tender opportunities, by searching for relevant contracts. The portal enables you and any other business to search for contracts by using specific keywords, budgets, and locations. 

Tender demos

One option would be to book a demo to assist with the social care tenders writing specifications. These demos allow you and any fellow employees to broaden their understanding of how the procurement process works, what to include in an eligible bid, and how to become a suitable healthcare service provider. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What types of NHS contracts are available? 

Seeing as the NHS is one of the biggest contract and healthcare tender services providers in the UK, there is a wide variety of public contracts available. In the healthcare sector alone, there are tender opportunities for providers available in domiciliary and social care, dental care, mental health care, transportation, consumables and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to name a few. 

How to win a domiciliary care tender?

Make sure you fulfil all the service requirements outlined by the buyer. Additionally, you will need to ensure that your business and employees have the necessary licences, and are registered through local authorities. You may also need to have a plan of action ready, that clearly outlines how you will complete the contract obligations within the given time and meet the financial threshold. 

Why bid for a domiciliary care tender? 

The NHS is constantly growing, and looking for new opportunities within the private sector. As a business that can provide the necessary social care, you can scale your business, and tap into the lucrative healthcare marketplace. 

Get ready to bid 

While the process may seem daunting, and somewhat intimidating at first, private companies and organisations that can provide the necessary social care services for pensionable adults in the UK can further grow their business, and provide a valuable service to the public health care sector. 

Finding suitable tenders to bid for would often require using trusted and reputable sources to help find a winning tender. The more you and your business leverage the opportunities and resources provided by HCI, the quicker you will become more confident to bid for new contracts in the future. 

For new business opportunities book a free trial or demo today to find, bid and win healthcare tenders and other contract opportunities in the healthcare sector.