Optometry in Special Educations Settings (SES) across the South West - Market Engagement

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of an opportunity to deliver Optometry services in Special Education Settings (SES) within the South West region, covering Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (IOS), Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and Gloucestershire Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Please note that ICBs are developing into 'clusters' ahead of statutory mergers taking formal effect, likely from April 2027.

The cluster arrangements in development include: • Devon and Cornwall (IOS) • BNSSG and Gloucestershire. These changes will not have any material impact on the commissioning intentions or contract award.

At this time, the Commissioner(s) would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering the services and invites interested parties to express an interest by completing a market engagement questionnaire. Details on how to express interest are provided in the additional information section below.

The closing date for expressing interest is 12 noon Friday 25th September. The contract(s) is expected to be for a duration of 3 years plus a possible extension of up to a period of a further 2 years.

This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner. This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to inform the market of an opportunity to deliver Optometry services in Special Education Settings (SES) within the South West region, covering Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (IOS), Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and Gloucestershire Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

Please note that ICBs are developing into 'clusters' ahead of statutory mergers taking formal effect, likely from April 2027. The cluster arrangements in development include: • Devon and Cornwall (IOS) • BNSSG and Gloucestershire.

These changes will not have any material impact on the commissioning intentions or contract award. The Commissioner would like to understand the level of provider interest in delivering these services.

The services must be person centred with reasonable adjustments and create a supportive needs-led environment to meet the needs of individual children and young people. The sight testing service will provide in-school sight testing and dispensing to all children and young people in residential and day SES and comprises of: • Annual sight tests, unless a more frequent interval is clinically indicated. • Offering corrective lenses where required. • Manage prompt and appropriate onward referral into appropriate established care pathways if further checks or treatment are required. • Providing access for any parents/carers/guardians to attend the sight test and selection of frames if they wish to do so. • Provide an eye health outcome and vision report. • Working closely with SES staff to ensure the service flexibly aligns with school capacity and schedules. • Engage with: o the SES school staff o parents/carers/guardians o children and young people attending the SES o Commissioners o the local eye health network (where they exist) o local optical committees Further details can be found in the national specification ICB toolkit: CYP SEND sight testing service specification.

Please note that the region are reviewing the specification and may tailor the requirements to take into account local needs. The final specification will be published as part of the tender pack at tender stage.

The contract(s) is expected to be for a duration of 3 years plus a possible extension of up to a further two years. This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.

Additional information: This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit the Authority or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. Information contained within this notice may be subject to change.

Those interested in delivering these services should follow the link to the e-procurement system, Atamis, search for the opportunity by clicking on 'View our Live Opportunities' from the home page, then complete the 'Market Engagement Registration Form' Microsoft (MS) Form - link available within Atamis. Please note that you will need to be registered on Atamis, and then select the option to 'register an interest' under the project titled 'Optometry in Special Education Settings - Market Engagement', project reference C468723 to gain access to the MS Forms registration link. https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome The closing date for expressing interest is 12 noon Friday 25th September.

Modern Slavery Considerations The National Health Service (Procurement, Slavery and Human Trafficking) Regulations 2025 came into force in May 2026. Alongside existing requirements under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and PPN 009, these regulations provide clearer expectations on public bodies procuring goods and services for the purposes of the health service in England, to actively assess and manage modern slavery risk throughout the procurement lifecycle.

Proportionate and reasonable steps must be taken irrespective of contract value and extend from pre-procurement stage through to contract management. Steps taken will depend on the risk categorisation of the service being tendered (high / medium / low).

In order to obtain greater understanding of risk implications for Optometry services in Special Educational Settings, and to help inform the selection and award criteria, a few questions may be asked within the market engagement questionnaire. Information shared at this stage will have no bearing on the provider's ability to bid; it is purely an information gathering exercise.

It should be noted, that as a minimum, for all procurements a question relating to modern slavery will be asked within the Basic Selection Criteria Exclusion Grounds. For organisations who have an annual turnover of at least £36 million and are therefore subject to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2025, should have a published statement in line with the requirements of Section 54.

The Authority will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise. Interested parties should note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to any subsequent formal procurement, which the commissioners will consider in due course.

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) prior information notice. The contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and The Procurement Act 2023 do not apply.