Frequently Asked Questions
Frameworks
Please use the framework search facility on our website. This provides information on each framework including start and finish dates for all current framework agreements, the type of framework, a named contact and the authority.
A framework agreement is an agreement or other arrangement between one or more buying authorities and one or more suppliers which establishes the terms (in particular the terms relating to price and, where appropriate, quantity) under which the supplier will enter into one or more contracts with the contracting authority in the period during which the framework agreement applies (normally a maximum of four years).
The NHS procurement process is subject to strict rules laid down by the EU, and you can find out more in this Office of Government Commerce Guidance on Framework Agreements in the Procurement Regulations.
Once an agreement has gone live, no new suppliers can be added to the framework. Would-be suppliers must wait for tenders for new frameworks to be published - find out more in the Suppliers section of our website.
If you were not awarded a place on the NHS CPP National Clinical Staffing Framework for the supply of nursing and nursing related staff, you cannot now join the framework - this is restricted by law, not something which NHS LPP decides itself.
To become a supplier on a new framework you need to respond successfully to a Contract Notice published in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Use our Framework Search facility to see when current contracts end, as this will give you an indication of when new tenders will be published, and visit our Suppliers page for links to where those new tenders are published.
You can, but we ask you to follow strict guidelines around the use of the NHS name, logo, and wording. For example, we do not ‘appoint’ or ‘approve’ suppliers as that is not our role. We ‘award’ a place on a framework when a supplier has successfully met the framework criteria. If your business is on a framework, please contact the relevant team to discuss your plans for promoting your inclusion as these must be approved by NHS LPP before you undertake any promotional activity. You can find the relevant team’s contact details on our website.
Membership
A list of our current members can be seen on our website here
NHS LPP’s fee structure was reviewed in 2019 by a Steering Board led Task and Finish group. A streamlined, simplified model that segments our members into four groups, based on the size of their non-pay spend was developed and adopted. All members, regardless of the size of the organisation, receive the same level of service and membership benefits. For more information on membership and fees visit (insert link) or contact our account managers:
- Daniel Lewin, Account Manager for North London – Daniel.lewin@lpp.nhs.uk or
- Hamish Macdonald, Account Manager for South and outside London – Hamish.macdonald@lpp.nhs.uk
Visit the Becoming a member page on the website here.
Our core market is London but we do accept members from other regions, please contact us if you would like to find out more.
Please contact our account managers
- Daniel Lewin, Account Manager for North London – Daniel.lewin@lpp.nhs.uk or
- Hamish Macdonald, Account Manager for South and outside London – Hamish.macdonald@lpp.nhs.uk
Please contact our account managers who will be happy to discuss your requirements in detail and visit our Becoming a member page on the website.
- Daniel Lewin, Account Manager for North London – Daniel.lewin@lpp.nhs.uk or
- Hamish Macdonald, Account Manager for South and outside London – Hamish.macdonald@lpp.nhs.uk
NHS LPP
NHS LPP supports our NHS member trusts' procurement teams to get the best value from their purchasing. You can find out more detail about how we do that in the About Us section on our website.
You can find out about our category areas in the Categories section of our website. In addition, we provide project and consultancy support which offers additional areas of expertise. More about our Consultancy and Project support is available here.
The NHS hubs were set up at different times and under differing circumstances, but all have the ultimate objective of helping the NHS to improve procurement. Each hub has its own governance and fee structure. NHS LPP is a membership organisation with a Steering Board and charges an annual membership fee. Other organisations use different funding methods, including charging access fees for the use of particular framework agreements. There are also commercial hubs which are not part of the NHS. Unlike those commercial organisations, NHS LPP and the NHS hubs are not profit making bodies and do not have to pay dividends to private shareholders. We work closely with the following hubs to ensure that NHS LPP members get the widest portfolio of products and services with the minimum amount of duplicated effort:
North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative
East of England Collaborative Procurement hub
NHS Commercial Solutions
The collective name for the four organisations working together is Procurement in Partnership (PiP). PiP also work with Crown Commercial Services on workforce and the five organisations together are known as The Workforce Alliance.
The NHS LPP exec team sets our corporate priorities to be agreed and signed off by our member-led Steering Board. You can find out more in the Structure and Governance section of our website.
Yes. NHS LPP was set up and is funded by our NHS members to help the NHS use its buying power to deliver efficiency, value for money and thereby improve patient care. Our team comprises solely of NHS employees (with the exception of any interim staff we call on when we need extra support). We are currently hosted by, but are independent of, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS LPP is a membership organisation. Members pay an annual fee to join us. In addition some funding comes from providing consultancy and project support to NHS organisations. Further funding is generated through activity based income linked to uptake of specific projects. Any surplus is returned to the NHS.
Please send your query to customer@lpp.nhs.uk We will work with the FOI team at our host trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to respond to your query.
Categories of procurement are categorised as follows:
b) Consultancy
c) Estates, Facilities and Professional Services
d) Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy Procurement
e) Workforce
Suppliers
Suppliers cannot join frameworks once they are live. Use our Framework Search facility to see when current contracts end. To become a supplier on a new framework you need to respond successfully to a Contract Notice published in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Where national frameworks are already in place, we decide whether to undertake a mini competition or negotiate rates with a single supplier.
In line with EU legislation, all tenders for suppliers and services above £113,000 are advertised in the Supplement to OJEU. These adverts enable you to express an interest in bidding. You can find out more in the Suppliers section of the NHS LPP website.
You can also apply to join one of our Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS). A DPS remains open to new suppliers throughout the period of the agreement. This enables suppliers who may not be able to meet the selection criteria at the time a DPS is first established to review their processes, finances and capabilities and apply for acceptance onto the DPS at a later stage.
NHS LPP encourages SMEs to tender for NHS business where appropriate. You can find out more about becoming a supplier to the NHS in the Suppliers section of our website.
There is no fee to become a supplier on a framework. However, certain frameworks or contracts require the payment of Activity Based Income (ABI). Please see our website to find out how to become a supplier to the NHS.
When we identify new requirements for our NHS members, we are obliged to follow the formal procurement process under EU legislation. Tender opportunities are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). It is only by responding to a contract notice in the OJEU that you can tender to become a supplier on one of LPP's framework agreements. Find out more including links to Tenders Electronic Daily in the Suppliers area of our website.
A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is unlike a traditional framework for the supply of goods, works or services. A DPS is an electronic system which suppliers can join at any time.
An 'open market' solution, a DPS is designed to give buyers access to a pool of pre-qualified suppliers. Usually set up by central purchasing bodies, such as NHS LPP, the DPS is available for use by the public sector.
A DPS can be divided into categories of works, services or goods, known as Lots, which may specify contract size or the geographical area of contract delivery. Suppliers can apply to be listed on single or multiple lots within a DPS. A DPS offers many benefits for both suppliers and buyers.
For information on NHS LPP’s Dynamic Purchasing Systems (such as our Minor Works and Language Services Dynamic Purchasing Systems), which allow qualified suppliers to join at any point during the life of the DPS, please follow this link.
Working
We advertise our team vacancies through Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s recruitment team. NHS LPP is hosted by the Trust. Find out more in the Work for Us section of our website and on our LinkedIn page
Yes, when a particular piece of work requires additional support. Generally we use agency partners on the Non-clinical Temporary and Fixed-term Staff Framework
Yes, when appropriate, we offer apprenticeships through the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Education and Development Team