The procurement contact named on the official notice.

Pre-market engagement for a potential framework agreement (under the PSR) for services to support dementia care.

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Commercial Procurement Services seeks to engage with providers with a view to developing a framework agreement for services to support dementia care under the Provider Selection Regime and Provider Selection Regime (Wales), together the PSR.

Framework agreements are defined in Regulation 16 of the PSR.

Any framework agreement will introduce standardised processes, thus reducing duplication of effort for Relevant Authorities and providers.

Ensuring that framework agreement providers meet the highest standards, and facilitating delivery of improvements will improve service-user experience.

Ideas under consideration are that a framework agreement will facilitate contracts for services set out in the 'Modern Service Framework for Dementia and Frailty' for the NHS in England as and when this is published, including any similar Service Framework for the NHS in Wales; and/or will facilitate contracts for services to deliver improvement opportunities identified by a Relevant Authority using the Dementia 100 pathway assessment & improvement tool (or an equivalent tool).

The purpose of this pre-market engagement notice is to invite providers to help us to develop a framework agreement service specification.

Providers participating in this pre-market engagement are not guaranteed to receive either an Invitation to Tender (if Invitations to Tender are issued), or a place on any framework agreement which may be awarded following an Invitation to Tender.

Please email coch.cps@nhs.net to express interest in taking part in this pre-market engagement process.

We will then be in contact to arrange the next steps.

We anticipate that this pre-market engagement process will run until 31 August 2026 but this may be extended.