The NHS and newly formed Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are investing billions in digital transformation, from electronic health records and telehealth platforms to cybersecurity and AI diagnostics. For tech suppliers, this represents a massive opportunity. But here’s the problem: most suppliers have no idea where these opportunities are hiding. Generic procurement portals like Find a Tender and Contracts Finder are designed for all sectors; healthcare tech gets buried under construction, facilities, and administrative contracts. By the time a tender is published, procurement teams have already shortlisted suppliers and built relationships with incumbents. You’re bidding blind, competing on price, and losing to competitors who know the landscape better.
This guide changes that. We’ll show you where NHS and ICS tech opportunities live, how to discover them before they’re published, who makes the decisions, and how to position yourself competitively in an increasingly complex healthcare procurement environment.
The Digital Transformation Wave in UK Healthcare—Where the Money Is
The NHS is undergoing its most significant digital shift in decades. From the 2024 Spring Budget’s £3.4 billion allocation for digital productivity improvements to the Long-Term Plan’s commitment to digital-first patient care, the scale of investment is unprecedented. This funding targets critical areas: Electronic Patient Records (EPRs), AI-powered diagnostics, virtual wards, and interoperability platforms that enable data sharing across NHS trusts and integrated care systems.
The newly formed Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) established in 2022 have fundamentally changed how procurement happens. Rather than centralised buying through NHS England, each of the 42 regional ICSs now has autonomy over tech procurement. ICSs are responsible for planning and funding most NHS services in their area. This decentralisation means there’s no single “NHS procurement” anymore; instead, there are 42 distinct procurement landscapes, each with its own priorities, budgets, and decision-making structures.
The Procurement Act 2023, implemented in February 2025, has added another layer of opportunity. It mandates “Planned Procurement Notices,” giving suppliers a 12-month forward look at NHS and ICS procurement pipelines. For proactive suppliers, this means the era of surprise tenders is ending. But only if you know where to look.
According to market analysis conducted in December 2025 by HCI, the Procurement Act 2023 has already generated over 42,000 notices published since February 2025 implementation. This increased transparency means opportunities are now visible earlier—but only to suppliers actively monitoring the market. At the same time, framework agreements represent a significant opportunity: just 17.95% of notices are framework-based, yet these frameworks account for 74.3% of total procurement value, meaning that access to just a few key frameworks can unlock substantial revenue. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and framework agreements can also help suppliers secure advantageous technology deals by facilitating favourable agreements and partnerships in the tech industry. After all, centralised procurement through frameworks helps organisations avoid duplicate software licenses and ‘shelfware’, potentially saving 7% to 12% on third-party expenditures.
Why Generic Tender Portals Fail for Healthcare Tech Procurement
Find a Tender and Contracts Finder are necessary but insufficient. They’re sector-agnostic platforms designed to serve construction, facilities, admin, and everything else. Healthcare tech procurement gets lost in the noise. You can’t filter by technology type (EHR, telehealth, cybersecurity). You can’t see who the incumbent supplier is. You can’t identify decision-makers. You can’t understand what the procurement team needs.
This creates what lower mid-market suppliers call the “blind bidding” problem. From market research conducted in December 2025 by HCI, we can see that 60% of mid-sized companies report bidding without visibility into competitor or incumbent data. They don’t know who they’re competing against, what those competitors charge, or what their weaknesses are. This information disadvantage translates directly into lower win rates and price-driven competition.
The lag time problem makes it worse. Procurement processes begin 6–12 months before a tender is published. By the time the tender appears on a generic portal, the procurement team has already decided on their preferred approach, shortlisted suppliers, and built relationships with incumbents. You’re joining a race that’s already been won.
Webinar: Inside the UK Health Market 2026: What Healthcare Suppliers Need to Know
If you’re still relying on generic tender portals, you’re arriving after the real procurement decisions have already started. This HCI webinar breaks down what’s changing in UK health procurement—and where suppliers should focus to win higher-value work in 2026. Watch On Demand here: https://www.hcicontracts.com/blog/webinar/inside-the-uk-health-market-2026-what-healthcare-suppliers-need-to-know/
Understanding the New Landscape: NHS, ICS, and the Procurement Act 2023
What are Integrated Care Systems?
Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are regional partnerships that bring together NHS organisations, local authorities, and other partners to take collective responsibility for planning services and improving health. Each ICS consists of two bodies: the integrated care board (ICB) and the integrated care partnership (ICP). The integrated care board is a statutory body responsible for planning and funding most NHS services in the area, having taken over NHS commissioning responsibilities from Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) as part of recent system reforms. The integrated care partnership (ICP) sets the strategic direction for the ICS. The involvement of local government in ICSs can improve population health and tackle inequalities through leadership in public health.
This structure matters because it means procurement is now local, not national. An ICS in the North West has different priorities, budgets, and timelines than an ICS in London. Suppliers must tailor their approach to each region, understand local health inequalities, and engage with decision-makers who are embedded in their communities, not sitting in a central office.
The Procurement Act 2023 and Early Visibility
The Procument Act introduced transparency requirements that fundamentally change how suppliers can discover opportunities. Planned Procurement Notices (UK1 notices) are now published 12 months in advance, revealing what procurement is coming. Market Engagement Notices (UK2) signal that buyers are testing the market and want supplier input. This transparency is a gift for proactive suppliers—but only if you’re actively monitoring these signals. Technology procurement now requires more strategic decision-making and ongoing evaluation to ensure alignment with digital transformation goals and to manage increasingly complex procurement processes.
The Procument Act also introduced the Competitive Flexible Procedure, allowing buyers to design multi-stage procurement processes that include workshops, demos, and feedback phases. This creates opportunities for early engagement and relationship building—exactly what separates winners from reactive bidders. Regularly evaluating whether technology delivers expected value against the business case is essential for measuring ROI.
Who Are the Key Decision-Makers for Tech in an ICS?
Understanding who decides is critical. In an ICS, procurement isn’t a single person’s decision; it’s a committee.
The ICB Procurement Lead controls vendor selection and contract negotiation. They care about value for money, compliance, and risk management. Engage them through formal procurement processes and comprehensive business case development.
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Digital Lead defines tech requirements and evaluates solutions. They prioritise strategic alignment, interoperability, and future-proofing. They respond to technical briefings and strategic discussions about how your solution fits the ICS’s long-term digital strategy.
Clinical IT Leads influence adoption and integration with clinical workflows. They care about usability, clinical safety, and workflow efficiency. They respond to clinical engagement, user testing, and evidence that your solution actually works in practice.
Finance/Commissioning approves budgets and ROI justification. They need clear business cases, cost-benefit analysis, and financial modelling showing how your solution delivers value.
A critical note: One decision-maker role that’s often overlooked is the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO). Unlike the CIO, who focuses on technology infrastructure, the CCIO is responsible for clinical safety and adoption. For healthcare tech procurement, CCIO buy-in is often the make-or-break factor. Solutions that fail to address clinical workflow integration—or that lack evidence of clinical safety compliance—rarely progress past the CCIO’s veto. Engaging the CCIO early, with clinical evidence and workflow analysis, is essential for positioning your solution as viable.
These decision-makers aren’t on LinkedIn answering cold calls. They respond to thought leadership, peer recommendations, and early engagement. Relationship building must begin 12 months before the tender is published—not when it appears on a portal.
The Hidden Opportunity: Early Signals Before the Tender
This is where you separate yourself from competitors still waiting for tenders to be published.
ICS Strategic Plans and Commissioning Intentions are published annually and reveal long-term tech priorities. These plans are developed at the system level and often involve place-based partnerships, bringing together various stakeholders to plan and deliver localized health and social care services. ICSs focus on understanding and addressing local needs and actively engage local people in the planning process to ensure services align with community priorities. They include 12–24 month procurement outlooks. An ICS’s Commissioning Intentions for 2026–27 might reveal plans to invest in AI diagnostics or cyber resilience—giving you months to position yourself as the solution. Local providers also play a key role in delivering services and shaping these strategic priorities within the ICS.
Policy documents and NHS England guidance signal emerging procurement needs. The NHS Digital Strategy, Long-Term Plan, and cyber resilience guidance all point to what procurement teams will be prioritising. These documents are public; most suppliers simply don’t read them.
Board minutes and procurement pipelines are visible to those who know where to look. ICS board meetings are public; minutes are published. Business cases that have been approved signal procurement is coming.
Framework agreements and expiry dates are critical. Most NHS/ICS tech contracts run on 3–5 year frameworks. Missing a framework entry point means being locked out for years. If an EHR framework expires in Q3 2026, procurement begins in Q4 2025. Suppliers who aren’t engaged by Q3 2025 are already behind.
The advantage of tracking these early signals is enormous. Suppliers who engage 6–12 months before a tender is published build relationships, position themselves on shortlists, and influence the specification. By the time the tender is published, you’re already a known quantity. Procurement teams should also utilize deep category knowledge to create resources that help organizations find the right procurement solutions.
How to Discover Tech Opportunities: A Step-by-Step Approach
Step 1: Map the ICS landscape in your region. Identify which ICSs you want to target. Understand their structure, governance, and strategic priorities. Create a spreadsheet with ICS name, location, key contacts, and strategic priorities.
Step 2: Monitor strategic documents. Subscribe to ICS Commissioning Intentions (published annually). Monitor Digital Strategies and Long-Term Plans. Track policy documents from NHS England. Set up Google Alerts for key ICS names and procurement keywords.
Step 3: Track framework expiry dates. Identify relevant frameworks (EHR, telehealth, cybersecurity). Document expiry dates and procurement timelines. Create a calendar of upcoming procurement windows.
Step 4: Identify decision-makers. Use LinkedIn, ICS websites, and board minutes to find procurement leads and clinical IT contacts. Research their background, priorities, and pain points. Build a decision-maker database.
Step 5: Build early relationships. Attend ICS events, webinars, and procurement forums. Position yourself as a thought partner, not a vendor. Share insights on emerging tech needs (AI, cyber, interoperability). Offer free assessments or pilots. Provide support to procurement teams and stakeholders to foster collaboration and add value early in the process.
Step 6: Monitor tender pipelines. Use Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, and ICS-specific procurement channels. Set up alerts for relevant tech categories. Track tender activity and note who wins and loses. Leverage digital procurement platforms to automate routine tasks, enforce buying thresholds, and enhance compliance, which can increase productivity by up to 21% and significantly shorten RFQ cycle times.
Step 7: Analyse the competition. When a tender appears, research who the incumbent is. Understand what they charge and what their weaknesses are. Identify other bidders and their positioning. Develop a competitive strategy. Technology procurement management should include risk mitigation strategies to drive continuous improvement in procurement processes.
Timing matters more than you think. Procurement processes typically begin 6–12 months before a tender is published. If you wait until a tender appears on Contracts Finder, you’re already 6+ months behind the decision curve. This is why monitoring ICS strategic documents (Step 2) and framework expiry dates (Step 3) 12 months in advance is critical—it’s the difference between being on the shortlist and being locked out entirely.
Embedding strict security checks into the vendor vetting process is essential for pre-emptive cybersecurity measures.
The Framework Lock-In Risk—Why Timing Is Everything
This is the risk most suppliers don’t understand until it’s too late. Framework agreements are pre-agreed lists of approved suppliers. If you’re not on the framework, you can’t bid on tenders under that framework. Missing a framework entry point means being locked out for 3–5 years—a massive revenue loss that most suppliers don’t even know is at risk.
Consider this timeline: an EHR framework expires in Q3 2026. Procurement begins in Q4 2025. Suppliers who aren’t engaged by Q3 2025 are already behind. If you miss the new framework, you can’t bid on any EHR tenders for the next 3–5 years. Your competitor entrenches deeper. You’re locked out.
The scale of this risk is significant. According to market data from December 2025, 31.7% of suppliers have access to 74.3% of the framework value in the market. This means suppliers who track frameworks and secure entry to just the top 5 frameworks in their sector gain visibility to three-quarters of available budget. Without specialised intelligence to track these frameworks and identify entry points, suppliers are competing for the remaining 26.7% of available value—while stronger competitors control most of the market.
The solution is obsessive framework tracking. Track expiry dates. Engage 12 months before expiry. Respond to RFI/RFP comprehensively. Build relationships with the procurement team. Framework lock-in is a strategic risk that requires strategic response.
Competitive Intelligence—How to De-Risk Your Bids
Most suppliers bid without knowing who they’re competing against. This is a critical disadvantage. You need to know: Who is the incumbent? What do they charge? What are their weaknesses? Who else is bidding? What’s the decision criteria?
This intelligence comes from tender documents (which often reveal incumbent names and contract values), procurement forums (where procurement teams discuss pain points), industry networks, LinkedIn research, and Freedom of Information requests. Increasingly, organisations are using AI to automate contract analysis, summarize vendor RFPs, and predict market trends, giving them a sharper edge in tech procurement.
With this intelligence, you can position your solution against incumbent weaknesses, price competitively without racing to the bottom, and build relationships with decision-makers who are frustrated with current suppliers. Rigorous vendor vetting is also essential to reduce the risk of third-party data breaches and ensure compliance with evolving regulations like GDPR and HIPAA. Suppliers with competitive intelligence win significantly more deals. You’re no longer bidding blind; you’re bidding strategically. Organisations should also champion socially responsible procurement practices to ensure value for money in technology procurement.
How HCI helps you stop “blind bidding” and win strategically
HCI turns fragmented market signals into actionable competitive intelligence—so you don’t enter an NHS or ICS competition cold. Instead of manually trawling tender documents, LinkedIn, forums, and FOIs, HCI consolidates and structures the insight you actually need to shape a winning position.
Building a Proactive Procurement Strategy—From Reactive to Proactive
The reactive approach is the trap: wait for the tender, scramble to respond, compete on price, lose to the incumbent. The proactive approach is the advantage: monitor ICS strategies 12 months ahead, build relationships with decision-makers, position your solution before the tender, engage as a thought partner. Engaging with partner organisations, local organisations, and local partners within the ICS ecosystem can significantly improve procurement outcomes by fostering collaboration and shared understanding.
By the time the tender is published, you’re already on the shortlist. The timeline looks like this: Months 1–3, monitor ICS strategies and identify upcoming opportunities. Months 4–6, reach out to the procurement team and express interest. Months 7–9, attend procurement forums and build relationships. Months 10–12, respond to RFI/RFP and demonstrate expertise. Month 13+, when the tender is published, you’re already engaged.
The advantage is clear: shorter sales cycles, higher win rates, stronger relationships, better positioning, and less price pressure. Local councils play a key role as local partners in developing shared health and care services, and effective procurement can also support broader economic development within the community. By 2026, approximately 70% of companies are expected to include ESG metrics in their supplier scorecards.
The Role of Specialised Intelligence Platforms
Generic portals are necessary but insufficient. They lack healthcare-specific categorisation, early signal detection, competitive intelligence, and framework tracking. Specialised platforms provide exactly what you need: healthcare-specific filtering, early signals (policy documents, ICS strategies, framework expiry dates), competitive intelligence (incumbent data, contract values, decision-maker contacts), proactive alerts, and historical data on win-loss patterns and pricing benchmarks. Specialized intelligence platforms leverage digital technologies to deliver insights into integrated services and the broader care system, helping suppliers navigate the complexities of health and social care.
Suppliers using specialised intelligence win more deals, faster. They spend less time on manual research and more time on strategic positioning. They engage earlier and win more often. These platforms help suppliers understand the needs of health and care organisations, social care providers, and public health priorities, ensuring their offerings align with the requirements of integrated care systems. They also highlight the importance of addressing wider determinants of health, supporting local communities, and meeting the needs of the local population in each ICS area. A dedicated healthcare procurement intelligence platform enables exactly this—providing laser-focused visibility into NHS and ICS tech opportunities, with built-in competitive intelligence and framework tracking. Intelligence platforms also help suppliers contribute to health and wellbeing, improve financial performance, and provide support to ICSs by identifying opportunities across local services, primary care, and GP practices as key components of service delivery.
Get Ahead in Technology Procurement
Discovering tech procurement opportunities in NHS and ICS environments requires a strategic approach. You need to understand the new ICS structure, monitor early signals, identify decision-makers, track frameworks, and build competitive intelligence. Generic procurement portals are a starting point, but they’re not enough.
The suppliers who win are those who engage proactively, 12 months before tenders are published, armed with intelligence and relationships. If you’re serious about winning NHS and ICS tech contracts, you need visibility into opportunities before they’re published, competitive intelligence to position yourself effectively, and framework tracking to avoid lock-in.
The difference between winning and losing often comes down to preparation. Start today: map your target ICSs, monitor their strategic plans, and begin building relationships with decision-makers. The procurement process is already underway for tenders that won’t be published for months. Don’t wait for the tender to appear—discover the opportunity first.
How HCI helps you get ahead in NHS and ICS technology procurement
HCI gives suppliers the market visibility and structure you need to win earlier—before opportunities hit generic portals and before requirements are locked in. In a decentralised landscape of 42 ICSs, success depends on knowing where to look, who to speak to, and what’s coming next.
With HCI, you can:
- Navigate the ICS procurement landscape by mapping relevant Trusts, ICS footprints, and buyer priorities so you focus on the right organisations from day one.
- Spot early signals by tracking pre-tender activity and forward indicators—helping you engage 6–12 months before formal publication, when influence is still possible.
- Identify decision-makers and stakeholders so your outreach targets the people shaping requirements, not just the procurement inbox.
- Track frameworks and routes to market to avoid being blocked by framework lock-in and to plan the fastest, most realistic path to contract award.
- Build competitive and account intelligence so you position confidently—understanding the incumbent environment, likely evaluation drivers, and what “good” looks like in that buying context.
The outcome is straightforward: you stop reacting to tenders and start shaping opportunities—prioritising the right ICSs, engaging earlier, and building the relationships and intelligence that make the difference between a late bid and a strategic win. Speak to the team today to find out more.