Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health
Framework Description
Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health (SBS10197) is NHS Shared Business Services' framework for consultancy across ten lots, from strategy and governance to integrated care, IT, finance, HR, outbreak management, sustainability and property. It is a traditional framework rather than a DPS, so the panel of consultancies on each lot is fixed for the term, which runs until 17 March 2028.
Context & Use Case
NHS bodies use it when they need outside expertise: designing integrated care pathways, preparing for or responding to a disease outbreak, running a commercial or transformation programme, reviewing finance and procurement, or setting carbon neutrality plans. Each lot is a defined panel, so buyers can approach consultancies with the specific capability required.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Business, leadership, management, governance, structure and strategy Lot 2: Integrated care, healthcare and community care Lot 3: Commercialisation, innovation and transformation Lot 4: Communications, engagement and research Lot 5: IT business consultancy Lot 6: Finance and procurement Lot 7: HR and employment, skills and training Lot 8: Disease outbreaks (endemics, epidemics and pandemics) Lot 9: Social value, sustainability and carbon neutrality Lot 10: Property
Lots
Lot 1: Business, leadership, management, governance, structure and strategy This lot covers services related to business leadership, management practices, governance frameworks, organisational structure, and strategic planning. Lot 2: Integrated care, healthcare and community care This lot encompasses services for integrated care systems, healthcare delivery, and community care initiatives. Lot 3: Commercialisation, innovation and transformation This lot includes services focused on commercialisation strategies, innovation processes, and organisational transformation. Lot 4: Communications, engagement and research This lot pertains to services in communications strategies, stakeholder engagement, and research activities. Lot 5: IT business consultancy This lot covers consultancy services related to IT business solutions and technology strategy. Lot 6: Finance and procurement This lot involves services in financial management, procurement processes, and related advisory services. Lot 7: HR and employment, skills, and training This lot includes services related to human resources management, employment practices, skills development, and training programmes. Lot 8: Disease outbreaks – endemics, epidemics and pandemics This lot addresses services for managing disease outbreaks, including endemics, epidemics, and pandemics. Lot 9: Social value, sustainability, and carbon neutrality This lot covers services aimed at enhancing social value, promoting sustainability, and achieving carbon neutrality. Lot 10: Property This lot pertains to property management services, including real estate consultancy and facilities management.
Who Can Apply
It suits management consultancies, health policy specialists, IT advisers, finance and procurement experts, communications agencies and property consultants. Applications for this framework are closed, so firms not appointed cannot join until the re-tender, likely around 17 March 2028.
Buyer Benefits
Ten lots cover almost any advisory need a health body faces, so teams avoid separate tenders for each piece of work. Dedicated lots for outbreak response and carbon neutrality match current NHS priorities, and lots split by discipline let buyers go straight to consultancies with the expertise they need.
Next Steps
Appointed consultancies should prepare for call-offs with healthcare case studies, team CVs and day rates for each lot. Firms not on SBS10197 should plan for the re-tender ahead of 17 March 2028: watch the framework page on the NHS SBS site, pick the lots matching your strongest NHS work, and gather client references now.
How Athena Can Help
For consultancies on SBS10197, Athena's proposal writing support produces call-off proposals with clear win themes and pricing models that hold up against larger firms on the same lot.
If you want a place at the 2028 re-tender, our framework entry advice helps choose from the ten lots and prepares case studies and policies early, and our bid/no-bid advisers help you weigh which NHS advisory tenders are worth pursuing in the meantime.
