What the NHS 10 Year Health Plan Really Means for Health and Social Care Tender Submissions

In 2024/25, health accounted for £242 billion of government expenditure, representing 19 per cent of total public spending and making it the second largest area of government outlay.

The sector is now on the brink of its most significant structural shift in decades. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan is driving three major changes to how care is commissioned and delivered: moving services from hospitals into communities, replacing analogue systems with digital infrastructure, and shifting focus from treating illness to preventing it.

A key part of the transformation is the introduction of Integrated Health Organisations (IHOs). These are earmarked for designation in 2026 and set to become fully operational in 2027. IHOs are a proposed organisational model developed between NHS Foundation Trusts and ICBs, built around population outcomes rather than individual service delivery.

Executive Compass, a bid and tender writing specialist, examines how these changes will affect tender submissions and how providers can position themselves effectively.

Why Generic Tender Formats Are Not Good Enough

Procurement teams evaluating IHO aligned contracts are not simply looking for competent service delivery. They are looking for evidence that a provider can function as a genuine partner within an integrated system, contributing to outcomes across prevention, community health, and long-term condition management rather than operating within a service silo.

"The IHO model changes what commissioners are actually trying to buy," said Matthew Walker, Managing Director at Executive Compass and Head of the Care Division.

"Providers who have relied on a strong social value response and a solid track record may find those things are necessary but no longer enough. The evaluation is increasingly focused on how your service integrates with the wider care system and what it contributes to population health outcomes."

This is a big shift for providers accustomed to tender formats centred on staffing ratios, person centred care approaches, and community engagement. While those elements remain relevant, they now sit within a broader framework that demands demonstrable integration capability.

Demonstrating Integration, Not Just Intent

Under the IHO model, Integrated Care Boards act as strategic commissioners, responsible for directing care away from acute settings and into communities. Providers bidding for contracts within this landscape need to show how their service connects with GP networks, neighbourhood health services, voluntary sector organisations, and social care teams rather than treating their contract as a standalone operation.

"Commissioners want to see genuine working relationships, not aspirational language about partnership," says Walker. "A bid with case studies, data sharing agreements, and named referral pathways will carry real weight."

The 10 Year Health Plan is also frank about prevention. With the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme already demonstrating measurable reductions in new diagnoses, commissioners are actively seeking providers who can evidence early intervention and self-management support rather than reactive care delivery.

Workforce Models Under Scrutiny

Alongside integration, workforce strategy has become a more prominent evaluation criterion. The health and social care sector is managing an estimated 152,000 vacant care positions, alongside a 28.3 per cent staff turnover rate. Commissioners are acutely aware of the risks associated with workforce instability, particularly where there is reliance on agency staffing. Submissions that do not demonstrate a credible and sustainable workforce model are likely to be marked down.

"Procurement teams are asking harder questions about workforce resilience," adds Walker. "It’s not enough to say you will recruit and retain staff. You need to show your pay structure, your CPD offer, your turnover data, and how your staffing model reduces reliance on agency cover over the contract term."

Getting the Bid Structure Right

With social value carrying up to 25 per cent of the evaluation weighting in some tenders, it remains a critical component of any health and social care bid. However, it’s best not to treat it as a standalone exercise.

“Social value should be integrated throughout the response, not added at the end,” advises Walker. “Commitments around local employment, apprenticeships and community health benefits carry more weight when they are clearly aligned to the service model and local need.”

Structured, well-aligned submissions that clearly link delivery, outcomes and community impact are more likely to achieve higher scores.

Specialist bid support can assist providers navigating IHO procurement for the first time, or those seeking to improve success rates in an increasingly competitive environment.

"The standards being applied to health and social care tenders are rising in line with the ambition of the 10 Year Health Plan," shares Walker.

"Providers who invest in the quality of their submissions, and who understand what commissioners are now trying to achieve, are the ones who will win contracts."

Matthew Walker, Managing Director at Executive Compass