Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit 2025

Descriptions

The NHSBSA is a Special Health Authority and an Arm’s Length Body of the Department of Health and Social Care. We provide a range of critical central services to NHS organisations (our ‘clients’), NHS contractors, health bodies, patients and the public (our ‘customers’ One such central service to the NHS is The Nursery Milk Scheme (NMS) is a statutory, universal, scheme aimed at children under five who attend an eligible day-care institution - mainly childminders, nurseries run by the voluntary sector, the private sector and local authorities, and reception classes in schools (referred to as ‘settings’), and for at least two hours a day. These children receive 189ml (1/3 pint) of milk each day. Registered settings can claim back for the cost of providing milk to eligible children via the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU), through the Welfare Food Scheme Regulations 1996. This Preliminary Market Engagement Exercise is aimed at Suppliers who can facilitate payments to settings Around 62,500 settings are currently registered with the NMS and approximately 190m portions of milk are reimbursed via the NMRU, through around 404,500 claims per year. The current service operates in England and Wales and reimburses in the region of circa £60m per year to registered settings. The Nursery Milk Scheme forms part of the Healthy Food Scheme, which NHSBSA manage on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The current contract which facilitates the payments to the settings is due to expire 31st July 2026 and the NHSBSA are carrying out this pre-tender market engagement exercise to understand how ensure continuity of service following this date. At this stage we are seeking high-level input to enable us to assess the market and to inform any future procurement strategy to ensure compliance with The Procurement Act 2023 and/or the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as the case maybe. Interested parties must register an interest in this RFI via https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome (search opportunities using system reference C345099). Suppliers can register from 3rd April 2025 and the RFI documents will be made available on 3rd April 2025. Registration for the event will close on Thursday 24th April 2025 at 12:00 BST. As part of our pre-tender market engagement process for the provision of the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU) Registered suppliers are invited to attend a Supplier Briefing Session which will consist of a presentation via Microsoft Teams which will be held on 28th April 2025 Supplier may also request an optional 1-2-1 session on 28th & 29th April 2025. Written RFI responses are requested by no later than Friday 2nd May 2025. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) invites all interested economic operators to participate in an RFI and a Supplier Webinar, , followed by a number of 121 sessions in addition to a number of questions Suppliers can answer and submit following the presentation, Please note at this stage a route to market has not yet been determined however should the outcome of this engagement session determine that the best value route to market is the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Dynamic Purchasing System RM6322 Fund Administration & Disbursement Services https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6322 then any subsequent invitation to tender and notices will be restricted to those appointed to the DPS and will be governed by the Procurement Regulations 2015. Additional Information Suppliers should note that this RFI and Preliminary Market Engagement is a market research exercise only and it is not an invitation to tender, an invitation to offer an agreement or a guarantee there will be a future procurement exercise. Participation in this RFI is limited to suppliers that meet the definition of “economic operator” under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. “Economic operator” means any person, or public entity, or group of such persons and entities, including any temporary association of undertakings, that offers the execution of works or a work, the supply of products or the provision of services on the market. Where a participant does not meet this criteria they will not be able to attend the Supplier Briefing Session and may therefore be removed from the RFI The Supplier Webinar will start with an Open Forum Presentation that will be delivered by key members of the Project Team. Individual supplier 1-2-1 sessions will take the format of questions and answers with suppliers being able to ask any questions relating to the NHSBSA’s requirements, the previously delivered presentation and the potential procurement process. Disclaimers: (1) No competitive advantage will be gained by the suppliers engaging with the NHSBSA at this early stage and NHSBSA will ensure equal treatment of all interested parties at all times. We will make the outputs of the day available to those Suppliers who are unable to attend. (2) NHSBSA does not bind itself, by conducting this Supplier Webinar exercise, to commence any procurement procedure or award any contract, and will not in any event be responsible for any costs incurred by invitees in attending and/or preparing for the presentation and individual supplier meeting referred to above. (3) Confidentiality of information which is clearly marked or identified as being confidential and which is reasonably viewed by NHSBSA as confidential will be observed, but NHSBSA does not accept any blanket claims of confidentiality.