Many UK health and social care providers are looking for reliable ways to attract new clients, secure contracts and grow their organisations. This is particularly important for domiciliary care agencies, supported living providers, care homes and other CQC-regulated services operating in a competitive market.
Tender writing can provide a structured route to new opportunities by helping providers compete for contracts commissioned by local authorities, NHS organisations and other public-sector bodies.
What is a tender?
A tender is a formal written offer submitted by an organisation in response to a contract opportunity published by a buyer or commissioning authority.
The tender response normally explains:
- How the provider will deliver the required service
- The organisation’s experience and track record
- Staffing, recruitment and workforce arrangements
- Safeguarding and risk-management procedures
- Quality assurance and service monitoring
- CQC registration and regulatory compliance, where applicable
- Social value and benefits to the local community
- Pricing and value for money
- Mobilisation and implementation arrangements
The buyer evaluates the submitted bids against its published requirements and award criteria before deciding which provider or providers should receive the contract.
Can tender writing help care providers attract clients?
For many health and social care businesses, relying only on private enquiries, referrals or social media may not generate a consistent flow of new clients.
Tendering allows eligible providers to compete for commissioned services, including domiciliary care, supported living, residential care, community support and other health and social care contracts.
Providers can search for public-sector opportunities through Contracts Finder, which lists contracts with government organisations and agencies. Larger and other public procurement opportunities can be found through the government’s Find a Tender service.
Tendering does not guarantee that a company will win a contract. However, understanding the procurement process and learning how to prepare a clear, evidence-based bid can help a provider compete more effectively.
Benefits of learning tender writing
Effective tender-writing skills can help health and social care providers to:
- Identify suitable health and social care contract opportunities
- Prepare stronger and more professional bids
- Demonstrate CQC compliance and service quality
- Explain their staffing and service-delivery model clearly
- Show commissioners how they will achieve positive outcomes
- Present evidence of safeguarding and quality assurance
- Demonstrate social value and local community benefits
- Compete for local authority and public-sector contracts
- Build credibility with commissioners and procurement teams
- Create opportunities to secure new clients and increase revenue
Understanding UK health and social care procurement
The rules applying to an opportunity can depend on the type of service and the organisation commissioning it.
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025 and applies to many public procurement activities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The procurement of healthcare services in England by NHS England, integrated care boards, NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts and local authorities may instead fall under the NHS Provider Selection Regime.
NHS England explains that the Provider Selection Regime applies to relevant healthcare services. Social care services, such as domiciliary care, are generally outside this regime unless they form part of a qualifying mixed procurement. Providers should therefore read every opportunity carefully and follow the requirements specified by the commissioning authority.
What will the Tender Writing Training cover?
HSCPN is delivering practical Tender Writing Training for health and social care providers who want to improve their bid-writing skills and understand how to compete for contract opportunities.
The session will support participants to understand:
- How the tendering and procurement process works
- Where to find relevant contract opportunities
- How to read tender specifications and evaluation criteria
- What commissioners expect from health and social care providers
- How to structure a clear and persuasive tender response
- How to demonstrate quality, compliance and positive outcomes
- Common tender-writing mistakes and how to avoid them
- How to prepare supporting evidence before submitting a bid
Event details
Trainer: Godfrey Mushandu
Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
Time: 10:00am–5:00pm
Venue: Marriott Hotel Peterborough
Attendance options: In person or online via Zoom
Training fees
Standard attendance: £250
HSCPN members: £200
Zoom attendance: £200
Payment details
Bank: Metro Bank
Account name: Health and Social Care Providers Network
Account number: 52534577
Sort code: 23-05-80
Please use your full name as the payment reference and send proof of payment to the contact numbers below.
Contact: +44 7851 622037 / +44 7737 144708
Places are limited. Book early to secure your place.
