The healthcare industry is constantly evolving as better and more advanced tools and services become available. Innovation is rife across the board, but the two standout sectors are digital health and personalised medicine.
Personalised medicine in particular is advancing at a rapid rate. Basically, treatment is based on each individual’s health history, lifestyle, etc. Even DNA comes into the picture to maximise the effectiveness of personalised treatment and all but eliminate risky side effects.
Another trend that SMEs and other businesses trying to break into the public procurement market should note is the increase in healthtech startups. Innovation is particularly important here because all the new startups are trying to stand out among their competitors. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and innovation is very necessary if you want to win tenders.
Healthcare Tendering Tips For SMES
Innovation is one factor that improves your chances of competing successfully for public sector contracts. We’re going to look at some of the most important tips you can use to improve your procurement strategies.
First, let’s look at five of the biggest challenges facing health and social care providers. Then you know where to focus your attention.
1) Obesity
Obesity is a major challenge that is spreading to all corners of the globe. The factors contributing to obesity are legion, which means solutions must be comprehensive and holistic to address the root cause and develop an appropriate (personalised) treatment plan.
2) Mental Health (MH)
Mental health is another challenge that has global aspirations. In the UK alone, one in four people experience at least one mental health problem a year. That’s a pretty scary number, especially when you consider the vast range of problems that fall under the mental health umbrella, the most well-known of which include depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide ideation.
3) Healthcare inequalities
Even though the NHS is supposed to bridge the gap, there’s a difference between the haves and the have-nots. The have-nots tend to struggle to access suitable healthcare. It’s not just a healthcare problem. It’s mirrored in education and employment, but innovative suppliers that make healthcare accessible to disadvantaged communities are likely to be favoured in the search for NHS contracts.
4) Physical inactivity
Another problem affecting many countries in the ‘western world.’ People lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles because everything – everything – is available online. They work from home without getting out of their pyjamas. They can stream all their entertainment. Games are online. You can even play tennis or go skiing without leaving your home. You can order all your groceries and have them delivered straight to your door.
There’s very little incentive to get off their bottoms and start moving – forget going outside. It’s a great niche for innovative service suppliers to make their own.
5) Ageing population
Advances in healthcare help people live longer, which is great. But, it means that healthcare providers must deliver healthcare to a senior population with unique challenges. This also increases demand for services, which stretches them to breaking point.
Healthtech that eases the strain on healthcare providers is most welcome.
NHS Contracts For Small Businesses
Here are some of the most promising avenues for SMEs to capture their share of the healthcare sector.
Digital tech
Anything that improves healthcare delivery, diagnosis, and treatment. Look at telemedicine, wearables, and apps.
Personalised treatment
We touched on this above, but specific areas that need attention include genetics and biotechnology. Innovative healthcare solutions that promote the personalisation of healthcare and medicine go a long way to increasing accessibility to health and social care.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is already used in different aspects of healthcare, but innovation in predictive analytics, virtual assistants, and chatbots is a great way to capture market share in future too.
Mobile clinics
Mobile clinics typically provide limited services. You can increase the scale of operations with healthtech, for example, AI for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. This also addresses accessibility challenges because mobile clinics can take more advanced tools and services to disadvantaged communities and vulnerable people (seniors living alone).
Social care
Social care can meet social value criteria by addressing indirect challenges, like unemployment, poor housing, and lack of education opportunities. Solutions can have a positive impact on community health and well-being.
Accreditation And Certification
Compliance in healthcare tendering is essential if you want to stay on the right side of the procurement police. You can’t go wrong with the accreditation and certification options below to prove the quality and safety of your services, products, and works. International accreditation and certification is even better.
Aim for:
- ISO 9001: Standards for quality management systems
- ISO 27001: Standards for information security
- CQC registration: Care Quality Commission regulates primary healthcare services, covering quality and patient safety.
- GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation is essential because all manner of sensitive data is collected and stored to improve patient services.
There is also a fairly new procurement process, introduced at the beginning of the year, called NHS Provider Selection Regime (PSR). It’s been adopted by NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, Local Authorities and Combined Authorities.
It’s similar to the Procurement Act 2023 in that it promotes integration, collaboration, and transparency in healthcare systems and simplifies the healthcare tender process in the UK. The process is also flexible, so buyers have more leeway when choosing the most suitable suppliers.
Build Relationships For Tendering Success
The best way to stand out from the crowd is to build relationships with contracting authorities in your field. Attend pre-market engagement events (meet the buyer events) and take advantage of other early engagement opportunities.
Early engagement is considered best practice to help suppliers in winning public sector healthcare contracts. It’s about getting to know the key decision-makers and not about getting an unfair advantage over your competitors.
You can make a good impression by proving you understand the exact needs of the government department and local community. Use this knowledge to enhance your social value initiatives.
Look for opportunities to collaborate with contracting authorities to refine the contract criteria, set realistic expectations, and establish KPIs. Be clear when presenting your solution and back up any claims with credible, verifiable data. Case studies are the best way to do this. If you don’t have case studies, emphasise your previous tenders and include client testimonials.
Find Tenders That Best Fit Your Business
Creating a compelling bid is the best way to grab attention and stand out from your competitors. Supply2Gov (S2G) is a contracts finder platform that enables you to tailor the types of contracts you want to win. However, it offers much more.
It provides a full range of services that cover the entire procurement process, so you always have the support you need to optimise your tender submissions and enhance your chances of standing out in healthcare tenders.
Find out how S2G can help your business grow. Register now and choose your package. Local tender searches are free, but £80 per month will deliver searches for contracts from the entire UK.