Framework / DPS operator
NHS Supply Chain (SCCL)
Also known as SCCL.
National buying and delivery route for NHS goods in England, from medical technology and consumables to diagnostics, rehabilitation, food and office supplies. Trusts order from NHS Supply Chain, which buys from framework suppliers.
Visit supplychain.nhs.ukOpens in a new tab. We are not affiliated with Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), owned by NHS England since October 2021.
Who uses it
NHS trusts and other healthcare organisations in England. Trusts are not obliged to use it: they can also buy directly or through regional procurement hubs.
Who runs NHS Supply Chain
NHS Supply Chain is run by Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), a company owned by NHS England since October 2021. It buys products for NHS trusts and other healthcare organisations in England, holds many of them in regional distribution centres and delivers them. Buying is done by in-house category teams, each covering its own product area.
It works at scale: NHS England puts it at over 620,000 products, and NHS Supply Chain says it works with around 1,500 suppliers. For a supplier, one framework place can reach many trusts without approaching each one separately.
Getting onto a framework
You cannot apply at any time. Products are listed only after a formal tender, and once a framework starts its suppliers usually stay fixed until it is re-tendered. Tenders are advertised on Find a Tender and run on NHS Supply Chain's Jaggaer eProcurement portal. The Procurement Calendar shows planned tenders for the next 18 months, and the time to talk to the category manager is 9 to 15 months before the current framework expires.
Bidding is free, but the entry requirements are real: UKAS-accredited ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 certification covering your whole supply chain, a Carbon Reduction Plan, an Evergreen sustainability assessment, a Modern Slavery Assessment Tool return, Cyber Essentials Plus where in scope, and registration on the Central Digital Platform. Medical devices also need MHRA registration and UKCA or CE marking.
How it compares with other NHS routes
NHS Supply Chain is one route among several. Trusts make their own buying decisions and can buy from you directly, through their own tenders or quotes, or through the four regional procurement hubs that make up NHS Procurement in Partnership. On an NHS Supply Chain framework, the trust orders from NHS Supply Chain, which buys from you; sell direct and the trust is your customer.
Everyday consumables and equipment that many trusts buy suit NHS Supply Chain well. A specialist product used by a few clinical teams may sell faster direct or through a hub framework. NHS Supply Chain does not buy estates, construction, non-medical IT or clinical staffing.
Mistakes new suppliers make
The biggest is assuming a framework place means sales. Government guidance for small firms says listing speeds up procurement but does not guarantee sales: you still have to win over clinicians and buyers at each trust. Other common ones are missing the tender window and waiting years for the next, and offering to get ISO certification later, which NHS Supply Chain says is not enough.
Allow time. The same guidance says NHS adoption often takes four to six years, and warns against open-ended free pilots and sending the same pitch to every trust.
Getting registered
Products are listed only after a formal tender. Tenders are advertised on Find a Tender and run on NHS Supply Chain's Jaggaer eProcurement portal; its Procurement Calendar shows what is planned over the next 18 months.
All four UK portals in one email
Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland and Sell2Wales, read every weekday and scored against what you do, in one email before 9am. You only register on a buyer's platform when a tender is worth bidding for. 30 days free, no card needed.
Watch out for
Frameworks are closed for their whole term, so a missed tender can lock you out for years. Talk to the category manager 9 to 15 months before the current framework expires, and have certifications in place before you bid: a promise to obtain ISO certification is not accepted.
Tender Radar shows you when framework contracts are due to come round again, months before the re-let is advertised. Start a free trial.
At a glance
- Run by
- Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), owned by NHS England since October 2021
- Type
- Framework / DPS operator
- Covers
- England
- Sectors
- Health, Medical devices, Consumables
- Cost
- Free to bid: its tender notices state a 0% fee to suppliers
- Website
- supplychain.nhs.uk
Common questions
Does it cost anything to become an NHS Supply Chain supplier?
There is no fee to bid: its tender notices state a 0% fee to suppliers, and Find a Tender is free. Bidding still takes time, and certifications such as ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 must already be in place.
Where are NHS Supply Chain tenders advertised?
On the government's Find a Tender service. You then express interest and bid through NHS Supply Chain's Jaggaer eProcurement portal.
Can I join a framework that is already running?
Usually not. Suppliers stay fixed for the life of the framework, so you normally wait for the re-tender, though you may be able to supply through a distributor already on it.
Do NHS trusts have to buy through NHS Supply Chain?
No. NHS England says trusts and integrated care systems are responsible for their own buying decisions, so they can also buy directly or through regional hubs.
Will a framework place guarantee orders?
No. Government guidance says listing speeds up buying but does not guarantee sales, and NHS Supply Chain's notices give no committed volumes.
Last reviewed 2026-09-14. Something wrong on this page?
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