NICE External Assessment Centre Framework

NICE is seeking to commission external assessment centres (EACs) which will provide a range of health technology assessment services to support its technology evaluation programmes and related activities.

Suppliers must be able to provide all services within a Lot and suppliers can bid for 1 or more Lots.

NICE will consider bids from multidisciplinary centres with knowledge and expertise in health technology assessment, enhanced for Lots 1, 2 and 3 by a demonstrably close association with frontline clinical services in areas related to medical technologies such as imaging or in vitro diagnostics.

Suppliers intending to provide services in Lot 4 will have significant expertise and experience of advanced HTA methods, and be able to provide the service in relation to pharmaceuticals, medical and diagnostic technologies and related products.

NICE will consider proposals from consortia or networks of organisations meeting the selection criteria and encourages potential suppliers to explore collaborations that will result in the offer of a comprehensive range of services.

NICE commissions EACs to support its technology evaluation programmes in the following key areas and tasks, which are more fully described in specification documents specific to each Lot: Lot 1 - Secondary data analysis Lot 2 - Primary data generation and analysis Lot 3 - Technical and regulatory support Lot 4 - Decision support