Industry Engagement Programme

Small to Medium sized enterprises (known as SME’s) make up 22% of NHS third‑party spending in England and in terms of numbers represent 85% of the circa 80,000 suppliers. They therefore form a crucial backbone of the supply chain, without which the NHS could not function.

The Challenges

There are some unique challenges which also affect SMEs that bigger companies may not have, such as restricted cash flow or a lack of resource capacity / capability due to the business size. This can also make it much harder to comply with ongoing regulatory or tender requirements, which are critical to safe and compliant public sector policy and procedure. 

Connecting SMEs with opportunity

Our SME Medtech forum focuses on how SMEs can successfully work with NHS Supply Chain and how we can increase equity to make procurement more accessible. It highlights the value SMEs bring – such as innovation, flexibility, and local economic benefits – helping us understand the barriers they often face when trying to enter the health sector supply chain.

It provides practical guidance for SMEs on understanding NHS structures, navigating procurement routes, and presenting their value effectively which in turn help us make practical improvements to provide a fair, transparent, and SME‑friendly procurement processes to support wider government and NHS goals to increase SME participation and strengthen supply chain resilience.

The SME Medtech Forum aims to build a positive, two-way relationship with existing and potential new SME suppliers to deliver on these benefits and seek to address any challenges that may be faced.

Please regularly visit this landing page as we move into our phase two roadmap and begin to evolve our engagement plan for the year ahead.

NHS Supply Chain has almost 1500 suppliers and many of them hold memberships to one or more Trade Associations (TAs) to represent their collective interests, collaborate with industry peers, and stay abreast of developments in their landscape.

Trade Association Engagement Programme

This programme, aligned to our system partners establishes a formal mechanism for structured engagement between:

• Supplier trade associations
• NHS Supply Chain

It provides a strategic forum through which Tier 1 Supplier trade associations may raise cross‑sector issues, support collective problem‑solving, and contribute to the development of a consistent approach to supplier engagement.

Purpose

The programme is designed to:

• Strengthen collaboration
• Support transparent and effective communication on matters affecting suppliers
• Enable early dialogue on policy, regulatory, and market developments
• Promote alignment with government guidance, including the SME Playbook, to ensure procurement processes remain accessible and supportive of small and medium‑sized enterprises

Scope of Engagement

Engagement activity will focus on areas including, but not limited to:

• Regulatory requirements and compliance expectations
• Policy development and associated impacts on suppliers
• Innovation and pathways for introducing new products to market
• Category Strategy and Value‑based Healthcare approaches
• Sustainability requirements and supplier obligations
• Communications that assist suppliers in meeting procurement and commercial standards

Delivery Engagement will be delivered through a combination of in‑person meetings and virtual sessions scheduled throughout the year. Participation will be structured to ensure consistent dialogue, transparency, and opportunities for joint working.