The Department of Health has launched a new national framework procurement, Express LIFT, to extend access to the LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) scheme to all Primary Care Trusts wishing to make use of it.
The national framework procurement will generate a list of approved private sector partners, each with a track-record of delivering the services required of a successful LIFT company – including providing strategic advice, design skills, management of a supply chain, and an ability to obtain funding – while providing good value for money for taxpayers. Trusts and local authorities will be able to select organisations to act as partners in local LIFT schemes.
The framework should “greatly accelerate the procurement process for infrastructure projects and vastly reduce costs to bidders”, cutting the length of time for completion on bids to four to five months (depending on the number of bidders), with local procurements from the framework able to be completed within four to six weeks.
Mark Britnell, director-general, Commissioning and System Management, Department of Health, said: “Only the best companies will make it onto the framework list and we know private sector developers will welcome this development.”
