Selling to the NHS · NHS procurement · medtech suppliers
Selling to the NHS: a supplier guide
Selling to the NHS means winning two things at once: a place on the right procurement route, and the confidence of the people who will use and pay for your product.
This guide explains how NHS procurement works for a medtech supplier, using the NHS and government pages that set the rules.
GTM Quest is a medtech marketing agency in London: we build the account plan, reach the buying committee and keep sales ready for the moment a procurement opens.
Reviewed by GTM Quest · 27 October 2026 · 8 sources linked below
How to sell to the NHS, in orderroute, evidence, people
- 01Choose the procurement routeFIRSTTRUST · FRAMEWORK · NATIONAL
- 02Get the evidence readyBEFORE BIDSREGISTRATION · STANDARDS
- 03Reach the committeeALWAYS ONCLINICAL · PROCUREMENT · FINANCE
- 04Bid and hand overWHEN NOTICES OPENTENDER · SALES
Where notices appearFind a Tender
01/ NHS procurement
How NHS procurement works many buyers, several routes
NHS England says there are various levels of NHS procurement, with many local organisations, including integrated care systems and trusts, responsible for their own buying decisions.
Module 01 / 05
Trusts
Hospital trusts make many of their own buying decisions, as NHS England's supplier guidance explains.
Module 02 / 05
Integrated care boards
NHS England describes ICBs as NHS organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population, with one ICB in each ICS area.
Module 03 / 05
Integrated care systems
The same NHS England page says the 36 ICSs in England are local partnerships that bring health and care organisations together.
Module 04 / 05
NHS Supply Chain
NHS Supply Chain manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of clinical consumables, medical devices, capital medical equipment and non-medical products.
Module 05 / 05
Small suppliers
NHS England says its SME advisory group works with NHS Supply Chain, the Department of Health and Social Care and integrated care system representatives for the benefit of small suppliers.
There is one ICB in each of the 36 ICS areas in England, according to NHS England, so a national product still meets local decisions.
NHS Supply Chain covers medical devices and capital equipment, but trusts and ICS organisations also buy for themselves, which is why the route comes first.
02/ opportunities
Where NHS opportunities are published the notices to watch
Most competitive NHS opportunities are public, so the first job is watching the right services.
NHS England says the NHS publishes procurement opportunities and contract awards above £25,000 on Contracts Finder, in its supplying to the NHS guidance.
03/ the rules
What the Procurement Act 2023 means for suppliers the regime NHS buyers follow
NHS Supply Chain says the Procurement Act 2023 became effective from 24 February 2025.
Module 01 / 04
The Act
The Procurement Act 2023 is the legislation itself, published on legislation.gov.uk.
Module 03 / 04
Training and alerts
NHS Supply Chain advises suppliers to use the government training on offer and sign up to the relevant email alerts.
Module 04 / 04
Find a Tender
NHS Supply Chain says its compliant process includes advertising all tender opportunities on the Find a Tender service.
NHS Supply Chain's contract and tender process page says the Act became effective from 24 February 2025 and that it advertises all its tender opportunities on Find a Tender.
04/ the buying journey
How a hospital moves from need to contract signals and plays at each stage
This is a simplified journey for planning outreach.
Real procurements vary by route and value.
A clinical or operational problem is recognised
The signal
Service reviews, new roles, conference talks
The play
Share evidence that frames the problem, not the product
Owner: Marketing
The team looks at ways to solve it
The signal
Website visits, content downloads, peer questions
The play
Answer each role's question with approved evidence
Owner: Marketing and sales
Someone builds the internal case
The signal
Requests for data, pricing questions, finance involvement
The play
Support the case with the economic and clinical material they need
Owner: Key account manager
A route is chosen and a notice may be published
The signal
Find a Tender or Contracts Finder notices, framework calls
The play
Bid through the right route, with the committee already warm
Owner: Bid owner
The product is used and reviewed
The signal
Usage, feedback, renewal dates
The play
Report outcomes and plan the next account
Owner: Account team
Our hospital buying committee mapping article goes deeper on the roles at each stage.
05/ evidence
What evidence NHS buyers ask for have it ready before the notice
Evidence requirements depend on the product, so treat this as a checklist to confirm with your regulatory owners.
Module 01 / 05
MHRA registration
The MHRA's guidance says all medical devices must be registered with the MHRA before being placed on the Great Britain market.
Module 02 / 05
Digital health evidence
For digital health technologies, NICE publishes an evidence standards framework, developed with NHS England and others.
Module 03 / 05
Accredited certification
NHS Supply Chain says it only accepts UKAS or an equivalent internationally recognised and accredited ISO certification.
Module 04 / 05
Supplier requirements
NHS Supply Chain's tender page also covers sustainability requirements, economic and financial standing and cyber security.
Module 05 / 05
Clinical and economic case
Buyers weigh outcomes and cost together, so prepare both with your qualified owners.
We never write clinical claims ourselves.
The MHRA requires every medical device to be registered before it is placed on the Great Britain market, and NHS Supply Chain accepts only UKAS or equivalent accredited ISO certification, so both belong in the pack.
06/ routes to market
Framework, direct or partner? choose the route first
The route decides who you need to reach and when.
→ Check which route your category uses before planning outreach.
→ Agree account ownership with any partner before outreach starts.
For the full launch plan, see our medtech go-to-market strategy page.
07/ how to sell to the NHS
The go-to-market side of NHS sales what wins before the tender
Procurement decides how you are chosen, but people decide whether you are on the shortlist.
Module 01 / 06
Account list
Choose the trusts and ICS areas where your product fits, using our medtech target account selection method.
Module 02 / 06
Committee map
Clinical leads, procurement, finance, estates and digital teams, each with its own question.
Module 03 / 06
Message
One answer per role, built from evidence your qualified owners approve.
Module 04 / 06
Timing
Notices, framework dates and service changes watched for every account.
Module 06 / 06
Handoff
Sales and bid owners receive account context, engagement and the agreed next step.
This is account-based marketing for medtech: the committee is warm before a notice appears, rather than reached for the first time during a bid.
08/ GTM Quest
How GTM Quest helps suppliers selling to the NHS motion first, system around it
Start with named accounts
We agree the first trusts and ICS areas with your team and start real conversations straight away.
Map routes and roles
For each account we record the likely procurement route, the known roles and the gaps.
Build the system
Notice alerts, outreach, LinkedIn, content and CRM are built around the motion already running.
- ✓ Notice and framework alerts
- ✓ Role-specific outreach
- ✓ Content from approved evidence
- ✓ CRM and handoffs
Review and scale
We review which accounts moved, then scale what worked or hand it over to your team.
For lead generation detail, see medical device lead generation, and for the full service see our B2B marketing agency for medtech.
09/ avoid these
Common mistakes suppliers make and what to do instead
01
Waiting for the tender
By the time a notice appears, the requirement is often written.
Build relationships first.
02
One contact per trust
A single champion rarely carries a decision.
Map the committee.
03
Generic messaging
Procurement, finance and clinicians ask different questions.
Answer each one.
04
Evidence gaps
Missing registration or certification can stop a bid.
Prepare the pack early.
05
Ignoring the route
A framework category and a local need are sold differently.
Confirm the route first.
06
No handoff
Interest that never reaches sales is wasted.
Agree the handoff record.
Our medical device marketing strategy page shows how these fit into the wider plan.
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes on your NHS route
Tell us your product and the trusts you want to reach. We will tell you what we would run in the first week.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02A first-week account plan
- 03A written next step after the call
Pick a day that suits · live availability
10/ questions
Selling to the NHS FAQ
What medtech suppliers ask about NHS procurement.
Confirm your product's regulatory status, choose the procurement route your category uses, register on Find a Tender and set alerts, then build relationships with the roles in your target trusts.
How NHS organisations buy goods and services.
NHS England says many local organisations, including integrated care systems and trusts, are responsible for their own buying decisions.
NHS Supply Chain says it manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of clinical consumables, medical devices, capital medical equipment and non-medical products.
NHS Supply Chain says the Procurement Act 2023 became effective from 24 February 2025.
The MHRA says all medical devices must be registered with the MHRA before being placed on the Great Britain market.
We build the account plan, reach the committee and support the case.
Your team or bid specialists own the formal response.
It depends on scope.
We scope and quote in writing after a 15-minute call.
Taking on new clients
Selling to the NHS with a plan
Fifteen minutes is enough to plan the first accounts.
12/ sources
Every source on this page
Each figure above links to one of these. All were opened and checked on 27 October 2026.
- NHS Englandengland.nhs.uk
- NHS Englandengland.nhs.uk
- NHS Supply Chainsupplychain.nhs.uk
- Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk
- NHS Supply Chainsupplychain.nhs.uk
- Procurement Act 2023legislation.gov.uk
- MHRA's guidancegov.uk
- evidence standards frameworknice.org.uk