RM6397 NHS Staffing Framework: How Agencies Should Prepare for the August Notice

RM6397 NHS Staffing Framework: How Agencies Should Prepare for the August Notice

The RM6397 NHS staffing framework, expected to publish its Find a Tender notice in August 2026, will consolidate clinical and non-clinical temporary and permanent staff supply under the NHS Workforce Alliance. Agencies currently on the predecessor RM6281 clinical or RM6277 non-clinical frameworks should begin readiness work now, particularly on compliance evidence and service delivery case studies, because this category rewards documented performance history more heavily than technical capability statements.

The new framework replaces the previous two-framework model with a single agreement covering clinical roles, non-clinical roles and managed services. Award is planned for February 2027 with a four-year term. This means agencies have approximately five weeks until the notice publishes and roughly six months to submit a compliant bid.

Why this framework matters for staffing agencies

RM6397 will be the primary route to market for NHS trusts and integrated care boards procuring temporary and permanent staffing solutions. Agencies not awarded a place will lose direct access to the majority of NHS call-off opportunities in this category. The framework operates as a funnel: trusts run further competitions among framework suppliers, so winning a framework place is necessary but not sufficient. Your position on the framework and your evaluated score influence whether trusts include you in their shortlists.

The consolidation of clinical and non-clinical routes into a single framework means agencies will need to demonstrate capability across both areas if they wish to compete for the full range of call-offs. Lot structures are not yet confirmed, but incumbents should prepare evidence that spans both predecessor frameworks.

What incumbents must do differently

Being on RM6281 or RM6277 does not guarantee reappointment. NHS Workforce Alliance evaluations typically weight recent performance data and compliance evidence more heavily than longevity. Agencies that assume continuity often lose points in the quality method statement sections because they submit generic capability narratives rather than specific, evidence-backed examples.

Incumbents should audit their current framework performance data now. Collect KPI reports, service delivery metrics, issue resolution logs and trust feedback from the past 24 months. The evaluation will ask for case studies with measurable outcomes. A worked example: an agency responding to a managed service question might describe a 12-month engagement with a medium-sized acute trust, covering 40 whole-time equivalent roles across nursing and administrative staff, achieving 98 per cent fill rate and reducing agency spend by 18 per cent against the prior year baseline. That level of specificity scores higher than a general statement about service excellence.

Compliance evidence is the other area where incumbents stumble. NHS frameworks require current certification: ISO 9001 for quality management, insurance policies with specified coverage levels, and evidence of financial standing. Certificates dated more than 12 months before the submission deadline often trigger clarification requests or technical failures. If your ISO 9001 expires in November 2026, renew it early or schedule the audit so the certificate is available by the September deadline.

The compliance evidence NHS evaluations reward

NHS staffing frameworks score compliance on a pass or fail basis within the selection questionnaire, but they also score the quality and recency of evidence within method statements. Evaluators look for three things: current certification, sector-specific policies and demonstration of application.

Current certification means documents issued within the evaluation period. For RM6397, expect the submission deadline to fall in late September or early October 2026. Certification should be dated no earlier than October 2025 for annual documents and no earlier than 2024 for three-year certificates. Agencies often lose points by submitting expired or nearly expired documents, even if renewal is in progress.

Sector-specific policies score better than generic templates. An NHS-focused safeguarding policy that references NHS trust escalation procedures and CQC requirements will score higher than a general safeguarding statement. Similarly, an infection control policy aligned with NHS England guidance demonstrates understanding of the operational environment.

Demonstration of application means showing how policies translate into practice. If you reference a compliance framework, include a case study showing how it operated during a live engagement. Evaluators score evidence of use, not just evidence of existence.

Preparation timeline for the August notice

As of 2026-07-08, agencies should be in active preparation. The notice will likely publish mid-August 2026 with a submission deadline six to eight weeks later. That creates a compressed timeline for document assembly, especially if you are bidding for multiple lots or coordinating input from subcontractors.

This week (week starting 2026-07-08), focus on compliance evidence. Audit your current certificates, insurance policies and financial statements. Identify any documents expiring before December 2026 and schedule renewals. Gather KPI data from your current NHS contracts and draft case study outlines. You need at least three strong examples per lot, each with measurable outcomes and trust-level detail.

By the end of July 2026, complete your case study library and begin drafting method statement responses. NHS evaluations typically include 10 to 15 quality questions worth 60 to 70 per cent of the total score. Responses are often capped at 500 to 1,000 words per question, so clarity and evidence density matter more than volume.

When the notice publishes in August 2026, immediately download the full procurement documents and map your evidence against the evaluation criteria. Allocate the first week to planning and the final week to review and quality control. The middle four weeks are for drafting, evidence insertion and internal peer review.

Agencies working with NHS framework specialists often find value in early document review, particularly for compliance evidence gaps. The cost is a success fee tied to call-off contract wins after framework award, not to the framework place itself. That model aligns incentives with long-term performance rather than short-term approval.

Lot structure and service scope

The framework covers clinical roles, non-clinical roles and managed services. Clinical roles typically include nursing, allied health professionals, medical and dental staff and healthcare scientists. Non-clinical roles cover administrative, estates, IT and support services. Managed services involve an agency taking responsibility for workforce planning, recruitment and ongoing management across a defined staff category or department.

Lot structures are not confirmed as of 2026-07-08, but expect separation by role type and potentially by trust size or geography. Agencies should prepare to bid for multiple lots if their capability supports it, but only where you have genuine delivery evidence. Speculative lot bids with weak case studies score poorly and damage evaluator perception across your entire submission.

Call-off process and post-award competition

Winning a place on RM6397 is the first stage. Trusts will run further competitions among framework suppliers for individual contracts. Call-off competitions often involve a mini-tender with updated pricing, availability commitments and trust-specific method statements. Your framework evaluation score may carry forward as a percentage of the call-off score, or trusts may re-evaluate from zero.

This is why Glaxtons' revenue model is a success fee tied to call-off contract wins, not the framework award itself. Framework approval opens the door, but call-off wins generate revenue. Our commercial interest aligns with yours: we focus on positioning you to win the subsequent competitions, not just to achieve framework status.

Agencies often underestimate the post-award effort required. Each call-off is a competitive event. Trusts expect tailored responses, not recycled framework content. The agencies that perform best maintain a response library indexed by trust type, role category and service model, allowing rapid customisation without starting from blank documents each time.

Frequently asked questions

How long does RM6397 evaluation take after the submission deadline?

Evaluation typically takes eight to twelve weeks from the submission deadline. NHS Workforce Alliance will conduct a technical compliance check first, then pass compliant bids to quality evaluators. Expect clarification requests during this period, particularly around financial standing and insurance coverage. Award is planned for February 2027, which implies a late September or early October 2026 deadline and evaluation concluding by late December 2026 or early January 2027.

Can we subcontract with another agency to strengthen our RM6397 bid?

Subcontracting is generally permitted, but you must disclose subcontractor arrangements in your bid and demonstrate how you manage subcontractor performance. The prime contractor carries full responsibility for service delivery, so evaluators look for governance evidence: subcontractor KPIs, escalation procedures and compliance audits. A subcontracting arrangement scores well when it fills a genuine capability gap, such as geographic coverage or a specialist clinical role, but scores poorly if it suggests the prime lacks core delivery capacity.

What happens to existing call-off contracts when RM6397 goes live?

Existing call-offs under the predecessor RM6281 and RM6277 frameworks will typically continue until their natural expiry or break point. Trusts are not required to terminate early, but many will migrate to RM6397 suppliers at the next renewal point to benefit from updated pricing and terms. Agencies should communicate proactively with trusts where you hold active call-offs, confirming your RM6397 status once awarded and offering migration support. Losing framework status does not immediately terminate existing contracts, but it prevents you from competing for extensions or variations under the new framework.

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