How Creative & Marketing Agencies Win NHS Tenders (Step-by-Step)

1. Know who is buying

The NHS is not one buyer. NHS trusts, integrated care boards (ICBs), NHS England and other health bodies each run their own procurements, often for recruitment campaigns, patient information, behaviour-change communications, brand and web work.

Under the Procurement Act 2023, new opportunities are published on Find a Tender. Search terms such as 'NHS', 'trust', 'ICB', 'communications' and 'campaign' together usually surface more relevant notices than 'marketing' alone.

2. Decide quickly whether to bid

Read the specification, evaluation weightings and any minimum requirements (insurance levels, financial standing, accessibility or information-governance standards) before writing anything. If you cannot evidence a mandatory requirement, it is usually better not to bid.

Look for a realistic link between the brief and your past work: a similar audience, a similar behaviour-change goal or a comparable public body.

3. Lead with evidence, not adjectives

Evaluators score what you can show. Use short case studies with the audience, what you did, and measurable results you are permitted to share. Where possible choose public-sector or health examples.

Mirror the buyer's language and structure. If a question asks about approach, risk and timeline, give each its own clearly labelled part.

4. Take accessibility and inclusion seriously

Health communications must reach diverse audiences. Explain how you test messages with real users, meet accessibility standards and produce content in alternative formats or languages when the brief requires it.

5. Plan the bid backwards from the deadline

Note the clarification deadline, assign owners to each answer, and schedule an internal review at least two working days before submission. Late submissions are normally rejected.

Frequently asked questions