The Welsh Government has published a prior information notice ahead of a procurement for a supplier who can deliver on the Digital Inclusion Wales contract, in an effort to reduce barriers to access to digital devices and online services.
The contract will reportedly focus on delivering a national bilingual programme of activity, supporting digital inclusion across the region. According to the notice, this will be achieved by offering advice and support, mapping digital inclusion throughout Wales and creating digital inclusion resources. They also want to offer support for “bringing public, third and private sector stakeholders together to share knowledge and best practice, provide strategic leadership and take forward tangible cross-sectoral actions”.
Digital Inclusion Wales is said to take place from 1 October 2025, once the Digital Communities Wales: Digital Confidence, Health and Well-being programme comes to an end in September 2025. The new contract is expected to last for three years with a budget of £3.5 million, however there is also the option to extend another three years with an additional budget of £3.5 million, if required.
Interested suppliers are expected to provide evidence of a service delivery method, demonstrate a good understanding of the area, evidence their approach to stakeholder engagement and partnership working, showcase successful contract management and provide evidence of how they will resource the service, including through staffing. Further detail can be found in the prior information notice.
Healthcare funding: the wider trend
Health secretary, Jeremy Miles launched a £120 million package to fund the reduction of long wait times and the size of waiting lists in Wales by 200,000. As part of the new plan, changes are expected across all health boards within Wales, with the aim to offer services that support an “increase in productivity and efficiency and reduce variation”.
As part of the recent Spending Review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £29 billion investment to get the “NHS back on its feet and fit for the future”, with up to £10 billion to be allocated to tech and digital transformation.
The EuroHeartPath project was recently launched, with a €27 million budget over a five-year period for 18 pioneering pathfinder studies focusing on AI and machine learning, digital health integration, point-of-care diagnostics, and advanced robotic technologies. The project brings together 35 partners from academia, industry and health, to advance cross-border learning and collaboration.
NHS England has published a potential opportunity for the re-procurement of the NHS digital weight management programme, with the aim to offer a national service to patients with a BMI of 30 plus. The procurement process will be separated into three different lots, each of which concentrates on providing different levels of access to the digital weight management programme, with a total estimated value of £21 million across all three lots.
