| Reference | FOI2026/1979 |
|---|---|
| Description | Systems for contract management |
| Date Requested | 19/08/2026 |
| Date Replied | 16/09/2026 |
| Category | Contract Management |
I have reviewed the ICB’s published What we spend page, contract register and procurement pipeline workplans. Please exclude information already available in those sources unless a link is needed for clarity.
The questions below are listed in priority order. If responding to the full request would exceed the appropriate FOI cost limit, please answer the highest-priority questions first, in the order listed.
What system, platform or spreadsheet does the ICB currently use for contract management and its procurement pipeline? Please include the supplier/product name and whether the system is used only by the ICB or shared with another organisation.
Please confirm whether the ICB’s contract register links into the procurement pipeline/forward procurement plan, or whether these are held separately.
For each current system in question 1, please provide any recorded high-level description of the functionality currently used, limited
to: e-tendering, contract register, alerts/renewals, supplier document management, approval workflow, reporting, risk/issues, savings/claims tracking, procurement pipeline management, and Provider Selection Regime record-keeping or reporting.
Is the contract register, procurement pipeline or equivalent report submitted to the ICB Board or a Board committee? If yes, please confirm how often and whether it is included in published Board papers.
For any current third-party/CSU support for the functions in question 1, please provide the provider name, functions supported, whether the support is full or partial, the system/tool used by the provider, and current contract/service end date.
For any externally purchased contract-management, procurement-pipeline or e-tendering system identified in response to question 1, please provide the current annual cost, total contract value, licence cost where held, contract start date, contract end date, and any available extension period.
Please confirm where the ICB publishes procurement opportunities, contract awards and Provider Selection Regime transparency notices. If any current system or service in question 1 was procured formally, please confirm when and where it was advertised, including whether this was on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Atamis/Health Family, or another portal.
For each current system in question 1, please confirm whether SSO is used and, where recorded, the high-level identity route only, for example CIS2, NHSmail, Microsoft Entra ID/Azure AD, SAML, OIDC or username/password. Please do not provide technical configuration details.
Thank you for your request regarding NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board’s contract-management and procurement-pipeline arrangements.
In accordance with your request, we have not repeated information already available through NHS GM’s published What We Spend page, contract register or procurement pipeline workplans, other than providing links where these assist with locating relevant procurement notices.
1. Systems currently used
NHS GM uses Microsoft SharePoint and Excel to maintain its contracts database.
NHS GM does not operate a single, centrally integrated procurement-pipeline system. Procurement pipelines and commissioning intentions are provided by individual service leads through various locally maintained spreadsheets and planning documents. These are used to support short-, medium- and longer-term procurement and commissioning planning.
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) acts as NHS GM’s procurement partner. NHS SBS uses SAP Ariba as its source-to-contract e-procurement platform when supporting procurement activity on behalf of NHS GM.
2. Relationship between the contracts database and procurement pipelines
The SharePoint and Excel database and the procurement-pipeline information supplied by service leads are held separately and are not linked through an automated system interface.
The information is, however, reviewed and used together to provide a system-wide view of:
3. High-level functionality currently used
| Functionality | NHS GM Excel / SharePoint and local documents | NHS SBS SAP Ariba |
| E-tendering | Not used for e-tendering. | Used to support procurement activity. |
| Contract register | Excel and SharePoint contracts database. | Not NHS GM’s corporate contracts database. |
| Alerts and renewals | Monitored internally through the contracts database and associated business processes. | Not used as NHS GM’s corporate renewal-monitoring mechanism. |
| Supplier documents | Maintained through NHS GM’s internal document-management arrangements. | Procurement documents and supplier submissions are managed through SAP Ariba where applicable. |
| Approval workflow | Managed through NHS GM’s Financial Scheme of Delegation and relevant governance routes. | Supports procurement workflow but does not replace NHS GM governance approvals. |
| Reporting | SharePoint List extract / Spreadsheet-based reporting and planning. | Procurement reporting where included in the supported exercise. |
| Risks and issues | Monitored internally through procurement, contracting and governance processes. | Procurement-specific support may be provided; corporate monitoring remains with NHS GM. |
| Savings or claims | Managed through relevant internal financial and contract-management processes where applicable. | Not used as NHS GM’s corporate savings or claims system. |
| Pipeline management | Service-lead spreadsheets and planning documents. | Not NHS GM’s corporate pipeline system. |
| PSR records/reporting | Maintained through NHS GM procurement and governance arrangements; regular Audit Committee updates and relevant annual returns are completed. | Supports relevant procurements and associated documentation where commissioned. |
This table describes the functionality currently used by NHS GM. It does not describe every technical capability that may be available within Microsoft SharePoint /Excel or SAP Ariba.
4. Board and committee reporting
The contracts database and procurement pipelines are not routinely submitted to the NHS GM Board or a Board committee as a single standing report. Individual expenditure and procurement proposals are submitted to the appropriate officer or governance body in accordance with the applicable delegated limits.
NHS GM provides regular procurement and contracting updates to its Audit and People and Resource Committees and submits relevant annual returns. Reports and returns considered at meetings held in public are published on the NHS GM website, subject to any applicable restrictions on publication.
Published meeting dates and papers: NHS GM meetings and events
Financial Scheme of Delegation
NHS GM’s Financial Scheme of Delegation contains three separate expenditure approval tables: consultancy expenditure; healthcare expenditure, including pass-through expenditure; and non-healthcare expenditure, including pass-through expenditure. Threshold values include VAT where applicable and cover the full potential contract duration, including agreed extension options.
Consultancy expenditure
| Total value | Approval authority | Evidence required |
| Up to £50,000 | Chief Finance Officer or Chief Executive | Email confirmation from either officer. |
| Greater than £50,000 and up to £100,000 | ICB Chief Officer and either the Chief Finance Officer or Chief Executive | Email confirmation demonstrating approval by two of the three relevant roles. |
| Greater than £100,000 and up to £250,000 | People and Resources Committee | Minutes or formal confirmation of approval. |
| Greater than £250,000 | NHS GM Board | Minutes or formal confirmation of approval. |
All consultancy expenditure above £50,000 must also receive NHS England approval in accordance with the applicable NHS England guidance, with the relevant approval evidence retained where required.
Healthcare expenditure
| Total value | Principal approval authority |
| Up to £250,000 | Chief Officer with relevant budget responsibility |
| Up to £500,000 | Chief Executive or Chief Finance Officer |
| £500,000 and up to £15 million | Chief Officers Meeting |
| £500,000 and up to £15 million | Strategic Commissioning Committee |
| £15 million and up to £100 million | People and Resources Committee |
| Greater than £100 million | NHS GM Board |
Non-healthcare expenditure
| Total value | Principal approval authority |
| Up to £100,000 | Chief Officer with relevant budget responsibility |
| Up to £150,000 | Chief Executive or Chief Finance Officer |
| £150,000 and up to £5 million | Chief Officers Meeting |
| Greater than £5 million and up to £20 million | People and Resources Committee |
| Greater than £20 million | NHS GM Board |
Further delegated limits apply to appropriately authorised finance officers and budget holders.
5. Third-party procurement support
| Provider | Functions supported | Extent | System | End date |
| NHS Shared Business Services | Procurement and e-tendering support, including procurement exercises commissioned by NHS GM. | Varies according to the procurement requirement and agreed service arrangements. | SAP Ariba | 31 March 2027 |
NHS GM is not disclosing the detailed financial, pricing, operational and performance provisions contained within its SLA with NHS SBS where disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of NHS GM and/or NHS SBS. NHS GM has disclosed the identity of its procurement partner, the high-level functions supported, the system used and the service end date.
6. System costs and contract information
NHS GM does not purchase a separate specialist contract-management or procurement-pipeline system. Its contracts database and procurement pipelines are maintained using Microsoft Excel and locally maintained documents.
SAP Ariba is used by NHS SBS as part of the procurement service it provides to NHS GM. NHS GM does not hold a separately identifiable SAP Ariba annual cost or licence cost because use of the platform is incorporated within the overall NHS SBS SLA costs. The NHS SBS SLA concludes on 31 March 2027.
7. Publication of opportunities, awards and statutory notices
Depending upon the applicable statutory regime, value and procurement route, NHS GM publishes procurement opportunities, contract award information and statutory notices through the following services:
Find a Tender is used for notices required under the Procurement Act 2023 and for relevant Provider Selection Regime notices. Contracts Finder is also used where the applicable transparency requirements require publication. Where NHS SBS supports an exercise, procurement documents and supplier interaction may also be managed through SAP Ariba.
Published notices can be located by searching for “NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board” or “NHS GM ICB” as the buyer.
Example NHS GM notice: NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board procurement record
8. Single sign-on and high-level identity route
| System | High-level position |
| Microsoft Excel / SharePoint and local NHS GM documents | Access is managed through NHS GM’s organisational Microsoft environment and user accounts. |
| NHS SBS SAP Ariba | Access is managed by NHS SBS. NHS GM is not providing detailed technical configuration information. |
Application of section 43(2) FOIA
Section 43(2) FOIA provides an exemption where disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. It is subject to the public-interest test.
NHS GM has withheld detailed SLA pricing, financial mechanisms, operational provisions and performance arrangements. Disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of NHS GM and NHS SBS by revealing detailed commercial terms and service-delivery arrangements that could be used by other parties in future negotiations or procurement activity. This risk is considered real and significant given that the current SLA concludes on 31 March 2027.
NHS GM recognises the public interest in transparency concerning public expenditure, outsourced procurement support and value for money. This has been addressed by disclosing the identity of the provider, the functions supported, the system used, the contract end date and the fact that no separately identifiable SAP Ariba licence cost is held. On balance, NHS GM considers that the public interest favours maintaining the exemption for the limited detailed SLA information identified above.
