Atamis

Atamis is a cloud-based procurement software platform developed in the UK and widely adopted across NHS trusts, integrated care boards, local authorities, and other public sector bodies. It offers an end-to-end procurement suite covering pre-market engagement, sourcing (including electronic tendering), supplier due diligence, contract management, and spend analytics. Atamis has grown significantly in NHS adoption, making it an important platform for suppliers targeting health sector contracts.

What is Atamis?

Atamis provides a single system covering the procurement lifecycle from opportunity identification through to contract expiry. In the sourcing module, contracting authorities publish contract notices, issue pre-qualification questionnaires and invitations to tender, manage the clarification question process, receive electronic submissions, and record evaluation scores. The contract management module then tracks the awarded contract through its life, recording milestones, KPI performance, and renewal dates.

For suppliers, the Atamis portal provides a place to register, maintain company information, receive opportunity alerts, access tender documents, and submit bids. Above-threshold notices published in Atamis are integrated with Find a Tender Service (FTS) and Contracts Finder. The platform also supports dynamic purchasing systems (DPS) and framework management.

Atamis has a particularly strong footprint in the NHS. Many integrated care boards and NHS trusts in England use Atamis as their primary procurement system. Suppliers targeting NHS contracts should prioritise Atamis registration alongside NHS Supply Chain Portal engagement.

Why it matters for bidders

Suppliers targeting NHS and local government procurement in England need Atamis registration to participate in tenders run by the growing number of authorities on the platform. The NHS's shift toward Atamis as a standard eProcurement system means that for many NHS procurement exercises, Atamis is the only route to tender document access and bid submission.

Atamis also provides useful contract register information. Many authorities publish their awarded contracts on the Atamis supplier-facing portal, giving bidders intelligence about incumbent suppliers, contract values, and upcoming renewal dates even for contracts that were not formally tendered on the platform.

Example

An infection control products supplier wants to expand its NHS client base in the South of England. It registers on the Atamis portal and identifies that five integrated care boards in its target region use Atamis for procurement. It sets up CPV code alerts for infection control and decontamination categories. When NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB publishes an ITT for sterilisation consumables, the supplier receives an alert, accesses the documents within Atamis, and submits its bid, including technical specifications, pricing, and quality accreditation evidence, before the deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Atamis registration free for suppliers?

Yes. Supplier registration on the Atamis portal is free. There are no subscription fees for suppliers. The platform is funded by contracting authorities that pay for licences to use the buyer-side features.

How does Atamis handle the Central Digital Platform (CDP) transition?

Under the Procurement Act 2023, the Central Digital Platform (CDP) will centralise supplier registration across UK public procurement. Atamis is expected to integrate with the CDP so that supplier information entered on the CDP can be shared with contracting authorities using Atamis, reducing duplication of registration effort. The integration timeline is subject to the government's CDP rollout schedule.

Does Atamis support dynamic purchasing systems?

Yes. Atamis has specific functionality for dynamic purchasing systems (DPS), which allow contracting authorities to add new suppliers to the system at any time during the DPS's operation. Suppliers can apply to join an active DPS through the Atamis portal at any point, unlike closed framework agreements where the application window is fixed.