How a NUPCO tender works for hospital beds: framework agreements explained

Many Saudi government health entities buy their medical equipment through NUPCO, the National Unified Procurement Company. For procurement officers and tender teams, understanding how a NUPCO tender turns into a framework agreement saves real time when equipping wards and intensive care units. This guide explains how framework agreements work, how to read NUPCO item codes, what it means for a bed to be awarded on a framework, and when a direct hospital tender is still the right route. We use a working example: NPT0027-24, the Open Framework Agreement for Medical Furniture, on which Medica-Lab Group for Industry was awarded 33 line items.

What a framework agreement is in a NUPCO tender

A framework agreement is a contract NUPCO tenders for a whole product category, such as medical furniture, instead of each health entity running a separate tender for every delivery. Bids are evaluated line by line, and NUPCO then publishes the final result with the supplier awarded on each item. Beneficiary entities order the awarded items under the terms of the agreement, without restarting the tendering process for each purchase.

One item can be awarded to more than one supplier, which gives the buyer a choice on the same line. That is why registration with NUPCO on its own says little: what matters is which items were awarded to a supplier, and the published result document shows exactly that.

Reading item codes: NUPCO lists the model, not the brand

NUPCO documents list each line by item code and a generic description, for example MWD10042 Bed Electrical Basic or MWD10043 Bed Electrical Mid Range, and show the model code the supplier offered rather than a brand name. A buyer who searches the result for a brand can come up empty even when that exact model is awarded. The reliable method is to match the model code in the document against the product datasheet.

On NPT0027-24, item MWD10042 is the HOSPIcare F5 electric bed, model MLH-01, and item MWD10043 is the MEDcare Santron, model MLH-01S. We confirm this mapping in writing in every quotation, model by model.

What HOSPIcare holds on framework NPT0027-24

Medica-Lab Group for Industry is registered with NUPCO under supplier code 401663 and was awarded 33 line items on NPT0027-24, according to the final-result vendor announcement NUPCO published. The awarded lines include two ward electric beds (F5 and Santron), a psychiatric electric bed, neonate bassinets, blood-drawing and injection chairs (MLH-12), a laboratory chair (MLC-25), examination tables, a CPR board and an electric procedure recliner.

They also cover the ward accessories tied to the two beds: overbed tables (MLA-23 and MLA-24), IV pole (MLA-12), foam mattress (MLA-19), night light (MLA-16), orthopaedic suspension (MLA-17) and remote control (MLA-18). The full line-by-line view is on our NUPCO supplier page.

When a direct tender is still the right route

The framework covers 33 of our line items, not the whole catalogue. When an intensive care unit needs a higher specification, such as the Santron Pro with its integrated patient scale, digital nurse panel and bed-exit alarm, that model is not on NPT0027-24. It is supplied against direct hospital tenders and purchases, with the same documentation.

In practice, a tender team starts by matching its required lines against the awarded items. Lines that match the framework are ordered by quoting the NUPCO item code and our supplier code; lines outside it go into a separate tender with a clear specification: number of functions, control type, safe working load and mattress size. Send us your line items and we confirm coverage model by model.

Documents that accompany the offer

For Saudi buyers, our offers carry the core document set: the SFDA local-manufacturer licence ML-2023-MD-0885, the ISO 13485:2016 certificate, Saudi Made certification and product datasheets. The beds are manufactured in our Madinah factory, operating since 2022 within a group founded in 1984, and our service teams in the Kingdom handle installation, staff handover and warranty.

What shapes the value of an offer outside the framework

We do not publish prices. On awarded items, pricing follows the terms of the framework agreement itself. Outside the framework, an offer depends on the number of functions and the bed type, the quantity, the delivery city, the warranty and service period, and installation and staff handover. Send us your line items with their codes and we reply with a written quotation showing the matching model for each line.

Frequently asked questions

What is a NUPCO tender for medical furniture?

It is a procurement round run by NUPCO, the National Unified Procurement Company, to unify purchasing for government health entities. For medical furniture the tender ends in a framework agreement that publishes the awarded items and their suppliers, so beneficiary entities can order those items under the agreement's terms rather than tendering for every delivery.

How do I verify which items a supplier was awarded?

Use the final-result announcement NUPCO publishes for the tender. For HOSPIcare, look for Medica-Lab Group for Industry, supplier code 401663, and the 33 line items awarded on NPT0027-24. Match each model code to its datasheet and ask the supplier to confirm the mapping in writing in the quotation.

Is the Santron Pro on the NUPCO framework?

No. The awarded bed is the standard Santron, model MLH-01S, under Bed Electrical Mid Range, alongside the F5, model MLH-01, under Bed Electrical Basic. The Santron Pro, with its integrated patient scale and digital nurse panel, is supplied through direct tenders and purchases with the same documentation.

Why can't I find a brand name in the NUPCO results?

Result documents list each line by NUPCO item code, generic description and the supplier's model code, not by brand. Search for the model code, such as MLH-01S, and match it to the product datasheet. A missing brand name does not mean the product was not awarded, which is why we confirm the mapping in writing.

Can we order products that are not on the framework?

Yes. The framework covers 33 of our line items, not the full catalogue. Other models, including advanced ICU beds, are supplied through hospital tenders or direct purchase with the same SFDA licence and ISO 13485:2016 certificate. Send us your line items and we will show what sits inside the framework and what does not.

Related pages

HOSPIcare NUPCO supplier 401663 · ICU beds · Santron hospital bed · F5 medical bed