HQP. The Care Procurement Specialist

What HQP. The Care Procurement Specialist does

HQP (Hospice Quality Partnership), branded as 'The Care Procurement Specialist', is a UK not-for-profit social enterprise structured as a private limited company (Company No. 09236150) and headquartered in Macclesfield, England. Founded in 2014 by leading UK hospices with foundational support from Hospice UK and Big Issue Invest, HQP operates as a collective purchasing consortium providing centralised procurement services to over 60 UK hospices and, more broadly, UK charitable care organisations. The platform curates exclusive supplier frameworks across operations, technology, buildings, patient care, staff and volunteers, administration, fundraising, and consultancy categories — sourcing partners include Ciphr, Blue Stream Academy, iRota, Wil-U, Central Technology, Focus Group, Focus Energy, Linet, Countrywide, BIDFOOD/BRAKES, PIB Insurance Brokers, embracent, The Green Consultancy, and Initial Medical. HQP does not build proprietary technology; instead it negotiates volume-based pricing and pre-vetted agreements on behalf of members, delivering over £5.2 million in cumulative savings since founding and an average of over £12,000 per member per year in direct savings. The business model is a B2B subscription membership: care organisations pay annual membership fees (not publicly disclosed) to access the supplier framework, and members benefit from negotiated pricing, procurement expertise, and complementary consultancy. The operating model is lean — 1–10 employees and a single UK office — with growth driven by member referrals, case study marketing, newsletter engagement, and sector endorsement rather than a traditional sales machine. Geographic scope is exclusively the United Kingdom, with the customer base concentrated in the hospice and charitable care verticals. The company is member-founded and not-for-profit, with no external funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes disclosed.

Name

HQP. The Care Procurement Specialist

Legal name

HQP (Hospice Quality Partnership)

Website

https://hqp.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HQP (Hospice Quality Partnership) is a UK not-for-profit social enterprise that runs a collective procurement consortium for over 60 UK hospices and care charities, curating vetted supplier frameworks across operations, IT, HR, energy, insurance, and patient services to deliver negotiated savings to members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Procurement Services

NAICS

Office Administrative Services (56111)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Service Delivery, Case Management & Employee Self-Service (BPACAPAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ), HR Compliance, Policy, EEO & Labor Law (BPACAPAM)

Keywords

• Care procurement services
• Hospice purchasing consortium
• Supplier framework agreements
• Centralized group purchasing
• Nonprofit procurement specialist

Headquarters

HQ city

Macclesfield, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HQP operates as a not-for-profit social enterprise, generating revenue through membership fees paid by care organisations (primarily UK hospices). Members pay to access exclusive supplier agreements, negotiated pricing, and procurement expertise. The model is subscription/membership-based rather than transaction-based.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HQP is a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides centralised procurement services to UK hospices and care organisations. It negotiates exclusive supplier framework agreements across operations, technology, buildings, patient care, staff and volunteers, administration, fundraising, and consultancy, delivering cost savings through collective purchasing power. Members access vetted best-in-class suppliers, negotiated pricing, and procurement expertise through an annual membership subscription, with reported savings exceeding £5.2 million cumulatively and over £12,000 per member per year on average.

Product overview

HQP (Hospice Quality Partnership) is a not-for-profit social enterprise providing centralised procurement services exclusively for UK care organisations, particularly hospices. Founded in 2014 by leading UK hospices, HQP operates as a purchasing consortium offering access to exclusive supplier agreements across seven service categories: Operations (clinical waste, risk management, telecoms, IT, financial systems), Technology Solutions (HR systems, e-rostering, learning management, retail EPOS), Buildings (utilities, insurance, signage), Patients (medical equipment, catering, patient feedback), Staff & Volunteers (HR, training, uniforms, benefits), Administration (print, stationery, office supplies), Fundraising (lottery, retail, donations), and Consultancy (governance, sustainability, procurement reviews). The offering is a platform of frameworks with vetted supplier partners rather than a single product, delivering over £5.2 million in savings to members with an average annual saving of £12,000 per member. Key supplier partnerships include Ciphr and Blue Stream Academy for HR/LMS, iRota for e-rostering, Wil-U for retail EPOS, Central Technology for IT managed services, Focus Group for telecommunications and utilities, Linet for medical equipment, and The Green Consultancy for sustainability services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operations Procurement Framework A bundled procurement framework giving UK hospices and care organisations access to vetted suppliers for clinical waste collection, risk management, telecommunications, retail EPOS systems, IT managed services, financial management systems, technology transformation support, and digital signature solutions. Designed to reduce procurement overhead and standardise operational contracts across member hospices.
• Technology Solutions Procurement Framework A technology procurement framework providing member hospices access to integrated HR and payroll software (Ciphr, Iris Cascade HRi, Staffology), eLearning and learning management systems (Blue Stream Academy), electronic rostering (iRota), retail EPOS with Digital Gift Aid (Wil-U), and digital signature platforms, with negotiated member pricing and integration support.
• Buildings Procurement Framework A procurement framework covering utilities (energy procurement via Focus Energy with access to 21 energy suppliers), insurance (buildings, liability, business interruption via PIB Insurance Brokers), and signage and display solutions for hospice buildings.
• Patient Care Procurement Framework A patient-focused procurement framework providing access to beds, mattresses, hoists and patient handling equipment (Linet), catering supplies (BIDFOOD and BRAKES), patient feedback systems (iWantGreatCare) for CQC-compliant reporting, medical and janitorial supplies (Countrywide Healthcare), and air purification solutions including VIRUSKILLER technology.
• Staff and Volunteers Procurement Framework A workforce procurement framework offering HR systems, learning and development platforms (Blue Stream Academy), employee benefits (PIB Employee Benefits, including pensions, group risk, healthcare, and discount portal), workwear and uniforms (Harveys Workwear), and e-rostering software (iRota) for managing rotas, timesheets, leave, and sickness.
• Administration Procurement Framework An administrative procurement framework covering managed print services, stationery (Banner Ltd), mail franking and postal services, and general office supplies, providing member hospices with consolidated procurement for back-office needs.
• Fundraising Procurement Framework A fundraising procurement framework providing member hospices with managed lottery services, income generation strategies, charity retail review, promotional fundraising merchandise, contactless donation solutions, and direct mail, design and print services to support fundraising operations.
• Consultancy Services A consultancy offering covering charity retail review, income generation strategy, governance advisory, investment review, sustainability and Net Zero Carbon strategy (via The Green Consultancy with ISO 9001 quality backing), social value impact assessment, and procurement spend review to identify savings opportunities for member hospices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £5.2 million in total savings delivered to Members since 2014
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Hospice UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Hospice UK supported the founding of HQP as a social enterprise in 2014. This partnership provides legitimacy and industry recognition within the hospice sector.
• Focus EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus Energy provides energy procurement services to HQP members, offering fixed tariffs, green gas, renewable electricity, bill validation, SMART metering, and ESOS compliance support. Members benefit from access to 21 energy suppliers and significant cost savings.
• Central Technology (CT)coreTechnology or IntegrationCT provides IT managed services including VDI solutions, cybersecurity, Microsoft 365 backup, and cloud infrastructure for hospices. The partnership delivers secure, resilient IT systems with 60% reduction in service desk tickets reported.
• CiphrcoreTechnology or IntegrationCiphr provides integrated HR and payroll software for hospices, including onboarding portals, performance management, and compliance features. Also provides eLearning content through Ciphr LMS.
• Wil-UcoreTechnology or IntegrationWil-U provides retail EPOS systems and Digital Gift Aid solutions for hospice charity shops. Results include 98% increase in Gift Aid sign-up for members like St Giles Hospice.
• PIB Insurance BrokerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIB Insurance Brokers provides insurance cover for hospices including buildings, liability, and employee benefits. Also offers staff discount shopping portal. 20+ years experience in care sector.
• iWantGreatCaresupportingTechnology or IntegrationiWantGreatCare provides patient feedback systems for hospices, enabling CQC-compliant feedback collection, processing, and reporting for quality improvement.
• embracentsupportingTechnology or Integrationembracent provides Robotic Process Automation (RPA) using UiPath technology, helping hospices automate repetitive tasks and reduce manual reporting time by up to 92%.
• Blue Stream AcademysupportingTechnology or IntegrationBlue Stream Academy provides eLearning and HR systems for hospices, including 135+ CPD certified courses, training management, and policy documentation features.
• LinetsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinet manufactures and supplies beds, hoists, mattresses, and healthcare furniture for hospices, including anti-pressure ulcer mattresses and mobile equipment.
• BIDFOOD and BRAKESsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIDFOOD and BRAKES provide catering supplies to hospices, including fresh produce, meat, frozen food, and dietary-specific options. Average 5% savings reported.
• CountrywidesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCountrywide supplies medical and janitorial supplies to hospices, offering over 10,000 catalogue items, COSHH training, and clinical support for incontinence products.
• Harveys WorkwearsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarveys Workwear provides workwear and uniforms for hospice staff, offering reliable supply, consistent quality, and exclusive HQP member pricing.
• iRotasupportingTechnology or IntegrationiRota provides electronic rostering software developed specifically for the healthcare market, helping hospices manage rotas, timesheets, leave, and sickness efficiently.
• BannersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanner supplies office stationery and supplies to HQP members at competitive pricing through an expanded framework agreement.
• The Green Consultancy (TGC)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTGC supports HQP members with Net Zero Carbon strategies, sustainability reviews, ESOS compliance, and energy efficiency consultancy. Founded in 1992 with experience across 130 NHS Trusts.
• Initial MedicalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial Medical provides hygiene solutions including hygienic door handles, surface sanitisers, and soap dispensers for hospices.
• Focus GroupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFocus Group provides telecommunications and WAN solutions including SD-WAN, HSCN connectivity, and VPN services for hospices like St Barnabas Lincoln.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• YPO: UK public sector buying organisation owned by local authorities, providing procurement frameworks across categories including HR, IT, energy, and professional services. Same membership/cooperative structure as HQP, though serving schools, councils, and public bodies rather than hospices.
• NHS Shared Business Services: UK-based joint venture between the Department of Health and Sopra Steria providing back-office and procurement services to the NHS and wider health sector. Direct competitor to HQP in healthcare procurement frameworks, though at substantially larger scale and serving NHS trusts rather than hospices specifically.
• Vizient: Largest US healthcare performance improvement company offering group purchasing services, analytics, and consulting to hospitals and healthcare systems. Operates the same GPO model as HQP — aggregating member purchasing volume to negotiate supplier discounts — though at vastly larger scale in the US market.
• HealthTrust Europe: UK healthcare-focused group purchasing organisation providing procurement and clinical solutions to NHS trusts and private healthcare providers. Closely comparable business model to HQP (collective purchasing on behalf of healthcare members) though serving a broader healthcare audience than hospice-only.
• NHS Commercial Solutions: NHS-owned procurement organisation providing framework agreements and commercial services to NHS trusts and healthcare providers. Comparable to HQP in targeting healthcare organisations with collective procurement, though NHS-trust focused rather than hospice-focused.
• Premier Inc: US healthcare alliance and GPO serving hospitals, health systems, and other providers with supply chain, clinical, and performance services. Direct functional analogue to HQP's collective purchasing model, demonstrating the scalable potential of healthcare procurement consortiums.

Broad incumbents

• Crown Commercial Service: UK government body that provides commercial procurement and contract management solutions to the public sector. A much larger incumbent offering framework agreements that overlap with many of HQP's categories (energy, IT, professional services), though serving all of government rather than specifically hospices.

Regional players

• Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO): UK local authority-owned purchasing consortium originally serving East Midlands councils but now operating nationally. Same cooperative procurement framework model as HQP across categories including HR, IT, energy, catering, and office supplies — applicable comparison for the public/third sector procurement space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hqpartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hospicequalitypartnership

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HQP. The Care Procurement Specialist