Integrated Care Board

An NHS statutory body responsible for planning and commissioning health services for a defined population in England, established under the Health and Care Act 2022.

What an Integrated Care Board Is

An Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a statutory NHS organisation created by the Health and Care Act 2022, which came into force on 1 July 2022. ICBs replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and took on responsibility for planning and commissioning most NHS services for a defined geographic population within an Integrated Care System (ICS). There are 42 ICBs in England, each aligned to an ICS footprint.

ICBs hold significant NHS budgets — collectively responsible for allocating the majority of NHS England's day-to-day commissioning spend — and commission a wide range of services including acute hospital care, mental health, community health, and primary care.

Role in Procurement

As NHS bodies, ICBs are contracting authorities subject to public procurement law. Prior to the Procurement Act 2023, NHS commissioner procurement was governed by the NHS (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) Regulations 2013 and the Light Touch Regime under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015). The Health and Care Act 2022 also modified competition rules applicable to NHS commissioning, reducing mandatory competitive tendering obligations for NHS trusts and foundation trusts, though ICBs must still follow value-for-money principles.

Under the Procurement Act 2023, ICBs — like other contracting authorities — must comply with the revised transparency, tender, and award obligations applicable to contracts above relevant thresholds.

Governance and Accountability

Each ICB has a board that must include representation from NHS trusts, general practice, and local authorities. ICBs work alongside NHS England, which retains oversight and can intervene where statutory duties are not met. ICBs must publish commissioning strategies and are subject to freedom of information obligations.

Relevance for Suppliers

Suppliers bidding for health services contracts need to identify the relevant ICB for their target geography. Contract opportunities are published on Find a Tender Service (FTS) and the NHS's own procurement portals. Framework agreements — such as those managed by NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) or Crown Commercial Service (CCS) — are frequently used by ICBs to streamline procurement and ensure compliance.