Invitation to tender: Culturally adapted dementia care

Invitation to Tender: Culturally Adapted Dementia Care for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Communities

The NHS Race and Health Observatory (NHS RHO) is commissioning a review into access to dementia diagnosis and services for Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities in England.
This work responds to the urgent need for culturally adapted approaches to dementia care, as population projections show a fifteen-fold increase in ethnic minority older people with dementia by 2050. Structural inequalities, stigma, and systemic barriers continue to impact access to timely diagnosis and appropriate care. This project will explore how these challenges can be addressed through evidence-based, community-informed, and scalable solutions.

Purpose and aims

The commissioned review will:

  • Identify where culturally adapted diagnostic practices and service models have been implemented.
  • Assess their impact on access, experience, and outcomes for racially minoritised groups.
  • Lead to practical recommendations to support the scale and spread of effective interventions across the health and care system.

The work will be guided by the NHS RHO Implementation Model and should include extensive engagement with people with lived experience, clinicians, policymakers, and community organisations.

Scope of work

The successful applicant(s) will conduct:

  • A high-level review of data on diagnosis, treatment, and mortality rates in dementia across ethnic groups.
  • A literature review of ethnic and racial inequalities in dementia care, including day care and residential/nursing home settings.
  • Engagement with Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities to understand barriers to diagnosis and care.
  • Engagement with clinicians and professionals across primary and specialist care.
  • Between three and five evaluated case studies of culturally adapted dementia services or similar interventions.
  • A synthesis of barriers and facilitators to implementation.
  • Co-produced recommendations validated by a broad range of stakeholders.

Outputs

The project will run over 12 months and result in:

  • A detailed, accessible report (approx. 40 pages) with an executive summary and technical appendices.
  • Evidence-based recommendations targeted at specific organisations.
  • Presentation of findings at an externally facing meeting.
  • Communications materials to support dissemination.

Who should apply?

We welcome proposals from:

  • Academic institutions
  • NHS bodies
  • Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations
  • Community-led groups
  • Independent researchers and consultancies

Collaborative proposals are strongly encouraged. If your organisation can deliver part of the work, we invite you to partner with others to build a comprehensive, multidisciplinary bid.

Applicants should demonstrate:

  • Expertise in dementia care, health inequalities, and cultural competence.
  • Experience in community engagement and co-production.
  • A commitment to anti-racism and equitable partnership working.
  • Capacity to deliver high-quality research and actionable outputs.

Speak with our team

We are holding a drop-in session at 3:00–3:45PM on Friday 10 October. The session is a chance to ask questions about the background to the project and seek clarifications on the ITT document. Sign up to join the meeting on Teams using this link.

For further information, please contact: Lina Soura, Business Manager at [email protected].

How to apply

After reading through the details attached below, tenders can be submitted by email to [email protected] before 23:59 on 28 October 2025.

Please use the subject line: Tender ref: RHO_Dementia 2025_TEN1046

More information

Invitation to tender (Microsoft Word) (0.28 MB)
Invitation to tender (PDF) (0.29 MB)