This tender opportunity is part of the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's commitment to expand UCCs across the country, opening 50 new clinics nationwide, including 12 in Victoria.

The four new Medicare UCCs will service residents in and around the following Local Government Areas (LGAs): 

• Bayside
• Cardinia - with a preference for Pakenham 
• Stonnington - with a preference to the eastern part of the region and bordering suburbs (including Malvern, East Malvern, Caulfield North, Caulfield, Carnegie and Murrumbeena) 
• Mornington Peninsula - with a preference for Hastings 

What are Medicare Urgent Care Clinics?

Medicare UCCs reduce demand on hospital emergency departments by providing a primary care service for urgent conditions that do not require an emergency response. Medicare UCCs are GP-led services that increase access to primary care, providing treatment to people with conditions such as mild infections, sprains, broken bones and minor burns. They also offer pathology and imaging services.

SEMPHN currently commissions four Medicare UCCs, based in Dandenong, Frankston, Prahran and Narre Warren. 

What's involved?

Medicare UCCs are required to deliver services as outlined in the Medicare UCC Operational Guidance, including the following requirements:

• Must be open for 14 hours a day, 7 days a week (including public holidays)
• Services provided at Medicare UCCs must be bulk billed, resulting in no out-of-pocket costs to patients (refer to tender specifications).

Applying for this tender

To be considered for this tender, applicants must:

• Be a general practice provider that currently provides services within the SEMPHN catchment, and/or a general practice provider who currently operates Medicare UCCs elsewhere in Victoria 
• Medicare UCCs are required to be established/co-located with an accredited general practice in line with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) standards 
• Preference will be given to existing general practices that seek to be established/co-located with a Medicare UCC within the specified eligible service delivery locations
• Preference will also be given to general practices that offer fully bulk billed services
• If a general practice is not currently providing services in the eligible locations, the application must confirm the intention to establish a general practice co-located with the Medicare UCC in the specified locations. In these instances, SEMPHN will require written permission from the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to establish a contract with a new general practice
• Medicare UCCs based within existing community health centres or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) will also be considered, in line with the eligibility criteria 
• Deliver the proposed services/activities within the geographical boundaries of the listed eligible locations
• Be able to commence service delivery by no later than 15 December 2025.

Additional detailed eligibility is provided in the tender specifications.

All questions and tenders MUST be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure by the dates below. 

Key Dates

• 18 August 2025: Tender opens
• 3 September 2025 (3 pm): Closing date for questions via eProcure
• 10 September 2025 (3 pm): Closing date for responses
• 13 and 14 October 2025: Site visits with shortlisted respondents 
• 15 October 2025: Interviews with shortlisted respondents (if required)
• By 15 December 2025: Service commencement date
• 30 June 2028: Contract end date