Capital Purchase of a Spectra Optia system

Procurement description

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board intend to Direct Award without prior competition to Terumo BCT Europe for the purchase of a Spectra Optia Apheresis System.

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)

Terumo BCT Europe

Procedure type

Direct award

Description of how these justifications apply

This contract will be awarded without prior publication of a competitive procedure because:

- To enable continued expansion of CAR-T and wider ATMP clinical trial activity, an additional Optia apheresis is required to supplement the two existing machines. This will need to be compatible with existing equipment as transitioning to new equipment creates challenges around comparing new results with historical datasets.

- The South Wales Blood and Marrow Transplant (SWBMT) Programme holds a comprehensive maintenance contract with Terumo for it's existing machines and deviation from the existing models would create service disruption risk should machine downtime occur.

- As the only NHS centre in Wales with the JACIE accreditation, regulatory approvals, and specialist expertise required to collect cellular products for CAR-T manufacture, the SWBMT Programme commits to maintain their equipment portfolio to ensure equal clinical delivery.

Direct award justification

Single suppliers technical reasons

Sustainability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)