Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Genomics England Limited
Dawson Hall, Charterhouse Square
London
EC1M 6BQ
UK
Telephone: +44 2078825030
E-mail: paul.nicholson@genomicsengland.co.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: www.genomicsengland.co.uk
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://genomicsengland.bravosolution.co.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://genomicsengland.bravosolution.co.uk
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
COVID Related Sample Collection Service
Reference number: GeL-COV-159-20
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79624000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The COVID-19 human genome sequencing programme will recruit 20,000 people currently or previously in an intensive care unit with coronavirus, as well as 15,000 individuals who have mild or no symptoms during infection.
Genomics England Limited (GEL) is required to collect 15,000 genomic samples from volunteers who have suffered COVID symptoms to provide a control cohort in support of COVID genomic research. This Contract Notice aim is to select a provider for at least 10,000 mild samples and additional severe samples and other co-recruitment samples. Numbers of these severe samples and co-recruitment samples are not currently known with requirements being developed through 2020.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79624000
79625000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
Main site or place of performance:
Nationwide
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The COVID-19 human genome sequencing programme will recruit 20,000 people currently or previously in an intensive care unit with coronavirus, as well as 15,000 individuals who have mild or no symptoms during infection. The study aims to understand the genetic factors that influence risk of severe COVID-19. It has been designated as an urgent public health study by the NIHR and is jointly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, UKRI and NIHR.
Genomics England Limited (GEL) is required to collect 15,000 genomic samples from volunteers who have suffered mild or asymptomatic COVID symptoms to provide a control cohort in support of COVID genomic research. GEL does not have integral sample collection capability, and support from NIHR research nurses and NHS Trusts to collect samples is not guaranteed, nor are they able to support home visits, the preferred collection method. This Contract Notice is to select a provider for the remaining 10,000+ samples to work with GEL from around October 2020 onwards.
Severe Retrospective Cases. Current severe retrospective recruitment numbers indicate that up to 70 % of volunteers will request a home visit for their sample collection. As a result, the samples that the collection provider will be required to collect will include both mild, and severe retrospective. The numbers of severe cases will be over and above the 10,000 mild samples but are not currently determined.
Additional Co-recruitment – (not yet confirmed). There is the possibility that the collection provider will also be asked to perform additional sample collection in certain instances. This would result in a 6-8 week period during which the majority, if not all, cases up to a volume of approximately 10,000 would require blood collection that includes the standard collection for the mild samples and other collection services during the same appointment.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 12
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
12 month extension option
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
28/08/2020
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until:
30/10/2020
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
28/08/2020
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
NB: The services required have been deemed to fall under the list of Services covered by the Light-Touch Regime under Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and as such the procurement procedure reflects the necessary timescales required to meet the project requirements.
The procurement procedure meets the requirements of a light touch regime procurement and is reasonable in terms of approach and timings. Mandatory and discretionary exclusions apply and will be assessed as pass/fail requirements as part of tenderer' submissions following the exclusions set out within the standard selection questionnaire. Evaluation will be conducted against set criteria and decisions based on best price quality ratio (BPQR) to determine the successful service provider.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
10/08/2020