Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square

London

SW1P 3JR

UK

Contact person: procurement Operations

E-mail: procurement.operations@dhsc.gov.uk

NUTS: UKI32

Internet address(es)

Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency

II.1.1) Title

Reference number: 845

II.1.2) Main CPV code

90491000

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

Supplier will provide wastewater sampling activities at a number of locations within the region in which the supplier operates. The two primary locations are manholes in urban or community locations an treatment centres, typically at primary inlet points

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement

Value excluding VAT: 2 776 173.00  GBP

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition

Justification for selected award procedure:

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights

Explanation

1. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a COVID-19 pandemic with the associated serious risk posed to life. The UK Government’s response to the national emergency posed by COVID-19 includes the putting in place by it of arrangements for large-scale wastewater testing in respect of COVID-19.<br/><br/>2. A key element of ensuring an effective response to the pandemic is ensuring that there is a disease monitoring framework. Subsequently ensuring presence in key areas of interest (locally, regionally and nationally) and to have the ability to quickly respond to hotpots and new variants is crucial. The programme has engaged with 9 Water Companies in England to undertake the sampling across many of these locations. These contracts will cover the services associated with the sampling across England at both Treatment Centre locations and Network Locations across the geographic region of each water company.<br/><br/>3. DHSC is satisfied the tests permitting use of the Negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(b)(iii)) are met:<br/><br/>A. The works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator for the protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights: Thames Water has exclusive proprietary rights over and in respect of its own water network infrastructure, plants etc. Thames Water must in all circumstances provide consent before access is permitted to their plant or network infrastructure to undertake this sampling. In relation to the sampling being undertaken by the UK Government, Thames Water has advised that only they (or their own authorised subcontractors under direct water company control) will undertake this sampling as it is their property and their risk.<br/><br/>B. No reasonable alternative or substitute exists – The samples can only be sourced from Thames Water infrastructure; therefore, no reasonable alternative exists.<br/><br/>C. the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement – this procurement is part of a procurement strategy by the UK government to implement disease monitoring framework due to the Covid-19 pandemic

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No

THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED

02366623

Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8DB

Reading

RG1 8DB

UK

NUTS: UK

The contractor is an SME: No

VI.4.1) Review body

VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures