Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
UK Biobank Ltd
1-2 Spectrum Way, Adswood
Stockport
SK3 0SA
UK
Telephone: +44 1614755386
E-mail: andrea.howard@ukbiobank.ac.uk
NUTS: UKD3
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA25607
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
Procurement of an Assay to Measure Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibodies in Human Blood Samples for the UK Biobank study of seroprevalence of Covid-19
Reference number: UKBB011
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85148000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
UK Biobank is conducting a study of seroprevalence of Covid-19 in the population of up to 20 000 of its participants and their adult children and grandchildren (the ‘Study’). The study (which is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care) aims to collect blood samples from study participants each month for an initial period of 6 months and measure these samples to assess the extent of previous infection with the SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus (by measuring blood antibodies) in different locations and age groups across the UK. In order to enable the study, UK Biobank needed a supplier to provide an assay which could be used to measure blood antibodies. There was an urgent need to identify a supplier of an assay to enable UK Biobank to design the study – in particular the method of blood collection – to enable the study to start without delay. The study needed to start as soon as possible to enable UK Biobank to report the assay results to DHSC to assist the DHSC in its monitoring of Covid-19 in the population as part of its urgent public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst it is UK Biobank that has entered into the contract directly with the assay supplier, the DHSC will be remunerating the supplier direct (rather than payment being made through UK Biobank)
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
1 560 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85140000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKD35
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Procurement of an assay to measure severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in human blood samples.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price
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 IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition
Justification for selected award procedure:
Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the Directive
Explanation
UK Biobank (‘UKB’) has relied on Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (‘PCR 2015’) to make a direct award due to extreme urgency. In relying on this ground UKB has considered the guidance set out in the Cabinet Office information note ‘Procurement Policy Note – Responding to Covid-19 Information Note PPN 01/20 (March 020)’. The Covid-19 pandemic is so novel that the consequences were unforeseeable. Confirmation as to the need to undertake the Study as a matter of urgency was only confirmed to UKB on 23 April 2020 (with the study starting and blood collection kits being mailed out on 20 May 2020). This urgency did not provide UKB with sufficient time to comply with the usual/accelerated timescales in the PCR 2015 as it was imperative to ascertain which assay was being used in order to design the blood collection methods for the study and get the study started. The urgency UKB is responding to could not have been foreseen and is not due to UKB’s delay in acting. Reliance on Regulation 32(2)(2)(c) was imperative to enable UKB to design and start the study (in the interests of public health as part of the Government’s testing programme ‘Coronavirus (Covid-19) scaling up our testing programmes’ It was not practical to consider entering into a very short term services contract with the appointed contractor whilst a competitive accelerated process was run for the remainder of the study – the same assay needs to be used on all the samples in the study to ensure consistency and reliability of the data being generated and analysed for the purposes of the study.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section V: Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
05/06/2020
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of The University of Oxford
University Offices, Wellington Square
Oxford
OX1 2JD
UK
NUTS: UKJ14
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 1 560 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
(MT Ref:219946)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
22/06/2020