Department of Health and Social Care

39 Victoria Street

London

SW1H 0EU

UK

E-mail: simeon.hadebe@dhsc.gov.uk

NUTS: UKI32

Internet address(es)

Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

II.1.1) Title

Reference number: Project Number:1126 Contract Number:11961

II.1.2) Main CPV code

33651660

II.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

II.1.4) Short description

This contract is for the supply of a central national stock of influenza vaccine.

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement

Value excluding VAT: 47 000 000.00  GBP

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

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

Justification for selected award procedure:

Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the Directive

Explanation

Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a call for competition in accordance with Article 32 of Directive 2014/24/EU: extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the directive.

Explanation:

1) The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a serious infectious respiratory disease and its consequences pose a risk to life. The WHO Director General characterised Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, by this stage Europe was the centre of the pandemic.

2) Influenza vaccination gives higher risk groups direct protection, and decreases the prevalence of influenza in the community thereby protecting lower risk groups and those who cannot get vaccinated. This procurement is for an urgent national buffer stock of vaccines which will be used to substantially expand the usual numbers vaccinated in light of the risk presented by Covid-19.

3) Due to the additional risks of flu and Covid-19 co-circulating, the authority wishes to expand cohorts to cover year 7 children, household contacts of those on the Covid-19 shielding list, and over 50s, and increase uptake in all existing cohorts. This strategy will reduce the numbers of co-infections of Covid-19 and flu, which if they were to occur, will:

— place exceptional pressures on the National Health Service and care services;

— potentially increase the severity of the diseases in individuals;

— potentially lead to misclassification because of overlapping clinical syndromes and the currently imperfect detection of viral pathogen in respiratory samples; and

— potentially makes transmission of both diseases more likely.

4) These concerns have led to a global race for additional flu vaccines. The global stock of these vaccines is limited and there are many buyers competing for the same supplies. It is imperative that security of supply is maintained for public health purposes. In these circumstances, a procurement following the usual timescales under the PCR 2015, including accelerated options, was not feasible.

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

Aventis Pharma ltd t/a Sanofi

01535640

410, Thames Valley Park Drive

Reading

RG6 1PT

UK

NUTS: UKJ1

The contractor is an SME: No

VI.4.1) Review body

VI.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:

Review procedures are set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Proceedings under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 are time limited and any such proceedings must be brought in the High Court of England and Wales.