Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road
Canterbury
CT1 3NG
UK
Contact person: Senior Category Manager - Corporate (C385190)
E-mail: ekh-tr.procurement@nhs.net
NUTS: UKJ44
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk
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
Insourcing of clinical services_Mechanical Thrombectomy
Reference number: C385190
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85100000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
2gether Support Solutions, on behalf of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (the "Trust"), is looking to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider process of the Provider Selection Regime ("PSR"), i.e., able to identify the most suitable provider without running a competitive exercise, for the provision of insourced clinical services to support the establishment and delivery of the Trust's new Mechanical Thrombectomy service.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
1 052 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85141000
85110000
85121200
85141200
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ44
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
In accordance with Regulation 10 of The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, 2gether Support Solutions, on behalf of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (the "Trust"), is looking to award a contract under the Most Suitable Provider process, i.e., able to identify the most suitable provider without running a competitive exercise, for the provision of insourced clinical services to support the establishment and delivery of the Trust's new Mechanical Thrombectomy service.<br/><br/>A most suitable provider has been identified by the Trust to provide:<br/><br/>1) specifically trained and competent Interventional Neuroradiologists to operate the Trust's Mechanical Thrombectomy service, including the delivery of an effective Mechanical Thrombectomy training programme to the Trust's substantive Interventional Radiologists within this period, to allow for the Mechanical Thrombectomy service to operate independently (without insourced staffing) at the end of the Proposed Contract's term; and<br/>2) specifically skilled and competent Interventional Neuroradiology Radiographers and Interventional Neuroradiology Nurses to support and train the Trust's substantive Interventional Radiology Radiographers and Interventional Radiology Nurses during the initial establishment of the Mechanical Thrombectomy service (maximum period of eight weeks); and <br/>3) provide independently competent Interventional Radiologists with the specific clinical skillset required to operate and support the existing Interventional Radiology service (caseload) for the Proposed Contract term.<br/><br/>This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention of award notice.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Cost criterion: Most suitable provider process with regard to the key criteria
/ Weighting: 100
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition, as selected in the preliminary questions.
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:
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the Directive
Explanation
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act Regulations 2023 do NOT apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers before midnight on 1st October 2025. The Proposed Contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
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
19/09/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
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
Athona Limited
04854351
2nd Floor, Kingsgate House, 1 King Edward Road
Brentwood
CM14 4HG
UK
Telephone: +44 1277217777
E-mail: info@athona.com
Fax: +44 1277217755
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
URL: http://www.athona.com
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
Lowest offer:
1 052 000.00
GBP
/ Highest offer:
1 052 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice.<br/><br/>The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act Regulations 2023 do NOT apply to this award.<br/><br/>The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority before midnight on 1st October 2025. Any representations must be made to email address: ekh-tr.procurement@nhs.net, with the subject line titled: 'C385190_MSP_PSR_Representations_[insert your company name]'.<br/><br/>This contract has NOT yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.<br/><br/>The Contracting Authority is of the view that after having taken into account likely providers and all relevant information available to it at this time, that it has identified the most suitable provider. Each of the five key criteria elements (quality and innovation; value, integration, collaboration and service sustainability; improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitation choice; and social value) were considered and balanced with equal importance.<br/><br/>This decision has been made as per the Contracting Authority's governance processes. No declared conflicts or potential conflicts of interest of the individuals making the decision were identified.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
2Gether Support Solutions Limited
William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Ashford
Kent
TN24 0LZ
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.2gethersupportsolutions.org/
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
2Gether Support Solutions Limited
William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Ashford
Kent
TN24 0LZ
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.2gethersupportsolutions.org/
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
2Gether Support Solutions Limited
William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Ashford
Kent
TN24 0LZ
UK
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.2gethersupportsolutions.org/
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
19/09/2025