Storage of Positive Samples

Concepts

• storage of positive samples
• laboratory services
• national testing programme
• distribution of positive samples
• storage
• ntp
• technologies
• validation of new tests

Location

London

Description

Collection, storage and distribution of positive samples for the National Testing Programme (NTP) in order to support validation of new tests and technologies.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 71900000 - Laboratory services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

Negotiated procedure without prior publication 1) The Covid-19 outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern as declared by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020. The WHO Director General characterised Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. 2) A key element of ensuring an effective response to the pandemic is ensuring that there is adequate testing. Subsequently validation of new tests and technologies required to achieve mass testing objectives. 3) DHSC is satisfied the tests permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(c)) are met: A. As far as is strictly necessary: Increased lab capacity to increase the amount and fast turnaround of tests processed was identified as strictly necessary to meet the demand to scale up the testing programme in the UK. B. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency: It is responding to Covid-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency. C. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable: the Commission itself confirmed: ‘The current coronavirus crisis presents an extreme and unforeseeable urgency – precisely for such a situation our European rules enable public buyers to buy within a matter of days, even hours, if necessary.’ (Commissioner Breton, Internal Market, 1 April 2020). D. It is impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR: It is not possible to comply with the timescales of another procedure due to the urgent requirement to ensure the amount of tests processed increases with the necessary demand. E. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority – DHSC has not done anything to cause or contribute to the need for extreme urgency.