Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
Procurement.Operations@dhsc.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKI32 - Westminster
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
Buyer's address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Provision of Lateral Flow Test Device Vision Reader
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The strategic end state for Lateral Flow Device (LFD) COVID-19 testing is one where citizens can test themselves using LFDs and report results without professional assistance with either the swabbing or the test analysis. This Letter of Intent is for proof of concept work to demonstrate computer vision technology that will automatically analyse test results from photos captured by the users.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £247,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The strategic end state for Lateral Flow Device (LFD) COVID-19 testing is one where citizens can test themselves using LFDs and report results without professional assistance with either the swabbing or the test analysis. This Letter of Intent is for proof of concept work to demonstrate computer vision technology that will automatically analyse test results from photos captured by the users.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
1. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a COVID-19 pandemic with the associated serious risk 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 testing in respect of COVID-19 on an urgent basis. 2. As part of those arrangements, DHSC needs to acquire products in order to implement the large-scale antigen testing programme necessary to build a profile of the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent further loss of human life and to allow the population to return to work safely. A part of its procurement strategy is the procurement of technology which enables citizens to test themselves using lateral flow devices and report results to Test and Trace without professional assistance. 3. DHSC is satisfied that the tests permitting use of the Negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii)) are met because:A. The works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator as competition is absent for technical reasons: The proof of concept work being carried out by the supplier is to demonstrate, refine and retrain specialist software and algorithms which are protected by IPRs held solely by the supplier. No other supplier is capable of providing the same software, technology and algorithm in the short time frames required for the pilot phase of the proof of concept which is a pre-condition to the roll out of the technology to NHS professionals and in time the general public. B. No reasonable alternative or substitute exists: There is no reasonable alternative operator who can provide the technology, software and algorithms to run the proof of concept and pilot the expanded testing capabilities without interruption at this stage. The imperative of innovation and the need to rapidly expand the scope and capacity of testing services is critical to England’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the significant benefits of successful containment of the spread of the virus is self-evident. If DHSC is unable to continue with its investigations into innovative solutions that could rapidly increase testing capacity and speeds, this may have a catastrophic impact on its strategy and could result in further spreading of the virus due to difficulties in testing and isolating those who have tested positive. 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 increase testing capacity exponentially to meet demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
3 February 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Sensyne Health Group Limited
Schrödinger Building Heatley Road, Oxford Science Park
Oxford
OX4 4GE
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
National registration number
11240986
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £247,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £247,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
generaloffice@administrativecourtoffice.justice.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom