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
Schools LFD Storage and Distribution
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 64100000 - Post and courier services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Storage and distribution of LFD test kits to schools in the UK
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: £9,787,144.16
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Storage and distribution of LFD test kits to schools in the UK
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
- Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority
Explanation:
1. Despite the passage of time since the onset of the pandemic, the urgency of the current situation is extreme. A new strain of SARS-CoV2 (VUI202012/01) has emerged and, whilst it is understood to have been known of since September 2020, its rapid transmissibility has only very recently become properly understood. This - coupled with recent knowledge of higher-than-expected case numbers (particularly in the South East of England) and the fact that it is known that asymptomatic transfer poses a particular risk where school-age individuals are the vectors - means that extremely urgent action was taken to target mass-testing at this particular cohort. As such, there was and is now an extremely urgent need for this proposed direct award2. 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 2020.3. A key element of ensuring an effective response to the pandemic is ensuring that there is adequate testing, subsequently securing sufficient test capacity for schools in order to test school pupils and staffA. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency: It is responding to COVID-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency.B. 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, 01.04.2020).C. 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. D. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority – DHSC has not done anything to cause or contribute to the need for extreme urgency
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
15 April 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
Bidfood
814 Leigh Road
Slough
SL1 4BD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
00239718
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £9,787,144.16
Total value of the contract/lot: £9,787,144
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