Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
Contact
Natasha Boreham
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
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI)
Reference number
C0292
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75120000 - Administrative services of agencies
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 98113000 - Services furnished by specialist organisations
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
• The NIHR provides a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals working in world class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. The NIHR works in partnership with many sectors including the public and service users, the NHS, public health, other Government funders, the academic and third sectors and industry.
• The NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) aims to maximise the Department of Health's substantial investment in clinical research infrastructure and help other research funders, such as industry and charities, to navigate this infrastructure by:
o facilitating collaborations between NIHR-funded infrastructure and funders of research, including industry and charities, prioritising those of greatest significance to the health and wealth of the nation;
o promoting and enhancing the nation’s reputation as a world-class centre for early translation (experimental medicine), clinical and applied clinical research, as well as supporting how the NIHR contributes to broader economic growth, including through working with other government departments and functions such as UKTI;
o maximising the impact of the NIHR as a whole, by contributing or leading work to shorten the time it takes to develop new therapies and medical technologies;
o managing the NIHR Translational Research Partnerships and Collaborations
o provide oversight of operation of the UK CRF Network;
o facilitating NIHR Translational Research Collaborations created to enhance translation into patient benefit and collaboration across the NIHR research infrastructure – currently there is a Collaboration in Dementia and one in rare Diseases, with the potential of others being created at the direction of the DH. NOCRI supports opportunities where collaborations bring added value and overcome disease and technical challenges;
o providing analyses, intelligence and information on NIHR research infrastructure portfolios to facilitate collaborations including with other public, industry and charity research funders;
o providing information and intelligence and support as required for meeting information and briefing requests, responding to parliamentary questions and other requests for information as required;
o providing seamless and rapid links to the NIHR's Clinical Research Network to ensure efficient and effective delivery of appropriate research studies;
o strengthening enduring relationships between the NIHR and NIHR research infrastructure with biotech, medtech and pharma companies and contract research organisations, charities and other public research funders;
o acting as a unique resource for the global life sciences industry - sign post to and improve the quality, efficiency and success of translational research. NOCRI will help companies of all sizes work with the right people within the NIHR infrastructure and makes it easy for infrastructure and industry to work together.
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
1 April 2018
End date
31 March 2025
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years
N/A
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.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Contract award notice concerning this contract
Notice number: 2017/S 123-249984
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
2016/S 208-376509
Lot No
3
Title
NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI)
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
18 May 2017
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
LGC LIMITED
Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex
Teddington
TW11 0LY
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
02991879
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)
Total value of the procurement: £12,045,698.99
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The Department intends to re-tender the services at the end of the contract term. The Prior Information Notice can be found here https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025178-2024
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 75120000 - Administrative services of agencies
seven.1.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 98113000 - Services furnished by specialist organisations
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
United Kingdom
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
• The NIHR provides a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals working in world class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. The NIHR works in partnership with many sectors including the public and service users, the NHS, public health, other Government funders, the academic and third sectors and industry.
• The NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) aims to maximise the Department of Health's substantial investment in clinical research infrastructure and help other research funders, such as industry and charities, to navigate this infrastructure by:
o facilitating collaborations between NIHR-funded infrastructure and funders of research, including industry and charities, prioritising those of greatest significance to the health and wealth of the nation;
o promoting and enhancing the nation’s reputation as a world-class centre for early translation (experimental medicine), clinical and applied clinical research, as well as supporting how the NIHR contributes to broader economic growth, including through working with other government departments and functions such as UKTI;
o maximising the impact of the NIHR as a whole, by contributing or leading work to shorten the time it takes to develop new therapies and medical technologies;
o managing the NIHR Translational Research Partnerships and Collaborations
o provide oversight of operation of the UK CRF Network;
o facilitating NIHR Translational Research Collaborations created to enhance translation into patient benefit and collaboration across the NIHR research infrastructure – currently there is a Collaboration in Dementia and one in rare Diseases, with the potential of others being created at the direction of the DH. NOCRI supports opportunities where collaborations bring added value and overcome disease and technical challenges;
o providing analyses, intelligence and information on NIHR research infrastructure portfolios to facilitate collaborations including with other public, industry and charity research funders;
o providing information and intelligence and support as required for meeting information and briefing requests, responding to parliamentary questions and other requests for information as required;
o providing seamless and rapid links to the NIHR's Clinical Research Network to ensure efficient and effective delivery of appropriate research studies;
o strengthening enduring relationships between the NIHR and NIHR research infrastructure with biotech, medtech and pharma companies and contract research organisations, charities and other public research funders;
o acting as a unique resource for the global life sciences industry - sign post to and improve the quality, efficiency and success of translational research. NOCRI will help companies of all sizes work with the right people within the NIHR infrastructure and makes it easy for infrastructure and industry to work together.
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
1 April 2018
End date
31 March 2027
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:
A 5-year initial term and an option to extend for 4 years due to need for stability and continuity of services.
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£12,436,417
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
LGC LIMITED
Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex
Teddington
TW11 0LY
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
National registration number
02991879
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
seven.2) Information about modifications
seven.2.1) Description of the modifications
Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):
This modification extends the existing NOCRI contract from 31st March 2025 by 2 years to 31st March 2027.
This modification does not change NOCRI’s existing core functions to provide identification, prioritisation, research commissioning and management facilities.
Previous changes to the contract have been made, bringing the current contract value to 9,543,169 GBP (this value excludes this 2-year extension modification.)
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire.
Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor:
The Authority believes that the modification was permitted under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the PCR 2015 (SI 102) due to the following reasons:
a) the modification was necessary to utilise the option to extend for the final 2 years of the 4-year extension term as permitted in the Contract Award Notice.
b) a change of contractor could not have been made for economic or technical reasons as such additional services required highly specialised, health and care research management expertise, reliance on extensive, established stakeholder relationships and an up-to-date working knowledge of NIHR strategy, policies and systems
c) a change of contractor would have caused significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs as a result of:
i)the fragmentation and duplication of existing NIHR research programmes;
ii)significant, increased contractual management costs
iii)significantly higher admin costs
seven.2.3) Increase in price
Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)
Value excluding VAT: £9,543,169
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £12,436,417