Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Education Authority NI
40 Academy Street
Belfast
BT1 2NQ
educationresource.procure@eani.org.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Buyer's address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Education Needs Schools
Reference number
EDR 21-004
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
Regular Asymptomatic Testing in Northern Ireland Special Education Needs Schools
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
23 December 2021
End date
31 March 2022
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: 2021/S 000-006452
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
EDR 21-004
Title
Regular Asymptomatic Testing in Northern Ireland Special Educational Needs Schools
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
31 March 2021
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
Queens University Belfast
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKN - Northern Ireland
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: £1,430,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The weekly asymptomatic testing service of 10,000 special school staff (teaching, non-teaching and ancillary) and students with special. educational needs is urgently required due to the emergency situation regarding Covid-19 within Special Educational Needs schools in Northern Ireland and will ensure that these schools can remain open. The service will run in. all 39 Special Educational Needs schools within Northern Ireland from March 2021 to the end of March 2022 with the provision to extend until 30th November 2022 following advice from the Public Health Agency regarding testing in Special Education Needs Schools. The samples will be tested using the direct LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) method as this is a viable and readily available deliverable method and is less invasive for children in Special Educational Needs schools and therefore uptake is likely to be maximised and testing objectives met. Queen’s University Belfast is part of the UK national plan for testing and is the only laboratory that is accredited within Northern Ireland to provide all elements of the testing service including the requirement for the testing to be turned around with results within several hours. The aim of this service is to find asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases so they can be isolated along with their contacts, therefore reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the school settings, and consequently the wider community. Special Educational Needs schools have remained open during the Pandemic and while children, even those with significant underlying medical conditions, do not generally become very unwell if they contract COVID-19, some children in Special Educational Needs schools have extremely complex medical needs and all possible steps must be taken to protect them from COVID-19. Any infection can be serious for them as their baseline condition is so fragile. The provision of this service will also contribute to reducing the rate of infections in Special Educational Needs Schools as regular testing will identify cases either before they are symptomatic, or asymptomatic cases, allowing immediate self-isolation, thereby reducing the potential for wider transmission, both within the school and in the contact groups of pupils. and staff.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not currently have any such bodies with responsibilities for appeal/mediation procedures
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UKN - Northern Ireland
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Education Needs Schools
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
23 December 2021
End date
30 November 2022
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£2,115,000
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Queens University Belfast
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKN - Northern Ireland
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):
Contract to be extended to 31st March 2022 with the provision to extend to 30th November 2022 on advice from the public health agency regarding testing in special education needs schools.
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for modification brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee.
Description of the circumstances which rendered the modification necessary and explanation of the unforeseen nature of these circumstances:
The original contract covered asymptomatic Testing in SENS over the school term provided by Queens University Belfast up until 30 June 2021. A subsequent modification extended the contract for a further period up to 31 August 2021 to cover children attending summer schemes. There is now a requirement to extend the LAMP testing further to ensure provision of testing for pupils up to 31st March 2022 with the provision to extend up to and including 30th November 2022. The decision to extend past the 31st March 2022 will be based on advice from the Public Health Agency regarding testing in special education needs schools.
This modification is in accordance with Regulation 72 (1) (c) and will comply with each of the following conditions pertaining to this
regulation as outlined below:
(ii)the modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract (services provided will remain the same);
(iii)the value of the modification does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract
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: £1,430,000
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £2,115,000