Scope
Reference
C406046
Description
UKHSA intends to award a three month contract (plus an option to extend by up to six months) to High Technology Sources Limited for the supply of a suite of replacement radioactive sources required for use in its Instrument Testing Service facilities (ITS).
The ITS carries out regulatory performance tests on a variety of radiation monitoring devices, under commercial contracts with the device owners, for which a range of calibrated radioactive contamination and dose-rate sources are necessary.
The existing sources have reached the end of their recommended working lives, their radioactive intensity having reduced due to natural decay, and new sources are required such that the radioactive emissions and dose rates required to provide appropriate regulatory instrument testing are maintained thereby enabling ongoing operational capability and efficiency.
Contract 1. Replacement Radioactive Sources-UKHSA Instrument Testing Service (ITS)
Supplier
Contract value
- £230,200 excluding VAT
- £276,240 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Earliest date the contract will be signed
31 December 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 5 January 2026 to 31 March 2026
- Possible extension to 30 September 2026
- 8 months, 27 days
Description of possible extension:
Possible extension of up to six months to a maximum contract term of nine months.
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 09343000 - Radioactive materials
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Other information
Description of risks to contract performance
N/A
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Direct award
Direct award justification
Single supplier - technical reasons
The contract will be awarded in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) and the Procurement Regulations 2024.
In accordance with Section 41(1)(a) of PA23 the UKHSA intends to rely on the Single Supplier direct award justification as set out in Paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 for the award of a contract without competition where due to 'an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods...required, and...there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods...'. It is considered that a Direct Award is permissible on the basis that, in the absence of alternative potential suppliers due to the technical nature of this procurement, only High Technology Sources Limited (HTSL) can supply the goods and there are no feasible substitutes for the requirement.
The market for this requirement is both highly regulated and very specialised and HTSL are the only identified provider that can satisfy all aspects of the specification. The source materials are manufactured in Germany by Eckert and Ziegler and HTSL are the sole authorised distributor of the required product range in the UK.
This procurement is necessary to enable UKHSA Instrument Testing Services to maintain operational capability and efficiency.
A Contract Award Notice (UK6) and Contract Details Notice (UK7) will follow in due course in accordance with PA23.
Supplier
High Technology Sources Limited
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PLHG-8144-MYZN
24 Old Bond Street
London
W1S 4AW
United Kingdom
Email: sales@htsl.co.uk
Website: http://www.hightechsource.co.uk
Region: UKI32 - Westminster
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Contract 1. Replacement Radioactive Sources-UKHSA Instrument Testing Service (ITS)
Contracting authority
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBMQ-7576-DVGW
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU
United Kingdom
Contact name: Procurement Notices
Email: procurementnotices@ukhsa.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency
Region: UKI42 - Tower Hamlets
Organisation type: Public authority - central government