This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

12 Mar 2021 at 22:56

Summary of the contracting process

The Cabinet Office, acting through the Minister for the Cabinet Office, has awarded a contract focused on the supply of plant machinery and associated services, specifically aimed at producing medical equipment, which falls under the health industry category. This procurement process, conducted as a limited procedure due to extreme urgency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has now reached the award stage. The contract, valued at approximately £1,639,650, was signed on 20 July 2020, and concerns the acquisition of machinery to enable the production of UK-compliant non-medical face coverings and potentially medical-grade masks in response to public health needs. The delivery is set to occur within the UK, addressing critical supply chain vulnerabilities identified during the pandemic.

This procurement presents valuable opportunities for businesses engaged in manufacturing and supplying medical equipment and personal protective equipment. Companies equipped to provide production machinery or those involved in the logistics, assembly, and distribution of such equipment would be well-positioned to capitalise on this government initiative. The urgent nature of this contract reflects the need for resilience in local supply chains as the UK seeks to enhance its domestic manufacturing capabilities amidst global disruptions, thereby creating a conducive environment for growth and innovation in the sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Supply of Plant and associated Services

Notice Description

The Cabinet Office will contract with a supplier to procure plant machinery which can be utilised for the production of UK-compliant non-medical face coverings (and Type IIR medical-grade masks in extremis), which are required to support the national effort to combat Covid-19.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Cabinet Office will contract with a supplier to procure plant machinery which can be utilised for the production of UK-compliant non-medical face coverings (and Type IIR medical-grade masks in extremis), which are required to support the national effort to combat Covid-19.

Options: 12 months from the installation and acceptance of all DCR machines purchased + 6 months extension option.

Procurement Information

1. 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. As of 6 April 2020, scientific knowledge regarding the disease and its transmission is still emerging, however the WHO advises that COVID-19 transmission can occur via 'infective respiratory droplets' and wearing a mask represent one prevention measure that can limit the spread of viral diseases such as COVID-19. 2. In April 2020 the UK did not possess any face covering manufacturing capability and was reliant on securing supplies from overseas producers. Problems were experienced in obtaining reliable supplies of medical PPE-grade masks in a global market due to the disruption to the supply chain caused by the pandemic. There was a concern that insufficient volumes of non-medical masks would become available or, if available, they would be of inferior quality or charged at exorbitant prices. Analysis by Cabinet Office (CO) in late April 2020 highlighted that the average price of respirator masks was PS3.14 (medical-grade) and Type IIR (medical-grade) was PS0.67, whilst non-medical was PS0.51 per unit. During a normal trading period the cost of a Type IIR mask would be approximately PS0.05 per unit, sourced from China. 3. In April 2020 Cabinet Office (CO) considered it crucial in the public interest to source face covering production machinery in order to secure the UK's domestic manufacturing capacity to: a. produce medical grade masks immediately (if necessary); b. create an immediate and reliable supply of high-quality non-medical face coverings at affordable prices for the domestic market; and c. create national resilience to supply chain shocks within a global market. This was because in April 2020 there was a considerable shortage of medical and non-medical PPE globally, there was real fear that items available would be impounded at boarders so domestic production was urgently required to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. 4. Accordingly, CO worked with the trade association for UK manufacturing to identify a supplier that was capable of providing machines which could make non-medical or medical-grade masks. Therefore the machines could be diverted to produce medical-grade masks for the NHS if necessary. 5. Therefore, an accelerated PCR procurement, was impossible. Any delay in engaging the market ran the risk of failing to secure production machinery (given the international demand for such equipment and the timelines involved in securing them). That would have caused knock-on delays to the production of face coverings in the required timeframe so undermining HMG efforts to mitigate Covid-19 risks in the UK. 6. Accordingly, CO purchased ten lines of production machines from Crossgates Press Limited t/a DCR Machines (DCR Machines). 7. CO is satisfied the tests permitting use of a direct award procedure (Regulation 32(2)(c)) are met (the explanation is set out in section VI.3 additional information):

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-029b71
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005120-2021
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products


CPV Codes

33100000 - Medical equipments

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,639,650 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Mar 20215 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Jul 20206 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The Minister for the Cabinet Office acting through the Cabinet Office
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1A 2HQ
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Crossgates Press Limited t/a DCR Machines

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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