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Supply of Plant and associated Services

The Minister for the Cabinet Office acting through the Cabinet Office

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

12 Mar 2021 at 22:56

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom has completed a procurement process for the "Supply of Plant and associated Services", specifically targeting the medical equipment industry. This tender was part of an urgent response to the Covid-19 pandemic, aimed at securing fully automated machinery essential for producing non-medical and medical-grade face coverings. The procurement was initiated as a limited procedure without prior publication due to extreme urgency, with the contract awarded on 23 July 2020. The contracting authority, located in London, has been proactive in addressing the public health crisis following the pandemic declared by the World Health Organisation, and the deadline for the delivery of the machinery remains critical for supporting national health efforts.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in the manufacturing and supply of medical equipment, particularly those able to produce or supply automated plant machinery. Companies that specialise in advanced manufacturing techniques, as well as those offering machinery for PPE production, will find themselves well-positioned to compete given the urgent requirements outlined in the tender. The procurement is aimed not only at immediate needs but also at establishing a resilient domestic supply chain, making it a strategic opportunity for businesses looking to innovate and expand in the medical equipment sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply of Plant and associated Services

Notice Description

The Cabinet Office will entrust a supplier to procure fully automated 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 urgently to support the national effort to combat Covid-19.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The Cabinet Office will entrust a supplier to procure fully automated 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 urgently to support the national effort to combat Covid-19.

Procurement Information

1. The COVID-19 outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern as declared by the World Health Organisation on 30/01/20. The WHO Director-General characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11/03/2020. As of 6/04/2020, scientific knowledge regarding the disease and its transmission was still emerging, however the WHO advised that COVID-19 transmission can occur via 'infective respiratory droplets' and wearing a mask represented one prevention measure that can limit the spread of 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 increased global demand and the disruption to the supply chain caused by the pandemic. There was 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) at the time 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 May 2020 Cabinet Office (CO) considered it crucial in the public interest to source the supply of face covering production machinery as part of a wider Face Coverings Programme 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 borders so domestic production was urgently required to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. 4. In May 2020 CO purchased 10 non-automated production machinery lines (see CAN 141-348171). However, these lines were not considered sufficient to deal with anticipated demand and supply chain disruptions. CO worked with external consultants (WS Atkins) to identify a further supplier that could make non-medical or medical-grade masks. In the light of WS Atkins input, CO purchased ten lines of fully automated production machines from Expert Tooling & Automation Limited ('Expert machines'). 5. An accelerated PCR procurement was impossible if the supplies of face coverings were to be available in sufficient quantities in time. Any delay caused by having to run an open competition or restricted procedure ran the risk of failing to secure production machinery. That would have caused knock-on delays to other aspects of the wider Face Coverings Programme, such as the appointment of manufacturers and their ability to produce sufficient face coverings in the required timeframe. 6. CO is satisfied the tests permitting use of the urgent direct award procedure (Regulation 32(2)(c)) are met: see section VI.3

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-029b76
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005125-2021
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
£3,797,324 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Mar 20215 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
23 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

Buyer & Supplier

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

Expert Tooling & Automation Ltd

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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