Award

Purchase of Flow Wrapping Equipment

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

21 Apr 2021 at 12:42

Summary of the contracting process

The Department of Health and Social Care in the UK has successfully completed a procurement process for the purchase of Flow Wrapping Equipment, classified under the electromechanical equipment category, aimed at increasing capacity for the production of Lateral Flow Tests. This procurement, carried out through a limited method without prior publication, was prompted by the urgent need for surge capacity in testing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The contract, awarded to Paramount Packaging Systems Limited, was signed on 24 March 2021, with a total value of £1,524,235. The equipment is to be delivered in the UK, reflecting the pressing timelines associated with public health requirements.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses within the manufacturing and health equipment sectors, particularly those with capabilities in automated packaging and production machinery. Companies that specialise in electromechanical equipment and have experience in rapid response manufacturing would be well-positioned to compete in similar future tenders. Given the urgency and scale of the procurement due to public health challenges, collaboration with suppliers who can meet strict operational timelines may also be advantageous for business growth in this sector.

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Notice Title

Purchase of Flow Wrapping Equipment

Notice Description

Provision of Flow Wrapping Equipment for automatically foil wrapping assembled LFT Cassettes at high capacity.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Provision of Flow Wrapping Equipment for automatically foil wrapping assembled LFT Cassettes at high capacity.

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 2020.2. A key element of ensuring an effective response to the pandemic is ensuring that there is adequate testing. Therefore, ensuring surge LFT capacity, including sufficient availability of Lateral Flow Tests, is critical. 3. Mass testing of the UK Population is a key step in bringing the Pandemic under control. (Lateral Flow Tests produce quicker results than the current PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test, and do not require a lab processing step.) LFT tests have only recently become viable as a means of testing, with multiple tests being progressed through to certification and approval. This was unforeseen by the DHSC and outside its control.4. Critical steps in the manufacture of LFT tests include automated dispensing of biologically active agents onto reels of backing material and laminating - this is termed Primary Manufacture.5. Further steps required include mounting the test strip in a cassette housing to allow handling, and foil wrapping with desiccant to protect the unit from dust and damp up to the point that it is used - this is termed Secondary manufacture.6. LFT Primary and Secondary Manufacturing equipment are in short supply. The existing supply chains of this equipment are volatile - there are few suppliers worldwide, their order books have long lead times, and what stocks of equipment there are, rapidly are sold. 7. Award of the contract to Paramount Packaging Systems Ltd. for the purchase of automated rapid flow wrapping machinery for LFT secondary manufacture was necessary with immediate effect to meet the timescales necessary for setting up viable production lines for early 2021. The items under this Contract are long lead items (12 weeks) and there is insufficient time to organise an advertised competition that would meet the required timescales.8. DHSC is satisfied the tests permitting use of the Negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(c)) are met:A. As far as is strictly necessary: The surge LFT capacity was identified as strictly necessary to meet the demand to scale up the testing programme in the UK.B. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency: It is responding to COVID-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency.C. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable: The Commission itself confirmed: "The current coronavirus crisis presents an extreme and unforeseeable urgency - precisely for such a situation our European rules enable public buyers to buy within a matter of days, even hours, if necessary." (Commissioner Breton, Internal Market, 01.04.2020).D. It is impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR: It is not possible to comply with the timescales of another procedure due to the urgent requirement to ensure effective surge capacity.E. The situation is not attributable to the contracting authority - DHSC has not done anything to cause or contribute to the need for extreme urgency

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-02a899
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008488-2021
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

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting


CPV Codes

31720000 - Electromechanical equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,524,235 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Apr 20214 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Mar 20214 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
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement.operations@dhsc.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1H 0EU
Post Town
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

PARAMOUNT PACKAGING SYSTEMS

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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