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CLI-FTS-58921 Culture Media and Associated Consumables

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

Award

02 Sep 2026 at 12:02

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

07 Aug 2026 at 11:28

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

07 Aug 2026 at 09:57

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Tender

04 Nov 2025 at 16:16

Tender Notice
Planning

23 May 2025 at 11:09

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership–Procurement Services, hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, established an all-Wales framework for culture media and associated consumables for NHS bodies in Wales. The requirement covers antimicrobial sensitivity testing; plated media for bacterial, fungal and anaerobic culture; specialist media for Clostridium; triple-wrapped irradiated plates; bottled media and agar slopes for food, water and environmental testing; mycobacterium media; antimicrobial minimum-inhibitory-concentration gradient strips; atmospheric generation systems; quality-control organisms, including NCTC strains; and monovalent and polyvalent antisera such as salmonella and shigella products. Delivery is across Wales. Potential users include Welsh health boards, Public Health Wales, Velindre NHS Trust, the Welsh Blood Service and other NHS bodies named in the framework arrangements.

The procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. It was run as a competitive procurement under the Procurement Act 2023, although a direct-award method is recorded because an F02 notice was issued in error instead of the required UK4 tender notice. The resulting closed, multi-supplier framework permits direct purchasing without reopening competition and allows up to 10 participants. The estimated procurement value was £8,809,107.84 including no stated tax treatment, with an awarded and contracted value of £6,741,113 net (£8,089,335 gross). The award was made on 7 August 2026 to E&O Laboratories Ltd, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Ltd and Launch Diagnostics Ltd. The contract was signed on 28 August 2026, runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030, and may extend to 31 August 2032. It covers 11 lots; lot 1, Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing, is complete, while the remaining lots are recorded as active. The original tender deadline was 16 December 2025. Evaluation included supplier suitability and the ITT requirements; variants were not allowed, submissions were electronic in English, and assigned staff names and qualifications were required.

This award shows sustained NHS Wales demand for specialist microbiology laboratory consumables supplied through a controlled, multi-supplier framework. Relevant competitors need dependable manufacture, sourcing or distribution of culture media, susceptibility-testing products, anaerobic and microaerophilic systems, reference organisms, antisera and related laboratory consumables. Credibility will depend on meeting the technical specifications in the ITT, maintaining product sterility, consistency and traceability, and supporting quality assurance for diagnostic and environmental microbiology testing. Suppliers should be able to provide suitably qualified personnel and identify the staff responsible for delivery. The requirement is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and for consortia, so specialist manufacturers, distributors and complementary partners can combine capability where appropriate. Experience supplying NHS or comparable regulated laboratories, reliable nationwide logistics and capacity to serve multiple Welsh health organisations would strengthen a future response.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CLI-FTS-58921 Culture Media and Associated Consumables

Notice Description

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership Procurement Services (NWSSP-ProcS), hosted by Velindre NHS Trust, have established an All-Wales Framework Agreement for Culture Media and Associated Consumables on behalf of all NHS Bodies in Wales. The Framework Agreement will have an initial duration of four years, with the option to extend for a further two years, giving a maximum total duration of six years. Organisations who may enter into the Agreement include Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Cardiff & Vale University Health Board Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Hywel Dda University Health Board Public Health Wales Trust Swansea Bay University Health Board Velindre NHS Trust (Surgical Material Testing Laboratory (SMTL) and Welsh Blood Service)

Lot Information

Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Plated Media - Mueller Hinton-F (NAD)

Growth medium used to culture bacterial isolates and their susceptibility to antibiotics. Lot includes Mueller Hinton agar with 5% defibrinated horse blood and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Plated Media - Culture

A solid or semi-solid substance that provides the necessary nutrients for microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, to grow and multiply. Lot includes Chromogenic, Fastidious Anaerobe (FAA) and Columbia.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Plated Media - Braziers CCEY

A specialised, selective plated media used to isolate and identify Clostridium from patient samples. Lot includes Braziers CCEY agar with lysed horse blood, cefoxitin, cyclomerize and egg yolk emulsion.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Plated Media - Triple Wrapped.

A nutrient-rich growth medium sterilised using gramma radiation with and protected by three layers of packaging to maintain sterility and prevent contamination. Lot includes both 55mm and 90mm irradiated plates.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Bottled Media.

Prepared, ready to use media supplied in various volumes, typically for food, water, and environmental microbiological testing. Lot includes various bottled media, agar slopes, waters, and ancillary bottled items.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Mycobacterium Solid Media.

Used for the isolation and identification of mycobacterium species, such as the presence of tuberculosis. Lot includes both acidified and non-acidified glycerol and pyruvate media.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

MIC Gradient Strips.

Porous strips impregnated with pre-defined gradient of an antimicrobial agent, for determining the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent that will stop the growth of a microorganism. Lot includes numerous antimicrobial gradient strips.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Atmospheric Generation Systems.

Devices that create specific gaseous environments for microbial culture and testing. Lot includes microaerophilic, anaerobic, co2 generating packs, indicator sachets, boxes, and jars.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Quality Control Organisms.

Used to ensure tests are accurate and reliable. They serve as a standard to verify that reagents, media, and stains are working correctly. Organisms are maintained as stock cultures and come from reference collections. Lot includes numerous NCTC organisms.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Antisera.

Used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, used for identifying unknown bacteria and viruses through various serological tests. Lot includes monovalent and polyvalent antisera. For example, salmonella and shigella.

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 24 months

Procurement Information

Please note that this procurement was not awarded via a direct award process. A competitive procurement procedure was conducted in compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. A UK1 Pipeline Notice is associated with this procurement and has been published separately. Owing to an administrative error, an F02 Contract Notice was issued in place of the required UK4 Tender Notice. As a result, this UK5 Transparency Notice is being published to ensure transparency and maintain a clear audit trail, enabling the publication of the UK6 Contract Award Notice and subsequent UK7 Contract Details Notice.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-052163
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083009-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

24 - Chemical products

CPV Codes

24931250 - Culture medium

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£8,809,107 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£6,741,113 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£6,741,113 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Sep 20263 days ago
Submission Deadline
16 Dec 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
13 Oct 2025Expired
Award Date
7 Aug 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
January 2032

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Active, Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership-Procurement Services
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ST. ASAPH BUSINESS PARK, ST. ASAPH
Postcode
LL17 0JL
Postcode Area
Llandudno
Country
Wales
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL3 North Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL33 Conwy and Denbighshire
Delivery Location
TLL Wales
Local Authority
Denbighshire
Electoral Ward
Bodelwyddan
Westminster Constituency
Clwyd North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
3
Supplier Names

E&O Laboratories Ltd

THERMO FISHER DIAGNOSTICS LIMITED

Launch Diagnostics Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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