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Microbiology Testing Managed Service

The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as Public Services Delivery Scotland) (PSD Scotland)

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

AwardUpdate

22 Jul 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F20 - Modification Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Public Services Delivery Scotland, through the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), procured a microbiology testing managed service for blood and tissue donations. The work is delivered at the Jack Copland Centre in Edinburgh, within SNBTS’s Manufacturing Department. It covers large-scale serological screening for microbiological markers including hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis, with discretionary testing for HTLV, hepatitis B core antigen and CMV. Selected donations may also require smaller-scale malaria antibody screening. The service includes archiving the remaining sample material, retaining hard-copy results for 30 years and maintaining raw electronic test data indefinitely. The supplier must provide plate maps that integrate with SNBTS’s Item Tracker archive database so samples can be retrieved.

This procurement has been awarded and the contract is active. Roche Diagnostics Ltd was selected for the single lot. The contract was signed on 12 March 2025 and runs from 21 May 2025 to 20 May 2032. Its value is £5,160,000. The contract value was subsequently modified to include available extension periods and therefore reflects the full potential term; no other changes were made. The procurement used a tender process for services, evaluated as a managed microbiology testing requirement. SNBTS may introduce additional mandatory or discretionary markers during the contract. Plasma for medicines is expected to create a phased increase in testing, initially up to 10%, with potentially greater growth beyond five years and possible additional quality-control testing.

This award shows sustained demand from SNBTS for an integrated blood and tissue microbiology testing service in Edinburgh. A credible future competitor would need capacity for high-volume serological screening across established and discretionary markers, alongside reliable handling of smaller specialist testing such as malaria antibodies. It would also need a robust sample-archiving solution covering physical tubes, long-term paper records and indefinite electronic raw-data retention. Technical interoperability is important: the supplier must be able to create accurate plate maps and integrate them with Item Tracker to support later sample retrieval. Useful capability would include adapting testing protocols when new markers become mandatory or discretionary, offering workable options for contract changes, and scaling testing and quality-control support as plasma-for-medicines activity develops.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Microbiology Testing Managed Service

Notice Description

Lot Information

Lot 1

SNBTS collects approximately 160,000 blood and tissue donations each year, these are tested at the Jack Copland Centre in Edinburgh within the Manufacturing Department of SNBTS. The Manufacturing Department performs a wide range of testing services; these include the large-scale serological screening of blood and tissue donations for microbiological markers such as HBsAg, HCV, HIV and Syphilis. Discretionary testing of HTLV, HBc and CMV. There is also a requirement for smaller scale screening for malaria antibodies on selected donations. SNBTS also requires a solution to allow archiving of samples. After testing, the whole of the remaining PPT tube is archived. Hard copy of the result data is also retained for thirty (30) years. The electronic copy of the raw test data is maintained in archive databases and retained indefinitely. SNBTS is currently using "Item Tracker" (archiving database). The Supplier MUST provide a solution for creating appropriate plate maps for integration into "Item Tracker" in such a way that the sample is later retrievable. During the course of the contract SNBTS may look to introduce additional testing/protocols into the contract. This would be in relation to the introduction of any new mandatory/discretionary markers. This would be fully discussed with the successful Supplier and SNBTS would expect the Supplier to provide options for inclusion in the contract. Future Potential Impacts SNBTS in line with other Blood Authorities will be starting to collect plasma for medicines (PFM) since the option to fractionate UK plasma has opened again. PFM is expected to be 5 year phased implementation with minimal impact in the early years of the contract. (Up to 10% increase). SNBTS will update and work with the successful supplier or bidders where information is available throughout the process where known. Beyond 5 years there is likely to be a larger increase that will increase the contract. Additional QC testing may be required as an impact of implementation of plasma for medicines. Dependant on the volume of testing SNBTS may wish to cease outsourcing of Total protein testing and source a suitable platform for use within SNBTS. Figures for this have yet to be defined however SNBTS would like to enter discussions to see if operationally it is viable to bring this in house. It is expected that this would be able to be accommodated with a modification of any contract put in place due to the estimated value of this testing.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000836510
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUL560671
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F20 - Modification Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50421000 - Repair and maintenance services of medical equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£5,160,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
21 May 2025 - 20 May 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Not Specified
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The Common Services Agency (more commonly known as Public Services Delivery Scotland) (PSD Scotland)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH12 9EB
Postcode Area
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland
Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
Drum Brae/Gyle
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh South West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Roche Diagnostics Limited

Further Information

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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