--- title: "Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Educational Needs Schools" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "EDUCATION AUTHORITY NI" published: "2021-01-29" --- # Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Educational Needs Schools Buyer: EDUCATION AUTHORITY NI Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5.json) ## Summary The Education Authority NI is seeking a contractor for the tender titled "Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Educational Needs Schools," classified under health services. The procurement, classified as a limited negotiation process due to extreme urgency, is aimed at providing a weekly asymptomatic testing service for 10,000 staff and students in special schools across Northern Ireland. This contract will run from February 2021 to the end of June 2021. The total contract value is £1,430,000, and the awarding decision was signed on 28 January 2021. The initiative is particularly crucial in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic, where special educational needs schools remain operational amid health restrictions. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialised in health services, particularly those with experience in Covid-19 testing and related technologies. Companies offering testing kits, laboratory services, and logistical support for health initiatives would be well-suited to compete. The urgency of the situation and the focus on minimising disruption in special educational needs schools create a conducive environment for innovative solutions that can enhance the safety and health of vulnerable students and staff during this unprecedented crisis. ## Notice Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Educational Needs Schools ### Lot Information Lot 1 Regular Asymptomatic Testing in NI Special Educational Needs Schools ### Procurement Information The weekly asymptomatic testing service of 10,000 special school staff (teaching, non-teaching and ancillary) and students with special educational needs is urgently required due to the emergency situation regarding Covid-19 within Special Educational Needs schools in Northern Ireland and will ensure that these schools can remain open during the current period of restrictions. The service will run in all 39 Special Educational Needs schools within Northern Ireland from February 2021 to the end of June 2021. The samples will be tested using the direct LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) method as this is a viable and readily available deliverable method and is less invasive for children in Special Educational Needs schools and therefore uptake is likely to be maximised and testing objectives met. Queen's University Belfast is part of the UK national plan for testing and is the only laboratory that is accredited within Northern Ireland to provide all elements of the testing service including the requirement for the testing to be turned around with results within several hours. The aim of this service is to find asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases so they can be isolated along with their contacts, therefore reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the school settings, and consequently the wider community. Special Educational Needs schools are remaining open during the current period of restrictions, and while children, even those with significant underlying medical conditions, do not generally become very unwell if they contract COVID-19, some children in Special Educational Needs schools have extremely complex medical needs and all possible steps must be taken to protect them from COVID-19. Any infection can be serious for them as their baseline condition is so fragile. The provision of this service will also contribute to reducing the rate of infections in Special Educational Needs Schools as regular testing will identify cases either before they are symptomatic, or asymptomatic cases, allowing immediate self-isolation, thereby reducing the potential for wider transmission, both within the school and in the contact groups of pupils and staff. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001871-2021 | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Limited | | Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 29 Jan 2021 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 28 Jan 2021 | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | £1,430,000 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Active | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | EDUCATION AUTHORITY NI | | Locality | BELFAST | | Post town | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT1 2NQ | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast | | Local authority | Belfast | | Electoral ward | Duncairn | | Westminster constituency | Belfast North | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85100000 - Health services ## Release History - 29 Jan 2021 at 16:08 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001871-2021 ## Notice URLs - http://www.qub.ac.uk - https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-028ea5.json.