---
title: "Manufacture of Lateral Flow Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02930f"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02930f"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02930f.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02930f.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE"
published: "2021-02-14"
---

# Manufacture of Lateral Flow Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02930f

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## Summary

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has completed a tender for the manufacture of Lateral Flow Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2, primarily classified under diagnostic kits within the goods category. This procurement process employed a limited method, specifically an award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, due to extreme urgency arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The contract, signed on 15 January 2021, was valued at approximately £503,430,000 and focused on ensuring a steady supply of testing equipment crucial for managing public health during this critical time. The main delivery addresses for this procurement were located in the UK.

This procurement presents substantial business growth opportunities, especially for companies engaged in the manufacture of diagnostic medical devices or those with the capability to produce high-volume medical goods. Suppliers capable of providing rapid, scalable manufacturing solutions in response to urgent public health requirements may find themselves especially well-positioned to compete in such tenders. Given the volatile global market for Lateral Flow Tests, businesses that can demonstrate innovation and agility in their production processes would stand to benefit significantly from similar upcoming opportunities.

## Notice

Manufacture of Lateral Flow Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Manufacture of Lateral Flow Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2. Additional information: The Value of Contract (inc. any possible extensions, exc. VAT) stated in this Contract Award Notice is not a committed value for the contract. Volumes supplied via this contract are forecast quarterly. The stated Value of Contract (inc. any possible extensions, exc. VAT) is an estimate based on projected volumes in the event that all potential contract extensions are enacted.

### Procurement Information

The Value of Contract (inc. any possible extensions, exc. VAT) stated in this Contract Award Notice is not a committed value for the contract. Volumes supplied via this contract are forecast quarterly. The stated Value of Contract (inc. any possible extensions, exc. VAT) is an estimate based on projected volumes in the event that all potential contract extensions are enacted.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. DHSC's market analysis data demonstrates that the global market for LFT is volatile and highly competitive. Global manufacturing capability is limited to circa 120m units per day. Demand often outstrips supply. DHSC requirement is driven by the progress of the pandemic (including emerging variants), the changing efficacy of available LFT products and the severity of the second wave/national R-number. That requirement means that the UK must make substantial purchases of tests during a short manufacturing window.5. DHSC has been tasked with ensuring security of supply of a critical consumable asset (Lateral Flow Antigen tests) in a volatile and competitive global market place. This manufacturing contract pursues that mandate by guaranteeing that DHSC is able to receive a stable supply of completed lateral flow test devices manufactured by a diagnostics tests manufacturing specialist, within the urgent timeframes required by the project and VFM cost.6. A market engagement exercise for DHSC was carried out at pace due to the urgent requirement. SureScreen were selected as the only UK supplier with LFT IP approved by PHE at the time of contract signature. 7. 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.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002984-2021 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Feb 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 15 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 | £503,430,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1H 0EU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SURESCREEN DIAGNOSTICS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

### Codes

- 33141625 - Diagnostic kits

## Release History

- 14 Feb 2021 at 22:30 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002984-2021

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

## 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-02930f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02930f.json.