---
title: "SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test Kits"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-029353"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029353"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029353.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029353.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE"
published: "2021-02-15"
---

# SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test Kits

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-029353

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029353.json)

## Summary

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is conducting a procurement process for SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test Kits. This contract, categorised under diagnostic supplies within the goods industry, is pivotal to the UK's COVID-19 testing strategy. The procurement stage is at the award phase, and the contract, with a total value of £727,614,409, was signed on 15 January 2021, subsequent to a variation on 10 February 2021 to increase the product volume. As the DHSC utilised an accelerated procedure due to extreme urgency, the tests are expected to be delivered across the UK to enhance mass testing efforts. The procurement method followed is a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition, relying on Regulation 72(5) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in the healthcare and diagnostic equipment sectors, particularly those that can supply rapid testing kits and consumables. Firms capable of meeting urgent demands and possessing the necessary certifications could greatly benefit from participating in future tenders, especially as public health needs continue to evolve. Given the current emphasis on COVID-19 solutions, businesses that can offer innovative, compliant, and scalable solutions for mass testing are well-positioned to compete in this critical market space.

## Notice

Contract for Lateral Flow kits and consumables

### Procurement Information

Negotiated procedure without prior publication1. 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. The provision of test kits is critical to this response. 3. 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: As set out above, the Government has made clear the importance of mass testing using LFD devices, with a clear impact on the economy and saving lives. DHSC has used modelling to calculate the volume requirements procured under this contract. The volume procured under this contract is the minimum necessary within the period until it is possible to acquire kits from a supplier under the procurement exercise currently being conducted. B. There are genuine reasons for extreme urgency: The substantial increase in cases with multiple new variants resulting in a third national lockdown has led to an increased urgent requirement for mass testing. DHSC case modelling clearly shows that there will be a significant gap in the availability of tests before the tests supplied through the procurement exercise are available for use. DHSC also understands that any delay to placing an order may result in available capacity being taken by other customers, resulting in a significant delay before tests are delivered. Both these factors will impact the government's mass testing strategy. C. The events that have led to the need for extreme urgency were unforeseeable: The substantial increase in Covid-19 cases, the new variants, and the requirement for a new national lockdown were not foreseeable by DHSC.D. It is impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the PCR: It is not possible to comply with the timescales associated with another procedure due to the urgent requirement to ensure the volume of tests available increases with the necessary demand. 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/003052-2021 |
| 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 | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 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 | £727,614,409 |

## 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 | INNOVA MEDICAL GROUP |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

### Codes

- 33124130 - Diagnostic supplies

## Release History

- 15 Feb 2021 at 17:31 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003052-2021

## 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-029353. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029353.json.