--- title: "Reel to Reel Liquid Dispensing Equipment" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-029b58" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029b58" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b58.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b58.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE" published: "2021-03-12" --- # Reel to Reel Liquid Dispensing Equipment Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-029b58 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029b58) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b58.json) ## Summary The Department of Health and Social Care, based in London, has completed a procurement process for the 'Reel to Reel Liquid Dispensing Equipment', classified under the CPV code for Electromechanical equipment. This tender falls under the goods category and was conducted through a limited procurement method, specifically an award procedure without prior publication, due to the extreme urgency brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The contract, valued at £3,682,080, has been awarded to Biodot Ltd as of 27 November 2020, reflecting a rapid response to the urgent need for testing equipment necessary for public health. The procurement was initiated on 12 March 2021 and is considered key to increasing the UK’s testing capacity. This tender presents significant business opportunities for suppliers of electromechanical equipment, particularly those specialising in manufacturing machinery for liquid dispensing, especially in the context of public health applications. Given the ongoing demand for testing related to COVID-19, businesses with expertise in producing automated dispensing systems or related technology would be well-suited to compete. As this procurement process was characterized by an urgent need and limited competition, it underlines the importance of readiness and ability to respond swiftly to governmental contracts in times of crisis. ## Notice Reel to Reel Liquid Dispensing Equipment ### Procurement Information 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. Critical steps in the manufacture of LFT tests include automated dispensing of biologically active agents onto reels of backing material and laminating - this is termed Primary Manufacture.5. Further steps required include mounting the test strip in a cassette housing to allow handling, and foil wrapping with desiccant to protect the unit from dust and damp up to the point that it is used - this is termed Secondary manufacture.6. LFT Primary and Secondary Manufacturing equipment are in short supply. The existing supply chains of this equipment are volatile - there are few suppliers worldwide, their order books have long lead times, and what stocks of equipment there are, rapidly are sold. 7. Award of the contract to Biodot for the cutters, assembly rollers and additional airjets was necessary with immediate effect to meet the timescales necessary for setting up viable production lines for early 2021. The items under this Contract are long lead items (12 weeks) and there is insufficient time to organise an advertised competition that would meet the required timescales;8. 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/005095-2021 | | 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 | 12 Mar 2021 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 27 Nov 2020 | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | £3,682,080 | ## 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 | BIODOT | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting ### Codes - 31720000 - Electromechanical equipment ## Release History - 12 Mar 2021 at 16:30 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005095-2021 ## 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-029b58. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029b58.json.