---
title: "Procurement of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Tests (Self-Tests)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02a441"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02a441"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02a441.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02a441.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE"
published: "2021-04-09"
---

# Procurement of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Tests (Self-Tests)

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02a441

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## Summary

The procurement process entails the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issuing a contract for the procurement of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative test kits, intended for self-use. This contract falls under the goods category, specifically classified as diagnostic kits. The procurement method adopted was limited, with the tender stage now complete, and it was initiated without prior publication of a call for competition. Awarded on 13 March 2021, the contract value stands at £1,212,000,018. The delivery address for these diagnostic kits is within the UK.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those specialising in medical devices, diagnostic products, and health services. As the government continues to prioritise COVID-19 testing capabilities, suppliers offering similar rapid testing solutions or related healthcare products may find a lucrative pathway to engage in future contracts. Businesses with a focus on innovative healthcare technologies and compliance with regulatory standards are well-positioned to compete in this evolving market.

## Notice

The contract is to purchase Innova SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative test kits for self-test use. DHSC is the legal manufacturer of these devices and holds an Exceptional Use Authorisation for self-test from the MHRA, making these the only products currently authorised for use as a Covid-19 self-test kit in the UK. The products are NHS branded and come in packs of 7s

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The contract is to purchase Innova SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative test kits for self-test use. DHSC is the legal manufacturer of these devices and holds an Exceptional Use Authorisation for self-test from the MHRA, making these the only products currently authorised for use as a Covid-19 self-test kit in the UK. The products are NHS branded and come in packs of 7s

### Procurement Information

1. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a COVID-19 pandemic with the associated serious risk posed to life. The UK Government's response to the national emergency posed by COVID-19 includes the putting in place by it of arrangements for large-scale testing in respect of COVID-19. 2. As part of those arrangements, it needs to acquire products in order to implement the large-scale testing programme necessary to build a profile of the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent further loss of human life, to allow the population to return to work safely. Relevant to its procurement strategy is the efficient use of lateral flow test devices for self-use throughout the UK. 3. Accordingly the UK government will be fulfilling a significant volume of its overall requirement for home testing by using lateral flow devices developed by Innova. 4. DHSC is satisfied the relevant tests permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii)) are met:a. The works, supplies or services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator as competition is absent for technical reasons: Innova are the only available supplier of home use lateral flow tests for COVID-19 as there is currently no other supplier whose COVID-19 tests are authorised by the relevant regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for self-test use in the UK.b. No reasonable alternative or substitute exists: there is currently no other supplier of lateral flow devices that has MHRA authorisation for the self-test use needed to satisfy DHSC's requirement. c. The absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement: this procurement is part of a procurement strategy by the UK government to increase testing capacity to meet demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country exits from lockdown.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007376-2021 |
| 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 | 9 Apr 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 13 Mar 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 | £1,212,000,018 |

## 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

- 33141625 - Diagnostic kits

## Release History

- 9 Apr 2021 at 11:35 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007376-2021

## 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-02a441. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02a441.json.