---
title: "Market Engagement for Storage & Distribution of Human Medicines, Vaccines & Associated Medical Products"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE ACTING AS PART OF THE CROWN THROUGH UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY"
published: "2024-09-23"
---

# Market Engagement for Storage & Distribution of Human Medicines, Vaccines & Associated Medical Products

Buyer: SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE ACTING AS PART OF THE CROWN THROUGH UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7

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## Summary

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, acting through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), is in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Market Engagement for Storage & Distribution of Human Medicines, Vaccines & Associated Medical Products". This procurement falls under the "Storage and warehousing services" industry category and involves establishing a contractual agreement with a pharmaceutical wholesaler. The contract will cover services such as ambient, chilled, frozen, and ultra-low temperature warehousing, distribution, and management of pharmaceuticals across the UK, including Northern Ireland and Crown Dependencies. This process aims to ensure the reliable storage and distribution of vital medical supplies, critical to several national health programmes. Key dates include the publication on 23rd September 2024 and a future notice date set for 23rd January 2025.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in pharmaceutical logistics, warehousing, and distribution. Companies with expertise in managing complex storage conditions and rapid deployment capabilities are well-suited to compete. The UKHSA is looking for providers that can ensure uninterrupted services for national immunisation programmes, pandemic preparedness, emergency response, and urgent healthcare needs. Businesses able to demonstrate compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and regulatory requirements will gain a competitive edge, potentially leading to long-term partnerships with the UKHSA and aiding in the efficient delivery of critical healthcare services.

## Notice

UKHSA is seeking to establish a contractual agreement with a pharmaceutical wholesaler for human medicines who can act as a third party on behalf of the Agency for the UK storage and distribution of the Agency's vaccines, other medicines and associated medical products (ownership remains with the UKHSA).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

A new storage and distribution contract is needed to ensure that storage and distribution of UKHSA-owned goods, including, but not exclusively limited to, consumables, pharmaceutical goods including controlled drugs (CDs), medical devices, immunoglobulins, antitoxins, antivenoms and vaccines, can continue to be safely received from manufacturers, stored, and distributed to the NHS and other specified recipients under appropriate conditions as per licence requirements. The products require specialist storage and distribution to ensure that they are not damaged, both physically and biologically. To support this, effective stock management and audit systems are essential in accordance with GDP requirements.
The proposed requirement is to provide ambient temperature controlled (ie. below 15C to 25C), chilled (ie. 2C to 8C), frozen (ie. -15C to -50C) and ultra-low temperature (eg. -60C to -90C) warehousing, distribution and management services across the UK (including Northern Ireland and Crown Dependencies) for the supply of human medicines, vaccines and associated medical products, covering a multi-tiered response level (including scheduled routine deliveries and urgent same-day service levels). Prior to the operational service commencement date the provider should also have the capability for repack and thaw activities in compliance with its Manufacturing Specials (MS) Licence.

The requirement is critical to UKHSA in order to allow the uninterrupted and continued service for:
* National Immunisation Programmes - the importance of population-based immunisation in protecting public health through minimising/eradicating the incidence and spread of vaccine preventable diseases is well established. The UK has one of the most comprehensive immunisation programmes in the world, with protection throughout the life course starting before birth, continuing into childhood, adolescence and adulthood including older adults.
* Pandemic Preparedness Portfolio (PPP) - the stockpiling of medicines, vaccines and associated consumable products in preparedness to respond to a future pandemic.
* Covid Vaccine Programme - The UK continues to respond to the threat of COVID-19 through a targeted vaccination programme for those most vulnerable to the virus. This includes older people, people with underlying health conditions, and frontline health and social care workers. 
* Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response programme (EPRR) - the UK has provisions in place for responding to accidental or intentional releases of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials.
* Rapid Deployment Treatments (RDT) - includes small volumes of chilled pharmaceutical goods held for rapid deployment and delivery within a best endeavours target of 5 hours in support of a healthcare emergency in the UK 

The overall need of UKHSA is to ensure that requirements and outputs are managed in a way that:
* continues to provide a high-quality flexible service that can adapt to suit changing needs;
* drives maximum savings;
* increases UKHSA efficiency;
* promotes the use of 'best practice' in line with Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulatory requirements; and
* provides full transparency of reporting and record keeping. Additional information: Additional Information can be found at the following attachment: https://atamis-1928.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/0O000000rwim/a/Sr000000NqU9/E6r27GUyNLqWt6h_yOPWcky1x0bxxt2Mgu4hmSkRJDk 

Previous notices associated with the opportunity include: 
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026501-2023
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9f7f2e0f-8d01-4298-91cf-71b97423c0e9

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030308-2024 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 23 Sep 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 23 Jan 2025 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE ACTING AS PART OF THE CROWN THROUGH UK HEALTH SECURITY AGENCY |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | East London |
| Postcode | E14 4PU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI4 Inner London - East |
| ITL 3 | TLI42 Tower Hamlets |
| Local authority | Tower Hamlets |
| Electoral ward | Canary Wharf |
| Westminster constituency | Poplar and Limehouse |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 42 - Industrial machinery
- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
- 63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services
- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 42965100 - Warehouse management system
- 42965110 - Depot system
- 48430000 - Inventory management software package
- 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
- 60100000 - Road transport services
- 60180000 - Hire of goods-transport vehicles with driver
- 63120000 - Storage and warehousing services
- 63121000 - Storage and retrieval services
- 63121100 - Storage services
- 63122000 - Warehousing services
- 64121200 - Parcel delivery services
- 79991000 - Stock-control services

## Release History

- 23 Sep 2024 at 11:00 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030308-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://atamis-1928.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/0O000000rwim/a/Sr000000NqU9/E6r27GUyNLqWt6h_yOPWcky1x0bxxt2Mgu4hmSkRJDk
- https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9f7f2e0f-8d01-4298-91cf-71b97423c0e9
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026501-2023
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency

## 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-049ce7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-049ce7.json.