---
title: "Supply of HLA Sequencing Systems"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "NHS Blood and Transplant"
published: "2026-09-11"
---

# Supply of HLA Sequencing Systems

Buyer: NHS Blood and Transplant  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2.json)

## Summary

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is planning to procure HLA sequencing systems for its Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics function. The requirement covers commercially available sequencing systems, including allelic test kits and associated medical equipment and consumables (CPV 33100000 and 33140000). The systems will support HLA typing for transplantation, specialised transfusion, selected blood products, immunogenetics, and platelet and granulocyte immunology. Testing is delivered through NHSBT’s national network of six laboratories across England, so the requirement has a national English delivery scope. Kits should identify all alleles across the HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1 and DPB1 loci, including relevant null alleles and specified exon polymorphisms. NHSBT is also considering managed service models.

This procurement is at planning stage and is intended to inform a future tender under the Procurement Act 2023; it is not an invitation to tender. NHSBT expects to use a framework agreement, with one planned lot, and has indicated that small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises may be suitable. The estimated value is £11.2 million excluding VAT and £13.44 million including VAT. Any resulting arrangement is expected to run from 1 September 2028 to 31 July 2032, with a possible extension to 31 July 2036. The current contract is expected to end in August 2028. NHSBT plans remote supplier engagement meetings during 21–23 October 2026. Expressions of interest, including attendee details and a brief offer overview or website link, are requested by 17:00 GMT on 9 October 2026. NHSBT says no resulting contract or framework, or business under it, is guaranteed.

The engagement will suit manufacturers, specialist diagnostic suppliers and laboratory technology providers with commercially available HLA sequencing platforms, allelic test kits and related consumables. Systems should achieve at least third-field resolution under WHO nomenclature, resolving ambiguities caused by coding-region polymorphisms and identifying null alleles wherever the relevant polymorphism occurs. Fourth-field resolution is described as the optimal capability. NHSBT is not restricting compatibility to a particular sequencing platform, but HLA typing should be completed within 72 hours of starting the process. Suppliers able to support transplantation and immunogenetics laboratories across a national network will be well placed, particularly those that can demonstrate efficient, timely and cost-effective testing. Businesses may also prepare a managed service proposal. Other health authorities may be able to use any resulting arrangement.

## Notice

NHS Blood & Transplant (NHSBT) Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics function intends to undertake a Procurement Act 2023 tender exercise for the supply of HLA sequencing systems. Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics (H&I) is a strategic business function of NHSBT, providing testing and support in transplantation, specialised transfusion including the supply of selected blood products, immunogenetics, platelet and granulocyte immunology. Services are supplied through a national network of six laboratories across England. Building on our strengths as a national provider, NHSBT's strategic aim is for its diagnostic services to become the preferred provider and supplier of choice for these services in the NHS in England. We would like to work with future suppliers to realise this ambition and to perform HLA typing in an efficient, timely and cost-effective manner to meet the demands and expectations of our customers and the patients we serve. Prior to commencing a formal procurement process and to help inform our strategy, NHSBT is seeking to engage with suppliers of commercially available HLA sequencing systems. Our current contract ends in August 2028 and NHSBT would like to improve our knowledge of all current and future systems available in the marketplace. This will aid identification of opportunities and gauge market interest in this field. We require HLA typing systems to cover the following: * Allelic Test Kits SHOULD detect and uniquely identify all alleles of the HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1 and DPB1 loci at the level of resolution that additionally defines the third field according to WHO nomenclature by at least resolving all ambiguities resulting from: (1) polymorphisms located within the exons coding for HLA class I and class II proteins and (2) that encompass a null allele wherever the polymorphism is located. * The optimal solution SHOULD define fourth field level resolution. * We are not restricting which sequencing platform the allelic test kits are compatible with, however HLA typing should be completed within 72 hours of the start of the process. NB: Procurement of the above systems may be managed by individual tenders. It is NHSBT's intention to hold pre-procurement engagement meetings the week of 21OCT2026 to 23OCT2026 these will be held remotely, the date to be confirmed. To enable NHSBT to finalise arrangements (e.g. send meeting details and agree time slots) for the supplier engagement meetings, interested organisations are required to send an expression of interest via email to coco.otiotio@nhsbt.nhs.uk by no later than 17:00 hrs (GMT) on 09OCT2026. This should include a list of your potential attendees and a brief overview (or a website link) of the Goods / Services which might be offered. Please include options, if available, to offer a managed service contract. No business whatsoever is guaranteed under any resulting framework agreement or contract, and there is no guarantee that any framework agreement or contract will be put in place in relation to this notice. No compensation etc. will be paid if a tender or resulting framework agreement is withdrawn for any reason. Bidders should take part in this process only on the basis that they fully understand and accept this position. It should be noted that this procurement exercise may allow other Health authorities to utilise any contracts/ framework agreements awarded.

### Planning Information

It is NHSBT's intention to hold pre-procurement engagement meetings the week of 21OCT2026 to 23OCT2026 these will be held remotely, the date to be confirmed. The format of these sessions will be shared at a later date.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086306-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Sep 2028 - 31 Jul 2032 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £11,200,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS Blood and Transplant |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Postcode area | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 7QH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Filton |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

### Codes

- 33100000 - Medical equipments
- 33140000 - Medical consumables

## Release History

- 11 Sep 2026 at 11:20 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086306-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/086306-2026
  11th September 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/

## 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-06f7d2. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f7d2.json.