Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2020-08-19
Buyer: Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre UK Ltd
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 48000000 | 48100000 | 72500000
Submission deadline: 2020-09-01
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) is seeking an eQMS IT system, for its quality assurance function. The contract term required is 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 x 12-month periods.
The Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) is being established to promote, develop and accelerate the growth of the UK vaccine industry. This will be achieved through collaboration with the academic sector and SMEs, which are rich in new vaccine technologies, where VMIC provides expertise in process development and manufacturing in the form of expert staff and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. VMIC will bridge the gap between research and expertise in development and manufacturing so that new vaccine products can enter clinical development, which is a value driver in terms of attracting funding for further development, partnering with the pharmaceutical industry for development to launch and contract manufacturing.
VMIC will also enhance UK preparedness and response capabilities for producing vaccines against emerging infectious diseases by allowing the UK government to use the facility and staff during an outbreak identified as a public health emergency of international concern. VMIC is a partner in the programme to manufacture the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine.
VMIC UK is seeking an eQMS IT system, for its Quality Assurance function, which meets the requirements as set out in the tender documents. This system is within scope for regulatory compliance as it forms part of the VMIC GMP manufacturing capability. As part of the supply of this system, suppliers will be expected to support VMIC’s validation of the system. The delivery of the system must also include other elements as set out in the tender documents.
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended), on the basis of information provided in response to the procurement documents. The procurement documents can be accessed at: https://www.vmicuk.com/tenders
VMIC are reacting to a current situation that is a genuine emergency, to manufacture 70 million doses of a vaccine to cover the pandemic in as early as possible 2021. To meet this production target, the programme to achieve operation of the VMIC facility has been accelerated and therefore the procurement of the eQMS solution needs to be accelerated rapidly.
The Covid-19 situation is so novel that the consequences are not something VMIC should have predicted, and has changed the timescales of the project significantly.
VMIC considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.
To participate in this procurement candidates must send an expression of interest to Tenders@vmicuk.com. All correspondence and expressions of interest relating to this procurement must be made through this address.
(i) not to award any or the whole contract as a result of the procurement process related to the publication of this notice; and
(iii) to procure some or all of their needs and requirements covered by this notice outside of this procurement exercise and resulting agreement.
Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of the candidate.
In accordance with regulation 86 and 87 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, VMIC will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar days standstill period starting from the day when contract award is notified to the bidders. Unsuccessful bidders will be provided with a de-brief of the award decision at the start of the standstill period including details of their bid in relation to the winning bid(s) comprising:
Bidders have the right to appeal provided for within the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Any such proceedings must be brought before the High Court of England and Wales.