Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2019-11-05
Buyer: NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
CPV classification: 85100000: Health services

Technical requirements: The purpose of the assisted conception service is to provide a range of appropriate assisted conception services for couples based in Western Devon and Cornwall who meet the commissioners’ eligibility criteria.
This prior information notice is being used to inform interested providers that the commissioner will be hosting a market engagement event which will be held virtually on 6.11.2019. Bidders must register their interest via the ‘current tenders’ list on the e-procurement system In-Tend, available on the following link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home to obtain further information. You will need to be registered on the e-procurement system and 'express an interest'.
The event will be recorded and available to view for 30 days after the event, upon which time it will be removed from the public domain. The commissioners welcome questions from potential bidders throughout this period, which will be responded to via the clarification process on the In-Tend e-procurement system.
Following the market engagement event the commissioner will be looking to procure a service that aims to treat confirmed infertility. The objective of treatment is to achieve a successful pregnancy quickly and safely with the least intervention required and the delivery of a healthy child.
The contract will be for an initial 3 year period with the option to extend for any period or periods up to a maximum of a further 2 years.
The market engagement will be used to determine market interest in providing specialist fertility services to patients in Western Devon and Cornwall which are likely to include:
— the storage of gametes (oocytes and sperm) including those harvested prior to treatment for cancer or other treatments which may make a patient permanently infertile,
— use of donor gametes such as egg or sperm where appropriate. Donor oocyte (egg) treatment will be subject to different waiting time criteria due to the recognised shortage of donors.
— If unsuccessful, within twelve months of cryopreservation, a frozen embryo transfer from remaining frozen embryos (maximum of 2 embryos transferred),
The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (‘the Regulations’) which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the ‘Light Touch Regime’ contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).
The tendering process will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations. The authority will run a transparent tender process, treating all bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the authority will not be bound by the Regulations or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these services.
Neither the inclusion of a bidder selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Directive or Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the authority (‘Open’, ‘Restricted’, ‘Competitive Procedure with Negotiation’, ‘Competitive Dialogue’ or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the authority intends to hold itself bound by the Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive/Schedule 3 of the Regulations.
The contracting authority intends to voluntarily observe the award decision notices provisions and 10 day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Unsuccessful bidders will receive scores and reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid and the reasons why the bidder/application was unsuccessful. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.