Public procurement notice: Contract Award Notice
Published: 2021-01-27
Buyer: Health Service Executive (HSE)
Country: IE
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 72220000: Systems and technical consultancy services | 79512000
Estimated value: 4927848 EUR
Award criteria: Lowest price

Technical requirements: Confirmation by the WHO of Covid-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020 caused worldwide demand for PPE and Laboratory Testing capacity to reach unprecedented levels, triggering severe disruption to global supply chains. This presented the HSE with a number of extraordinary challenge, one particular challenge being the creation of a comprehensive contact tracing operation as part of Ireland’s response to Covid-19.
In these circumstances, a procurement following the usual timescales under Directive 2014/24/EU, including accelerated options, was impossible as it would not meet the service’s needs and would put lives at risk. In line with the European Commission’s Communication (2020/C 108 I/01) (the ‘Communication’) published on 1 April 2020, the HSE used the negotiated procedure without prior publication in accordance with Article 32(2)(c) of Directive 2014/24/EU to award this contract.
The HSE engaged with existing consultancy service providers and personnel suppliers to determine whether they could provide the services required on a short term basis (in Vision’s case), and whether they could assist with the development of a long term operational model for testing and tracing.
The HSE is satisfied the tests permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (Article 32(2)(c)) were met, as set out below.
The services contract is proportionate to the HSE’s needs in line with WHO guidance and are not a long-term supply arrangement.
The HSE was responding to Covid-19 immediately because of public health risks presenting a genuine emergency.
As per the communication, ‘The specific needs for hospitals, and other health institutions to provide treatment, personal protection equipment, ventilators, additional beds, and additional intensive care and hospital infrastructure, including all the technical equipment could, certainly, not be foreseen and planned in advance, and thus constitute an unforeseeable event for the contracting authorities.’ The need for contact tracing services was not envisaged prior to March 2020.
As per the communication, ‘It cannot be doubted that the immediate needs of the hospitals and health institutions (supplies, services and public works) have to be met with all possible speed.’ The nature of the contact tracing services required the urgent supply of personnel and operational support from the suppliers.
The HSE acted proportionately and without delay in its response to Covid-19. As documented above, the pandemic presented a serious risk to human life and the HSE reallocated as many staff as possible to provide support to contact tracing operations. If the HSE requires contact tracing services support on a longer-term basis the HSE intends to run a tender process for such services.


Winner: Vision Consulting Ltd
Award value: 4927848
Number of bids: 1