Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2018-02-22
Buyer: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 33100000
Estimated value: 560000 GBP

Technical requirements: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board wish to inform the market that they intend to award a contract for the supply, installation and 5 years maintenance (including warranty) of one Illumina NextSeq, next-generation sequencing (NGS) instruments, (With an option to increase the order to 2 units subject to funding availability) for the Medical Genetics Department. The contract will include training, installation and integration into IT services.
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board wish to inform the market that they intend to award a contract for the supply, installation and 5 years maintenance (including warranty) of an Illumina NextSeq, next-generation sequencing (NGS) instrument, (with an option for a second instrument of the same spec subject to funding availablility) for the medical genetics department. The contract will include training, installation and integration into IT services.
Funding has been approved by Welsh Government to support the procurement of additional NGS sequencers.
The laboratory has 2 Illumina MiSeq Sequencers and an Illumina HiSeq 2500 currently in service, they are well embedded within the laboratories services for sequencing a number of different targeted NGS panels and an exome panel.
Demand is increasing for the NGS workload, due to benefits in efficiency and cost of the testing. To change from the current Illumina platform would mean revalidation of all current protocols at a significant cost to the laboratory which would impact on current throughput and subsequently patient care.
Subject to obtaining funding the Health Board may increase the order to purchase x2 units but at the time of posting this VEAT funding is only available for 1 unit.
The demand is increasing for the NGS workload, due to benefits in efficiency and cost of the testing. To change from the current Illumina platform would mean revalidation of all current protocols at a significant cost to the laboratory which would impact on current throughput and subsequently patient care. Extending the existing equipment would allow a seamless movement between machines with comparable chemistry and ensure that there wasn't a requirement for differing protocols that would cause problems with the coverage and potentially bioinformatics pipelines.
No prior contract notice has been issued and a single tender has been invited and received from Ilumina due to the requirement to proceed in line with medical genetics strategy.
The laboratory specific requirement is for one (plus a potential second) benchtop NGS sequencer that can provide high throughput end to end sequencing, using sequencing by synthesis technology (with an error rate no greater than 1-2 %). The system needs to fit in with current use, being easy to use, with touch screen and plug and play reagents, utilising Windows 7 and produce bcl files to feed into our GATK-based bioinformatics pipelines. The sequencers should monitor the run progress as it is occurring and produce quality scoring. Both sequencer must be suitable for high-throughput (multiplexed) targeted gene sequencing and exome /genome sequencing, having an output range between 16.25-120 Gb, must support paired-end read length up to 2 x 150 bp, 130-140 million reads per run.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=77828
The authority will allow a minimum 10 calendar days standstill period between notifying the award decision and awarding the contract.
Should additional information be required it should be requested from the addressee in section I.1. Aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the procurement rules have the right to take action in the High Court (England and Wales). Any such action is subject to strict time limits in accordance with the public contracts (Amendments) Regulations 2015.


Winner: Illumina Cambridge Ltd
Award value: 560000