Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2018-09-18
Buyer: NHS Blood & Transplant
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
CPV classification: 33100000 | 33140000: Medical consumables

Technical requirements: This PIN is to update NHSBT on the status of suppliers of commercially available automated or semi-automated blood group testing equipment. This is for use as a primary testing technology(s), for ABO and Rh D typing (at a minimum DV and DVI), antibody screening and identification and extended red cell phenotyping including Rh for donor blood samples. This includes technology and test kits available for syphilis antibody screening and screening and detection of sickle haemoglobin (HbS) of donor blood samples.
Please see the additional information section of this PIN for further details including the requirements and supplier engagement days.
— Paediatric antibody screening — in accordance with the Red Book guidelines for paediatric antibody screening,
Please note this is not the start of a procurement process. This PIN is to update NHSBT on the status of suppliers of commercially available automated or semi-automated blood group testing equipment. This is for use as a primary testing technology(s), for ABO and Rh D typing (at a minimum DV and DVI), antibody screening and identification and extended red cell phenotyping including Rh for donor blood samples. This includes technology and test kits available for syphilis antibody screening and screening and detection of sickle haemoglobin (HbS) of donor blood samples.
Information about this requirement was originally sought under PIN 2016/S 119-212065, which was issued in June 2016. This PIN is an update of the original PIN.
NHSBT would like to consult the market again to improve our knowledge of all current test kits and systems available in the market place, including new technology in development and identify further opportunities, potential issues, and gauge market interest in the proposed service. The equipment must be high throughput with walkaway operation and meet the current and future needs of the service, in a cost-effective manner. A complete solution (test system) must include all necessary maintenance, consumables, software and overall support required to carry out the testing and comply with required MHRA regulations by having a “CE” mark.
It is currently the thinking of NHSBT to combine similar technology blood grouping requirements into a single contract. At this stage we are interested in learning what the market has to offer for the following tests and whether it is possible to procure one system to do them all:
— Paediatric antibody screening — in accordance with the Red Book guidelines for paediatric antibody screening,
It is NHSBT’s intention to conduct further pre-procurement supplier engagement. This will most likely include engagement days in November and/or December 2018 as well as reviews of documents and email communication. The details of the engagements will be issued when known.
Initially, please can you respond with details of what you can offer to meet the requirements detailed above. If you already responded to the 2016 PIN please ensure that you highlight any differences in your current response.
Interested organisations are required to send this information to james.davenport@nhsbt.nhs.uk by no later than 1700hrs (GMT) on 26.10.2018. Please note that not responding to this notice by this time does not exclude you from the upcoming tender process. Further information (e.g. the DRAFT technical specifications, award criteria, intended timescales etc.) may be released — for consultation purposes only — to those organisations who express an interest.