Health services

Tender description

This contract award notice follows the publication of a Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice published in OJEU on 3 March 2020 (2020/S 048-114897). It should be noted that the scope of the original Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice has been extended. Further details are provided within the main description of this contract award notice. The Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT) published in OJEU (reference 2020/S 048-114897) set out the intention of the commissioning authority to extend the current non emergency patient transport contract with its incumbent provider in order to allow time for a robust procurement process to take place to compete the long term contract for this service. Since this VEAT Notice was published the extension period has been extended in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is due to the key resources who would be required to deliver the procurement process being diverted into dealing with the response, which means that a longer extension period to the existing contract is being awarded to allow for the delay. This delay also recognises that the capacity of the market for this type of service will also be focussed on the Covid-19 pandemic response. It is key that we give providers the ability to take part in the competitive exercise and not to destabilise essential services at this time. The new contract term will start on 1 April 2020 and will expire on 31 March 2022 subject to agreement by all parties. The contract value is yet to be agreed by the parties, and therefore is an approximate maximum value.