Test and evaluation

Tender description

This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is separate to any tender opportunity and its purpose is to consult the market to improve NHSBT’s knowledge of current assays and high throughput blood donor microbiology serology testing systems available in the marketplace and gauge market interest. It is the intention of NHSBT to further consult those organisations who express an interest to identify preparatory work which may need to take place ahead of any future tendering opportunities. NHSBT currently has a formal contractual arrangement in place for the microbiology serological screening/testing of blood and non-blood donations. The contract includes the supply of the mandatory and selective serology assays, consumables, instrumentation and software; including infrastructure such as, servers to hold middleware, uninterruptable power supply, result management software and interface with host systems. Mandatory testing is undertaken on all blood donations. The assays required include Hepatitis B (HBsAg), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV 1&2 Ab/Ag), Hepatitis C (anti-HCV), syphilis antibodies and human T- lymphotropic virus (anti-HTLV). These tests are undertaken on high throughput automated equipment. Additional testing is also undertaken on select donations. These include testing for cytomegalovirus (anti-CMV), malarial antibody (anti-malaria), Hepatitis B antibodies (anti-HBc and anti-HBs) and Trypanosome cruzi (anti-T. cruzi). NHSBT also undertakes some alternative testing for blood donors when required. Additional assays for the following markers; HBsAg, anti-HIV1&2 Ag/Ab, anti-HCV, anti-syphilis and anti-HTLV will also be required for approximately 3 000 donations per year. There is a requirement for automated instrumentation to enable sample sorting, archiving and long-term storage of plasma samples as part of this contract. The NHSBT Microbiology Serology Testing contract has an annual value of circa GBP 6.5 million (Ex VAT) and approximately 1.6 m donations are tested per annum across two Testing sites. Expressions of interest should be e-mailed to Jess.Allen@nhsbt.nhs.uk by no later than 12.00 on 22 October 2020. Once interest has been received, a questionnaire will be issued with responses due no later than 2 weeks after receipt. The questionnaire will ask for information relating to areas such as the testing systems/analysers for the specified testing requirements, middleware associated with the testing systems for result management, information relating to the specific assays (as mentioned above) and details of external control providers. It is important that interested parties respond to this PIN as prior KEG approval of all microbiology serology assays/testing systems for this contract will be a mandatory requirement of any future tender opportunity in-line with the requirements of the Guidelines for the Blood Transfusion Services in the United Kingdom (Red Book). We will seek to understand the status of assays which would be offered with regards to NHSBT’s Kit Evaluation Group (KEG). Further details on KEG and the process will be provided upon receipt of expression of interest along with the questionnaire. A further PIN and subsequent contract notice relating to any future tender will be submitted for publication. All interested parties should also respond to the future notices.