Biological Sample Testing and Storage

Tender description

The scope of the procurement is for the processing and storage of various types of biological samples from approximately 5 million people, including saliva and blood (such as but not limited to EDTA, PST, ctDNA and RNA samples) with the aim to commence from October 2021. Processing will include fraction separation by centrifugation, aliquoting and long-term storage (-80 degrees ULT) of samples at HTA licenced facility with effective IT systems for tracking, accessing the samples for re-testing over the long term. There may also be a requirement to handle safe disposal of samples at some stage through their lifecycle, Additionally, the process is expected to isolate DNA from saliva and buffy coat. Isolated DNA will need to adhere to quality and quantity standard for subsequent analysis such as SNP arrays or any other type of genotyping including whole genome sequencing, therefore quantification by UV Absorbance, fluorescence-based method or Electrophoresis and sample normalisation will be required. Genotyping, including SNP chip, will be an essential requirement of the service and we are seeking to understand the market for these services to determine if it should form a separate procurement Lot. Suppliers might be required to process identifiable personal data, de-identify samples providing sample traceability and robust Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) with potential to integrate with external IT system and secure data transfers. Samples will be collected across the United Kingdom including Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The scope of this PIN does not include the collection or transportation of blood samples to the processing site. However, we are considering the option to include the fulfilment service of home saliva kits in scope of this procurement including reviewing options for the purchase of the saliva collection kits for genetic analysis. Our Future Health would like to undertake pre-marketing engagement activities following this PIN and invites interested parties to contact OFH@akesoco.com if they should like to be considered for involvement. The intention to hold pre-procurement engagement meetings during the week commencing 10th May 2021, these will be held remotely, the exact date and time to be confirmed. To enable arrangements for the supplier engagement meetings, interested organisations are required to send an expression of interest via email to OFH@akesoco.com by no later than 17:00 hrs (GMT) on 5th May. We will then send a short questionnaire for you to complete in advance of the presentation and meeting. There will be a presentation and group Q&A session for all suppliers. Suppliers will be invited to an individual Q&A and feedback session. Lot 1: The aim of Our Future Health is to recruit up to five million adults from across the UK to take part in the largest research study of its kind. Participants will be asked to provide information about their health and lifestyles and small samples of their saliva and/or blood. We will ask for permission to combine the information and samples that they give us with existing information about them, including their health records. Adding these additional types of information will help to build a more comprehensive picture of health and wellbeing that could be relevant to understanding what changes people's risk of disease. Combining these multiple sources of health and health-relevant information, including genetic data, will create an incredibly detailed picture that represents the whole of the UK. Researchers will use this information to make new discoveries about human health and diseases. We will use the health information, including genetic data, to calculate disease risk scores for participants in Our Future Health where possible. Based on these risk profiles, it might be possible to better identify individuals who are at higher risk of developing certain diseases. This will provide an opportunity to test the potential of new diagnostic tests or treatments as they are discovered and to see how effective they could be for people at higher risk of certain diseases. This will also mean Our Future Health can facilitate research addressing important questions about the potential uses of new 'genetic risk scores' in health care. In order to achieve this aim Our Future Health needs to contract for services to process the samples collected and to provide long term storage and access solutions. The scope of the procurement is processing of various types of the 5 million biological samples including saliva and blood (such as but not limited to EDTA, PST, ctDNA and RNA samples) with the aim to commence from October 2021. Processing will include fraction separation by centrifugation, aliquoting and long-term storage (-80 degrees ULT) of samples at HTA licenced facility with effective IT systems for tracking, accessing the samples for re-testing over the long term. There may also be a requirement to handle safe disposal of samples at some stage through their lifecycle, Additionally, the process is expected to isolate DNA from saliva and buffy coat. Isolated DNA will need to adhere to quality and quantity standard for subsequent analysis such as SNP arrays or any other type of genotyping including whole genome sequencing, therefore quantification by UV Absorbance, fluorescence-based method or Electrophoresis and sample normalisation will be required. Genotyping, including SNP chip, will be an essential requirement of the service and we are seeking to understand the market for these services to determine if it should form a separate procurement Lot. Suppliers might be required to process identifiable personal data, de-identify samples providing sample traceability and robust Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) with potential to integrate with external IT system and secure data transfers. Samples will be collected across the United Kingdom including Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The scope of this PIN does not include the collection or transportation of blood samples to the processing site. However, we are considering the option to include the fulfilment service of home saliva kits in scope of this procurement including reviewing options for the purchase of the saliva collection kits for genetic analysis. Our Future Health will be the Contracting Authority, Akeso&Co are undertaking the procurement on behalf of Our Future Health. The current procurement strategy assumes a lotting structure as follows. However, we are seeking feedback on if this would gain bids for the best value solution to meet the requirement as part of the market engagement. Lot 1: receipt and processing of samples NB OFH are currently considering option to sub lot to include a range of test requirements and/or outputs e.g. SNP chip Lot 2: storage and access management of samples Lot 3: Fully managed service option (end to end) Lot 4: Fulfilment services for distribution and collection of home saliva sample kits for genetic testing The commercial basis for the contract is to be determined and we will be seeking feedback on how this can be structured to attract best value solutions to meet the requirement. We currently anticipate using the open procurement procedure. It is anticipated that the initial term for contract will be 4 years with options to extend. Our Future Health may change the lotting structure, scope, term of contract and procurement procedure as a result of the market engagement. Our Future Health would like to undertake pre-marketing engagement activities following this PIN and invites interested parties to contact OFH@akesoco.com if they should like to be considered for involvement. The intention to hold pre-procurement engagement meetings during the week commencing 10th May 2021, these will be held remotely, the exact date and time to be confirmed. To enable arrangements for the supplier engagement meetings, interested organisations are required to send an expression of interest via email to OFH@akesoco.com by no later than 17:00 hrs (GMT) on 5th May. We will then send a short questionnaire for you to complete in advance of the presentation and meeting. There will be a presentation and group Q&A session for all suppliers. Suppliers will be invited to an individual Q&A and feedback session. The supplier engagement will be held in accordance with Regulation 40 & 41 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015.