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Supply of Sample Tubes

Tender Overview

LOCATION

Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area, United Kingdom

VALUE

£2,400,000

DEADLINE

February 06, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

33000000

REFERENCE

007219-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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View Original

Original Tender Description

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in England, with responsibilities across the United Kingdom for organ donation and transplantation. Our core purpose is to ‘save and improve lives’ through the provision of a safe and reliable supply of blood components, solid organs, stem cells, tissues and related services to the NHS, and to the other UK Health Services where directed. Testing function in the Blood Supply Directorate performs a wide range of testing services, these include but are not limited to the large-scale blood grouping and microbiological screening of blood and tissue donations. The Authority has two testing sites in England, in which approximately 1.5 million donations are tested each year. Each donation bled requires a minimum of 3 x 6mL sample tubes to be taken into K2 EDTA tubes which have colour coded caps for identification purposes. Some donors also require additional tubes these include but are not limited to 4mL EDTA and K3 EDTA tubes. Tubes are of the evacuation type and the Authority requires a unique bar-code label to be affixed at bed side over a blank manufacturers label. The Authority also requires automated de-capping equipment at each of the Authority’s Testing sites which have sufficient capacity to handle the daily workload by safely removing at least 40 original stoppers from sample tubes per minutes per decapper, with a minimum de-capping success rate at 95%. To find out more about this opportunity, or to express an interest, please contact jo.murphy@nhsbt.nhs.uk before Friday 6th February 2026.
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MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No explicit mandatory exclusion grounds are mentioned in the provided text.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • No explicit eligibility requirements are mentioned beyond being a potential supplier for the specified products and services.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Supply K2 EDTA evacuation-type sample tubes, 6mL volume.
  • Supply K2 EDTA sample tubes with colour-coded caps for identification.
  • Supply K2 EDTA sample tubes with a unique barcode label affixed bedside over a blank manufacturer's label.
  • Supply K3 EDTA evacuation-type sample tubes.
  • Supply K3 EDTA sample tubes with a unique barcode label affixed bedside over a blank manufacturer's label.
  • Supply 4mL EDTA evacuation-type sample tubes (for additional donor requirements).
  • Supply 4mL EDTA sample tubes with a unique barcode label affixed bedside over a blank manufacturer's label.
  • Provide automated de-capping equipment for two NHSBT testing sites in England.
  • Ensure automated de-capping equipment has sufficient capacity to handle the daily workload.
  • Ensure automated de-capping equipment can safely remove at least 40 original stoppers from sample tubes per minute per decapper.
  • Ensure automated de-capping equipment has a minimum de-capping success rate of 95%.
  • Demonstrate capability to support testing of approximately 1.5 million donations annually across two sites.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No explicit financial requirements (e.g., minimum turnover, financial guarantees) are mentioned for bidders.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Express interest by contacting jo.murphy@nhsbt.nhs.uk.
  • Express interest before Friday 6th February 2026.
  • Engage with NHS Blood and Transplant by 6th February 2026 to receive a pre-tender questionnaire.

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DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data007219-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
NHS Blood and Transplant seeks suppliers for K2 EDTA and other evacuation-type sample tubes with unique barcode labels, along with automated de-capping equipment capable of processing at least 40 stoppers per minute with a 95% success rate for its blood and tissue donation testing sites.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
Data007219-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
Download failed - no summary available
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information007219-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
NHS Blood and Transplant is seeking suppliers for K2/K3 EDTA sample tubes and automated de-capping equipment for blood donation testing, with an estimated value of £2 million, and invites interested parties to engage by 6th February 2026 to receive a pre-tender questionnaire.
HTM
Tender Notice
Notice007219-2026.html
Summary:
Download failed - no summary available

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72
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender notice, currently in a planning status, provides clear technical requirements for medical supplies and equipment but lacks crucial details regarding the procurement procedure, evaluation criteria, and full document accessibility.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The deadline for expressing interest is reasonable (10 days). However, the procedure type is not defined, and explicit mandatory exclusion/eligibility grounds are not mentioned, which are significant omissions for a public notice, even in a planning stage.

•Missing procurement procedure type
•No explicit mandatory exclusion/eligibility grounds mentioned
Clarity80/100

The description of the required sample tubes and de-capping equipment is highly detailed and unambiguous. Technical capability requirements are clearly specified. However, the absence of evaluation criteria is a notable drawback for overall tender clarity.

•Missing evaluation criteria
Completeness70/100

Basic information, financial details, and timeline are provided. However, the tender lacks a defined procedure type and evaluation criteria. A significant concern is that two out of four listed documents failed to download, severely impacting the completeness of accessible information.

•Missing procurement procedure type
•Missing evaluation criteria
Fairness65/100

The absence of evaluation criteria and the lack of an e-submission option for expressing interest reduce the transparency and equal access for potential bidders. The failure to access all listed documents further compromises fairness. Technical requirements, while specific, do not appear overtly tailored.

•Missing evaluation criteria
•No e-submission option mentioned
Practicality65/100

The lack of an e-submission mechanism for expressing interest and the issues with document accessibility reduce the practicality for potential suppliers. Key dates and contract duration are clearly specified, which is positive.

•No e-submission option mentioned
•Failed document downloads
Data Consistency90/100

The provided data is largely consistent across different sections, with logical dates and values. Minor inconsistencies include missing fields for 'Type', 'Procedure', and 'Liable Person'. The description and additional info are identical, indicating consistency.

•Missing 'Type', 'Procedure', and 'Liable Person' fields
Sustainability50/100

The tender does not explicitly mention any green procurement, social aspects, or innovation focus. This indicates a lack of emphasis on sustainability criteria within this procurement opportunity.

•No explicit green procurement criteria
•No explicit social criteria

Strengths

Clear and detailed technical requirements
Estimated value, duration, and key dates are specified
CPV code and location (NUTS code) are provided
Early market engagement allows for supplier feedback

Concerns

Missing procurement procedure type and explicit eligibility/exclusion grounds
No evaluation criteria specified
Two out of four listed documents failed to download
No electronic submission option mentioned for expressing interest
Lack of explicit sustainability, social, or innovation criteria

Recommendations

1. Clearly define the procurement procedure type and provide full tender documentation, including evaluation criteria, in subsequent stages.
2. Ensure all listed documents are accessible and downloadable to all interested parties.
3. Implement an e-submission portal for expressions of interest and future tender submissions to enhance fairness and practicality.

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Tender Quality Score
72/ 100 · Good
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