The British government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is looking “to engage an express distribution service with full track and trace capability for the movement of medicines and medical products (consignments ranging from small packages through to full pallets) between continental Europe and the United Kingdom” within the framework of the government's no-deal Brexit contingency planning for vital goods.
According to a Prior Information Notice (PIN) published on the Official Journal of the European Union, the total value of the contract, divided into three lots, is estimated at £3 million, excluding VAT. A single tenderer may be awarded the three lots.
The PIN notes that under Lot 1, entitled Pan European Express Parcel Service, “the DHSC intends to run a procurement exercise to secure access to express parcel services between continental Europe and the United Kingdom (import and export), for the movement of parcel consignments of health care products.
“The services required will need to be able to accept products from various consignor locations across Europe and provide a full international express transport service with delivery to end consignee locations in the UK on a 24-hour service basis. Access will also be required for the same services between locations in the UK and Europe.”
The service provider must also be able to provide full customs and excise support services as required to facilitate the movement of consignments. The solution may utilise any mode of transport, subject to these being compatible with the transit timescale requirements, conditions of carriage, and the effective mitigation of foreseeable disruption to services.
The nature of the majority of goods for which the DHSC wishes to facilitate transport will be standard, non-temperature controlled, non-hazardous, and require no extra security measures.
Under Lot 2, entitled Pallet Services, the DHSC intends to run a procurement exercise to secure access to pallet services between Europe and the United Kingdom (import and export), for the movement of pallet consignments of health care products.
The services required will need to be able to accept product from various consignor locations across Europe and provide a full international express transport service with delivery to end consignee locations in the UK on services providing delivery between 1 (next working day) and 4 working day delivery. Access will also be required for the same services between locations in the UK and Europe.
For both Lot 1 and Lot 2, the service(s) will need to be fully operational by 1 September 2019, with the DHSC needing to be able to test the operation up to 10 days in advance of the go live date, the PIN underlined.
Lot 3 concerns 'Special' Services and the DHSC is looking to engage an express distribution service with full track and trace capability for the movement of medicines and medical supplies that require special delivery conditions and would normally fall outside of the standard service.
This could encompass oversize products, time-sensitive shipments (less than 24 hours), medicines, substances of human origin, hazardous materials, controlled drugs, active temperature-controlled products and temporary export and return.
The service(s) would need to be fully operational by 1 November 2019.
A series of “market engagement events” has been organised by the DHSC. The first, a webinar, will be held on Wednesday 3 July 2019, followed by a face to face supplier event on Friday 5 July 2019.
The estimated date of publication of the contract notice is 22 July 2019, the PIN added.
