Official UK procurement notice
NHS Cervical Screening Programme - London HPV Primary Screening and Cytology Laboratory Services
Authority: NHS England (London Region) (NHS & healthcare)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionIntention to award a contract for the London HPV primary screening and cytology laboratory service to the existing provider, Health Services Laboratories LLP, under Direct Award Process C of the Provider Selection Regime. Estimated lifetime value £47,550,781.
CPV: Services provided by medical laboratories
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
This notice relates to the NHS Cervical Screening Programme HPV primary screening and cytology laboratory service for London. The service receives and processes cervical screening samples from GP practices, sexual health services and NHS Trusts across London, and comprises HPV primary screening, cytology, integrated sample collection and transportation, automated reporting of results, colposcopy referral processes, maintenance of the London sample taker database (including the sample taker escalation process with NHS England and ICBs) and specialist support to Trust multidisciplinary teams.
NHS England - London Region intends to award a contract to the existing provider, Health Services Laboratories LLP (HSL), following Direct Award Process C of the Provider Selection Regime, in accordance with Regulations 6(5) and 9 of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The relevant authority is satisfied that the existing provider is satisfying the existing contract to a sufficient standard and is likely to satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard, and that the proposed contracting arrangements are not changing considerably from the existing contract (the considerable change threshold is not met).
The existing contract expires on 30 November 2026. The new contract will commence on 1 December 2026 for an initial term ending 31 March 2028, with the option to extend for two further periods of up to 12 months each (to 31 March 2030 if both options are exercised), at the sole discretion of the relevant authority. The contract will be let under the NHS Standard Contract.
The estimated lifetime value of the contract is £47,550,781
(excluding VAT), inclusive of both optional extension periods.
Activity-based service line - London HPV Self-Sampling Programme.
The contract includes a service line for the processing of HPV self-sampling tests under the London HPV Self-Sampling Programme, a regional initiative aimed at improving cervical screening uptake among individuals who are at least six months overdue for routine screening. Self-sampling kits are offered through participating GP practices, with samples processed and results reported by the provider.
This service line is commissioned on an activity basis and paid at an agreed local price per test processed. No minimum or guaranteed activity volumes are committed, as actual activity will depend on programme implementation, participation by GP practices and individual uptake.
The programme is currently operating as a pilot, and its continuation and future scope will be subject to evaluation and commissioning decisions.
Activity-based service line - National HPV Self-Sampling. The contract includes a service line for the processing of HPV self-sampling tests under the national self-sampling programme for under-screened individuals, which is nationally mandated. This service line is commissioned on an activity basis and is paid at a fixed local price per test processed. No minimum or guaranteed volumes are committed and no fixed service levels apply to this service line; activity will depend on uptake, which is driven by factors outside the control of the relevant authority and the provider, including national policy, invitation volumes and individual take-up. Any value attributed to this service line in this notice is indicative only, based on current planning assumptions, and actual payments may be higher or lower. Activity is expected to be highest in the first contract year and to reduce thereafter, with the same HPV test provided through a different sample route under national policy.
Anticipated reduction in activity. Following the national introduction of extended screening intervals, overall screening activity is expected to reduce by approximately 28% in the optional extension years, as eligible individuals will be invited for screening less frequently. Variations in contract value arising from changes in activity volumes, or from nationally determined price changes, result from external factors beyond the control of the relevant authority and do not constitute a change to the contracting arrangements.
Mixed procurement. The main subject matter of the contract is the provision of health care services under the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. Sample collection and transport, sample taker database management and associated reporting functions are integral to the safe delivery of the screening pathway and could not reasonably be supplied separately. The estimated lifetime value of the in-scope health care services exceeds that of the supporting elements, and the contract meets the requirements of Regulation 3 for a mixed procurement.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 15 Oct 2026, 17:40 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Oct 2026, 17:40 BST
- Authority reference
PRJ2179- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-097676- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0788f3Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
Justification: Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below.
Reason: The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations.
Explanation: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 28 October - midnight, eighth working day after standstill begins. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.
Publisher note: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 28 October - midnight, eighth working day after standstill begins. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Written representations should be sent to [email protected] Award decision makers. The decision to award was made on 12 October 2026 by the following officers of NHS England - London Region: • Adult Screening Commissioning Team Leader • Screening commissioning Manager • Contract Manager All decision makers completed conflict of interest declarations; no conflicts or potential conflicts of interest were declared and no management measures were required. Relative importance of the key criteria. The existing provider's current performance and likely future performance were assessed against the five key criteria in Regulation 5, and the basic selection criteria were applied. The key criteria were weighted as follows: • Quality and innovation - 20% • Value - 20% • Integration, collaboration and service sustainability - 20% • Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice - 30% • Social value - 10% Rationale for the relative importance. Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice carries the highest weighting because the service supports a population-based screening programme in which London coverage has been below the national average, and because the contract includes the national self-sampling service line aimed at under-screened groups. Quality and innovation, value, and integration, collaboration and service sustainability are weighted equally, reflecting the need for an accurate, timely laboratory service that offers good value and is closely integrated with primary care, sexual health services, NHS Trusts and colposcopy services across London. Social value is weighted at 10%, the minimum weighting applied by the relevant authority to this criterion. Rationale for choosing the provider. HSL achieved an overall weighted score of 87.50%, scoring 'Good' for quality and innovation, value and social value, and 'Excellent' for integration, collaboration and service sustainability and for improving access and reducing health inequalities, for both current and likely future performance. HSL operates London's established HPV primary screening laboratory, with an integrated sample collection service covering all GP practices, sexual health clinics and Trusts in London, secure automated reporting of results to GP practices, an accredited sample taker database with an escalation process to NHS England and ICBs, and attendance at Trust multidisciplinary teams. HSL has improved the accuracy of the sample taker database and reduced errors from missing or incorrect PIN numbers, participates in the London and national self-sampling initiatives, and is moving sample collection to electric vehicles. HSL passed the exclusion and basic selection criteria. The relevant authority also took into account the specialist workforce and infrastructure required and the cost and service disruption associated with a change of provider.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Service Laboratories | £47,550,781 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 097676-2026-1 · Health Service Laboratories
- Signed
- 12 Oct 2026
- Value
- £47,550,781
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- NHSEReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Health Services Laboratories LLPAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.