Official UK procurement notice
Single Nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ARRAY and reagents platform
Procurement agent: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe All Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), hosted by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board at the University Hospital of Wales, intends to award a contract for the provision of a single array platform to support both germline and acquired copy number analysis. The platform must be compatible with DNA extracted from a variety of sample types, including blood, amniotic fluid, bone marrow, and other tissues, and demonstrate proven clinical utility across these applications.Due to the current scanning equipment nearing end-of-life and the absence of capital funding, the contract will include the provision of a loaned scanner for the full duration of the agreement, supplied under a reagent rental or similar arrangement. The supplier will retain ownership of the scanner and will be responsible for its maintenance and support throughout the contract term, at no additional cost.The successful supplier, Illumina, will provide all necessary software free of charge, ensure continuity of service by supplying a replacement scanner of identical specification if required, and cover all associated maintenance and support costs
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- 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
- 10 Oct 2025, 14:26 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Dec 2025, 13:28 GMT
- Authority reference
CAV-DCO (25-26) 97- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-078491- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05acd5Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
- Published justification
This procurement is justified under single supplier grounds due to both exclusive rights and technical reasons. Illumina is the sole provider of the required array platform and associated software, which are protected by intellectual property and cannot be legally or technically replicated by alternative suppliers. The platform is uniquely validated for both germline and acquired copy number analysis across multiple sample types, and its integration with existing workflows and clinical protocols makes substitution technically unfeasible. Additionally, Illumina is the only supplier able to offer the required reagent rental model, including a loaned scanner with full maintenance and replacement guarantees, ensuring continuity of service without additional cost.
- Risks
The proposed contract will run for a period of two years, during which Illumina will provide the array platform, associated software, and a loaned scanner under a reagent rental arrangement. While this term ensures continuity of service and avoids capital expenditure, key risks include potential dependency on a single supplier, limited flexibility to switch platforms due to integration and validation requirements, and reliance on the supplier’s ability to maintain and replace equipment promptly. These risks are mitigated by contractual provisions requiring full maintenance, software support, and guaranteed replacement of the scanner if needed, all at no additional cost.
Notice history
3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Oct 2025- Transparency notice published10 Oct 2025, 14:26 BSTUK5
- Contract signature expected23 Oct 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published1 Dec 2025, 13:28 GMTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illumina Cambridge Ltd24 Oct 2025 – 23 Oct 2027 | £736,058 | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ARRAY and reagents platform · Illumina Cambridge Ltd
- Signed
- 26 Nov 2025
- Value
- £736,058
- Period
- 30 Nov 2025 – 29 Dec 2026
- Status
- active
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeClients of the procurement agent
- NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust)Procuring entityThe NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) plays a vital role in supporting NHS Wales by delivering a wide range of professional, technical, and administrative services. It is hosted by Velindre University NHS Trust, which means Velindre provides the governance and infrastructure to support NWSSP’s operations, but NWSSP itself serves all NHS organisations across Wales.
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- illuminaAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender