Official UK procurement notice
Supply & Maintenance of Platelet Agitator and Incubator equipment
Authority: NHS Blood and Transplant (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionBackground
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for collecting, processing, testing and supplying blood components to hospitals across England. As part of this role, NHSBT operates a network of blood centres, manufacturing facilities and hospitals services departments that require the safe and compliant storage of platelet components.
Platelets must be stored under controlled conditions and maintained under continuous agitation to ensure product quality, safety and compliance with applicable regulatory and quality requirements (JPAC/BSQR). NHSBT currently utilises Helmer platelet agitators and incubators across its sites to support these activities. Helmer models in operation include: PC4200, PC1200, PC900, PC2200
NHSBT is undertaking a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise to gain a better understanding of the current market, available technologies, product developments and service models relating to platelet agitators and incubators. The information gathered will help inform the development of the technical specification, procurement strategy and future requirements.
Requirements
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is seeking to engage with the market in advance of a potential future procurement for the supply, installation and maintenance of platelet agitator and incubator equipment used for the storage of platelet components within NHSBT facilities.
The engagement process seeks to better understand the following (but is not limited to):
- Current products and technologies available within the market.
- Equipment platelet storage capacity
- Configuration options (connectivity to environmental monitoring systems).
- Regulatory compliance
- Validation support.
- Maintenance and servicing arrangements.
- Sustainability and energy efficiency considerations
- Supply chain resilience and lead times.
NHSBT anticipates that the future requirement may include a range of platelet storage solutions across multiple locations and operational settings. These include:
- Large floor-standing platelet incubator and agitator systems.
- Smaller benchtop platelet agitators and incubators.
- Solutions capable of accommodating both agitating and non-agitating platelet storage within the same unit or integrated system.
NHSBT requires platelet storage solutions capable of maintaining platelet components in accordance with applicable regulatory and quality requirements, including controlled storage at 20°C to 24°C and continuous agitation where required.
NHSBT is seeking feedback from suppliers regarding the availability of such solutions, associated configurations, capacity ranges and any alternative approaches that may offer operational, technical or commercial benefits.
Proposed Lot Structure
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is considering a procurement comprising three separate lots. The final lot structure and scope will be informed by the outcome of this Preliminary Market Engagement exercise.
Lot 1: Supply and Maintenance of Platelet Incubators and Agitators
This lot will include the supply, installation, commissioning, validation support, maintenance and repair of:
- Large floor-standing platelet incubator and agitator systems.
- Smaller benchtop platelet agitators and incubators.
- Associated accessories, spare parts and consumables where applicable.
- User training and technical support services.
Lot 2: Supply and Maintenance of Dual-Function Platelet Storage Solutions
NHSBT are considering a separate lot for this requirement due to limited understanding of the availability of this technology in the market. This lot will include the supply, installation, commissioning, validation support, maintenance and repair of solutions capable of accommodating both agitating and non-agitating platelet storage within the same unit or integrated system.
NHSBT is interested in understanding the range of solutions available within the market, including capacity options, operational benefits, monitoring capabilities and maintenance requirements.
Lot 3: Maintenance of Existing Platelet Incubators and Agitators
This lot will include maintenance and support services for around 170 platelet incubators and agitators currently operated by NHSBT, including:
- Preventative maintenance
- Calibration to two points as a minimum
- Equipment servicing and inspection.
- Breakdown and emergency repair services.
- Supply of replacement parts.
- Technical support
CPV: Medical equipments
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1PlannedRenewal
Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published
How NHS Blood and Transplant buys Medical equipments (CPV 3310), and who usually turns up
NHS Blood and Transplant’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Medical equipments (CPV 3310) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means registered in South West England (authority’s region).
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered outside South West England.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 17 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid50% / 37%
2–340% / 53%
4–610% / 11%
7+0% / 0%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate46% / 71%
Within ±2%23% / 0%
Above estimate31% / 29%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 3310Published estimate£1.5m
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How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 22 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid18%
2–373%
4–69%
7+0%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veolia Water TechnologiesEarlier contract | Supply & Maintenance of New and Existing Water Purificationnotice published Nov 2023 | — | £747k | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Planned procurement
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 27 Aug 2026, 14:58 BST
- Last source update
- 27 Aug 2026, 14:58 BST
- Authority reference
C468669- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-081832- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06edbeFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
27 Aug 2026 → 1 Dec 2027 · 4 dates- Planning notice published56 days ago27 Aug 2026, 14:58 BST
- Market engagement41 days ago11 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
Sessions are for information gathering only. Suppliers should ensure any shared information is non-confidential or clearly marked if confidential. NHSBT will not reimburse suppliers for preparation or travel. Further instructions and session agendas will be provided following registration.
Engagement sessions will be held virtually via MS Teams.
Estimated engagement period: Monday 21st September 2026. Individual sessions will be booked with interested suppliers.
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Tender notice expectedin 102 days1 Feb 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts1 Dec 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published27 Aug 2026, 14:58 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender