Assessment and Recovery Centres (Clinical Delivery Partners, Perfusion Technology, Organ Storage Solutions & Digital Delivery Partners)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is progressing with the Assessment and Recovery (ARCs) Programme, an innovative transformation that aims to increase organ transplant activity, through increasing organ utilisation and the adoption of machine perfusion technology.

To support the next phase of ARCs, NHSBT anticipates undertaking separate procurement processes for the following four elements:

• Up to three clinical delivery partners, to act as Centres of Excellence and undertake the preservation and assessment interventions as part of a national service (Indicative contract value: £20m per partner)
• Machine perfusion technology services (lung, liver, and kidney; normothermic and hypothermic) (Indicative contract value: £30m)
• Transportable organ storage solutions (lung, liver, and kidney) (Indicative contract value: £5m)
• Digital delivery partners to ensure UK organ offering is adapted and fully compliant with relevant standards, to support the delivery of the national ARCs model (Indicative contract value: £10m)

Procurement will be phased and NHSBT are now starting engagement with suppliers who can meet requirements for this programme.

The preliminary market engagement described in this notice is intended to inform NHSBT’s commercial strategy, requirements, procurement approach and market understanding for these separate elements. NHSBT intends to hold an initial ARCs programme launch engagement session covering all four elements at a high level, followed by separate, element-specific market engagement activities as required.

For the clinical delivery partner element only, NHSBT anticipates that participation in any subsequent procurement will be limited to current UK NHS Transplant Centres. This reflects the clinical, operational, governance and pathway requirements of the national ARCs model. This requirement does not apply to the machine perfusion technology services, transportable organ storage solutions or digital delivery partner elements.

NHSBT anticipates undertaking separate procurement processes for the four elements described in this notice. The final procurement route, contract models and commercial structure for each element will be informed by the outcome of preliminary market engagement.

Contract values are indicative only, non-binding and may be subject to change following preliminary market engagement and further development of the requirements.

NHSBT may refine the scope, procurement routes, commercial model, contract structure, timescales and estimated values following market engagement. Participation in this preliminary market engagement does not constitute a commitment by NHSBT to commence any procurement process or award any contract.