Request for Information – Oligonucleotides Onshoring

1. The purpose of this document is to enhance the Authority’s understanding of the marketplace and its options for sourcing for a potential future requirement.
2. The issuance of this request for information (RFI) does not constitute a sourcing exercise nor will the Authority pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFI.
3. The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) key objectives for this RFI are:

a. understand the ability of the marketplace to fulfil its requirements;

b. refine the scope of the requirements to best align to the marketplace; and

c. inform the Authority’s chosen route to market to best enable competition

1. The key dates for this RFI are as follows:
2. RFI Published: 12th June 2026
3. RFI Response: 10th July 2026

Description of Scope of Requirements:

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for protecting every member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and other health threats. We provide intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage, to make the nation's health secure.

UKHSA sees access to oligonucleotide manufacturers as key to increasing the UK’s biosecurity, preparedness and resilience for infectious diseases. Oligonucleotides are a ubiquitous reagent used widely at many stages for research, development and use of diagnostics and countermeasures for infectious disease. Synthetic oligonucleotides are used widely as essential components of molecular diagnostic assays, sequencing methods and for development of serological assays, as well as critical reagents in the research, development and manufacture of new vaccines and therapeutics.

The market for oligonucleotide supply in the UK, when you include use outside of infectious disease-related applications, is significant. UKHSA would like to understand the breadth and depth of oligonucleotide manufacturing capability in the UK and globally. This includes what oligonucleotides are already being manufactured, and to what design, what dependencies or bottlenecks exist, how these are being applied to make a product, and the existing and potential scale of manufacturing capacity. Although UKHSA is interested in understanding international manufacturing capability, UKHSA is specifically interested in improving onshore manufacturing capability for oligonucleotides and would encourage respondents to reflect any future intentions in the UK.

This information will be used to inform UKHSA’s future approach to improve access to oligonucleotide products, and engagement with oligonucleotide manufacturers about UKHSA’s requirements.