Forward plan

2nd award of contract for set up and management of Covid-19 Lateral Flow Testing (Key Decision taken under Emergency Decision Making Powers)

Decision maker:  Chief Executive

Decision:   29 Jan 2021

Decision status:  Recommendations Approved

Notice of proposed decision first published: 29/01/2021

This decision will be taken under urgency procedures.

Reason for urgency:
It was not possible to provide notice on the Forward Plan due to the need to urgently procure a Lateral Flow Testing service and as it was not considered that the Council had time to undertake a tender process to select a provider. It was impossible to comply with the usual timescales in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and there was no time to run an accelerated procurement under the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation or to place a call off contract under an existing commercial agreement. Officers therefore needed to seek approval to direct award of a contract for a Lateral Flow Testing service in order to address the immediate public health concerns given the increase in Covid-19 infections , meaning that there is genuine urgency in the need to roll out widespread testing across the borough.