Framework Agreement for the Provision of Frozen Plasma Logistics

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in England, with responsibilities across the United Kingdom for organ donation and transplantation. Our core purpose is to ‘save and improve lives’ through the provision of a safe and reliable supply of blood components, solid organs, stem cells, tissues and related services to the NHS, and to the other UK Health Services where directed. 

NHSBT is looking to award a Framework Agreement for the Provision of Frozen Plasma Logistics Services.

Frozen plasma will be packaged into carboard boxes and built onto Euro pallets secured with stretch wrap at the manufacturing sites of each blood service in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The pallets will be a maximum height of 1800mm and a maximum weight of 500Kg. They must be transported and stored at below -20°C.

The vehicles and storage facility must be temperature mapped and an audit trail must be retained for the cold chain.

The pallets require collection from each manufacturing site, at a frequency determined by the production capacity at each site, and delivery to a single storage location ready for loading onto the collection vehicle of a 3rd party known as a fractionator. 

The exact capacity of storage required will be confirmed in the specification. Indicatively, it is expected to be in the range of 500-1000 pallets. 

The following contracting authorities will be able to purchase against the resulting Framework Agreement: Welsh Blood Service, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service.