Provision of SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR COVID-19 assays, instruments and services (high throughput automated platforms)

On behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Public Health England (PHE) has awarded a contract for supply of cobas® SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 assays and related consumables, instruments and service to Roche Diagnostics Limited. Under the contract, Roche shall supply these to PHE and, on PHE's direction from time to time, allocations are made across the United Kingdom to laboratories operated by the NHS in England, Public Health Wales, Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, NHS Scotland and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.

In mid-March 2020, PHE established an assessment and triage process to rapidly evaluate approaches from industry for COVID-19 diagnostic technologies. Roche Diagnostics Limited advised PHE and HM Government (HMG) about its new SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR COVID-19 assay for use on cobas® 6800 / 8800 systems.

PHE was subsequently requested by HMG to establish a partnership with Roche to roll out this new technology across the United Kingdom. The contract was executed via a direct award under Lot 1 (Diagnostic) of the PHE Microbiology Framework and will run until 30 September 2020, with an option to extend for six further periods of 3 months each.