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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Large-scale Participatory Community Based Surveillance Study- EMEN

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 10:52.

Opportunity overview

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), an Executive Agent of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the nation's expert health security agency. This pre-market engagement is not a competitive process but is intended to help UKHSA assess options for the contingent development of large-scale community-based surveillance studies and develop full end-end capabilities. Large-scale Community Based Surveillance population studies may include some or all of the following components from the market: Participant portal and questionnaire platform with integration with additional existing fulfilment streams, and population representative cohort. Background: UKHSA’s mission is to protect each member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents, and other health threats. We provide scientific, clinical and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as international, to make the nation's health secure. One requirement is the maintenance of a contingency large-scale population study capable of estimating the baseline prevalence and rate of change of a given pathogen in the community. This “participatory community-based surveillance” relies on some form of self-reported information from enrolled citizens, often supplemented through biological testing, either actively as part of a defined study (such as the ONS-operated Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey or Schools Infection Survey, UKHSA-led Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, or the Imperial College London-led REACT study), or through passive citizen-led submission of information (such as the Zoe Symptom Study and App.). Large scale population studies of this type require participation from a population that can form a representative sample set – either general population or within defined sub-groups, such as adult social care, or nursery and school-age children. For the most part any inter-incident activity would be at very low levels to test operations but must be capable of being scalable with rapid activation and modular design, enabling the flexible and rapid addition of new questions, data fields, or diagnostics in response to incidents. This requirement is for the procurement one or more of the following: 1. A participant portal to manage study enrolment, consent, questionnaire and testing data, and enable physical fulfilment integration; or 2. a ready participant cohort, statistically representative of the population according to key characteristics, in particular age, ethnicity, gender, deprivation level, urban v. rural, and large enough to meet the sampling frame (see below). Geographic distribution would be across all English regions and could cover the Devolved Administrations; 3. both a participant portal to manage enrolment, consent, questionnaire and testing data, and physical fulfilment integration, and to develop and maintain a readiness cohort of a ready participant cohort, statistically representative of the population according to key characteristics, in particular age, ethnicity, gender, deprivation level, urban v. rural, and large enough to meet the sampling frame (see below). Geographic distribution would be across all English regions and could cover the Devolved Administrations. 4. An innovative solution which achieves the essential Outcomes specified in option 1-3 but delivered through an alternative approach The purpose of this Engagement is to enhance the Authority's understanding of the marketplace and its options for sourcing for a potential future requirement. The issuance of this Early market engagement does not constitute a sourcing exercise nor will the Authority pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this EMEN, should you have any questions or queries relating to this RFI, please use the Atamis portal's messaging Centre to direct your questions to us for a response.  All communications must be sent through the e- tendering Portal https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome. Atamis project reference:C390300

Classification

  • CPV73000000 — Research and development services and related consultancy services
  • CPV79714000 — Surveillance services
  • CPV85000000 — Health and social work services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
C390300
Status
planning
Above Threshold
Yes
Main Procurement Category
services

Amendments

Entry 1
Id
063979-2025
Description
Changes Made: • Expanded the background to explain UKHSA’s public health role and reference relevant past surveillance studies. • Refined the scope by specifying four procurement options: participant portal, representative cohort, participant portal and representative cohort combined and an innovative solution which achieves the essential Outcomes specified in option 1-3 but delivered through an alternative approach • Introduced clear engagement objectives to guide supplier responses, including cost estimates and emergency-use flexibility. • Formalised submission process with a defined deadline and portal instructions. Reason for Changes: To improve transparency, ensure supplier responses are targeted and relevant, to support UKHSA’s planning for scalable, rapid-response surveillance capabilities in future public health emergencies.
Entry 2
Id
063982-2025
Description
Changes Made: • Expanded the background to explain UKHSA’s public health role and reference relevant past surveillance studies. • Refined the scope by specifying four procurement options: participant portal, representative cohort, participant portal and representative cohort combined and an innovative solution which achieves the essential Outcomes specified in option 1-3 but delivered through an alternative approach • Introduced clear engagement objectives to guide supplier responses, including cost estimates and emergency-use flexibility. • Formalised submission process with a defined deadline and portal instructions. Reason for Changes: To improve transparency, ensure supplier responses are targeted and relevant, to support UKHSA’s planning for scalable, rapid-response surveillance capabilities in future public health emergencies.

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Communication

Future Notice Date
15 Jan 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning
Has Renewal
Yes

Contract period

Ends
31 Mar 2027, 23:59
Starts
1 Apr 2026, 00:00
Max Extent Date
31 Mar 2028, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 2
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Entry 3
Region
UK
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
73000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Research and development services and related consultancy services
Entry 2
Id
85000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Health and social work services
Entry 3
Id
79714000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Surveillance services

Planning and budget

Documents

Entry 1
Id
063906-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
9 Oct 2025, 16:53
Entry 2
Id
063979-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
10 Oct 2025, 08:52
Entry 3
Id
063982-2025
Format
text/html
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Published
10 Oct 2025, 08:53

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Status
scheduled
Due
4 Nov 2025, 23:59
Description
UKHSA is assessing options for the contingency development of large-scale community-based surveillance studies and to develop full end-end capabilities. This is an Early market engagement only. This EMEN is issued solely for information and planning purposes it does not constitute an Invitation to Tender (ITT) or a promise to issue an ITT in the future. This engagement does not commit UKHSA to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. The UKHSA’s key objectives for this EMEN are: • To understand the market’s interest in meeting its requirements. • To understand the market’s appetite for meeting UKHSA’s needs via different contracting models. • Estimated costs for delivering one of the Options (1-4) as set out in the attached. • The ability for UKHSA to flexibly utilize the capabilities in public health emergencies for outbreaks, including for pandemic preparedness. Should you wish to respond to this Early market engagement access the EMEN document and submit your response via Atamis e tendering portal, https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome. project reference C390300

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-PPON-PBMQ-7576-DVGW
Name
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care acting as part of the Crown through UK Health Security Agency

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKI42
Country
GB
Locality
London
Postal Code
E14 4PU
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
10 South Colonnade

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Description
Public authority - central government

Identifier

Id
PBMQ-7576-DVGW
Scheme
GB-PPON

Contact

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI42 · E14 4PU · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-05ac13-2025-10-10T08:53:13+01:00Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·