How to win: Sample Tube DeCappers

About this contract

Within NHSBT, the Testing function in the Blood Supply Directorate performs a wide range of testing services, these include but are not limited to the large-scale blood grouping and microbiological screening of blood and tissue donations. The Authority has two main laboratories in England, in which approximately 1.9 million blood donations are tested each year. The laboratories are located in Filton (Bristol) and Manchester. Manchester is also the site of a third laboratory, which tests all donations in England for HAV/B19. Each donation collected includes a minimum of 4 x 6mL sample tubes, taken into K2 EDTA tubes which have colour coded caps for identification purposes. The Authority requires automated decapping equipment at each of the Authority’s three Testing laboratories. Decappers must have sufficient capacity to process the daily workload of each laboratory within the required timeframe and with a minimum decapping success rate of 95%. In Filton and Manchester main laboratories, tubes are tested in 3 parallel workstreams, and therefore it is necessary that 70% of all tubes would be decapped within 3 hours. Approximate workload of each site: • Filton Testing: approximately

How to win contracts like this

• ✓Answer against the marking scheme, not the question text — NHS Blood and Transplant scores each response, so map your evidence to the published criteria and weightings.
• ✓At £500,000, expect quality and social value to carry a large share of the score — price alone rarely wins goods work.
• ✓Show recent, comparable delivery: name similar goods contracts you've delivered for public bodies, with measurable outcomes.
• ✓Start early: it closes 15 May 2026 and a strong bid takes iteration.

BidWriter drafts your responses from your company profile, scores them against the marking scheme, and tracks your whole pipeline. Free to start — no card needed.

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