Information about the government's procurement exercise to secure critical personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the government is publishing further information about its exceptional procurement exercise to secure critical personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
We have already published details of all government PPE contracts in line with our transparency obligations. Today’s publication goes above and beyond those obligations as a measure of our commitment to openness about procurement processes during the pandemic.
Market overview in March 2020
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 saw the total disruption of global
PPE markets. Demand for PPE skyrocketed, leading to huge price inflation and limited supplies. Normal market dynamics ceased to exist, and with them our NHS procurement procedures. It was essential that government adapted its approach to sourcing PPE for health and social care frontline workers, moving extremely quickly where necessary and taking carefully considered risks with new suppliers where appropriate, in order to secure vital supplies in the teeth of stiff competition all around the world.To save lives, we focused our efforts, resources and attention on sourcing PPE. We continue to stand by the efforts we made at the height of the early pandemic to prioritise and protect our staff in the frontline.
Adapting to market volatility
Within the first few months of 2020, COVID-19’s dramatic impact on public bodies, and their ability to secure necessary levels of PPE, was becoming clear. Global demand was outstripping supply, while at the same time brand new manufacturers and suppliers were rushing to fill the gaps in the volatile PPE market.
The government took decisive action. In order to secure the PPE needed by the NHS, in the quantities and to the timescales required, we adopted an entirely new ‘open-source’ approach to procurement.
Agile and decisive decision making
This was an entirely new approach to government procurement – we were inviting industry to come to us: opening up fresh sources of supply that we could rapidly vet as being technically, legally and commercially compliant in order to secure product in the rapidly-moving global market for PPE. Absolutely central to this new approach was our willingness to work with brand-new suppliers, because this was a brand-new marketplace for PPE.
The response from industry was phenomenal. Over 15,000 businesses came forward with over 24,000 offers within a 14-week period and we are hugely grateful for this support.
Managing and processing offers
To secure product quickly and effectively, we focused efforts on prioritising and processing offers. At the peak, over 400 staff were assigned to work on processing the offers of PPE, which were divided into a number of discrete workstreams.
A ‘UK Make’ workstream, for example, handling offers from UK-related sources, sought to establish a resilient domestic manufacturing base for PPE that would provide security of supply for the future. Other offers were specifically processed through a ‘China Buy’ workstream whose caseworkers could harness the expertise of our embassy in Beijing to identify and secure priority opportunities within China (the market leader in supplying PPE).
A small proportion of offers – approximately 430 of the 24,000 – were processed through a ‘high priority referral’ route.
These were all ways of managing the incredible volume of offers, and the breadth of sources, to ensure we could find the product when we needed it most. As of June 2020, when the peak had passed, all these procurement routes were closed down.
The High Priority Lane
There has been significant interest in the High Priority Lane. We take our responsibilities around due diligence extremely seriously and, as the National Audit Office has found, ministers were not involved in procurement decisions.
The High Priority mailbox was set up at a time when, with the country and citizens in need of urgent help, many suppliers and individuals were rightly passing on offers of support direct to their local MPs, healthcare professionals and civil servants – because they were keen that the government procurement effort knew what was available. The mailbox allowed MPs, ministers and senior officials to direct those offers to a dedicated location.
All offers that came to the mailbox were triaged by an official from the high priority appraisals team to be processed and responded to.
The criteria used to assess offers were the same as those used to assess any other offer from across the PPE procurement programme. The suppliers had to undergo the same checks and clearances as all others awarded a contract. End to end, the process of assessing an offer and awarding a contract was led by officials on the basis of published specifications and commercial expertise. Being referred to the High Priority Lane was emphatically not a guarantee of a contract; indeed, nearly 90% of offers referred through this route were unsuccessful. Those to whom contracts were awarded helped enormously, securing more than 5 billion items of life-saving PPE for the frontline.
The suppliers, and indeed those who referred them, were not notified that their offer was processed through the mailbox. This was not a separate channel for suppliers to provide offers to government; rather, it was an internal process set up for handling such offers.
As the information set out shows, the range of suppliers successfully processed through the high priority route was wide. They came from within government and outside, via politicians and civil servants, from healthcare professionals and commercial experts. The list also reflects the number of different types of ‘referral’, ranging from offers that were simply forwarded by staff working in ministerial private offices and personal referrals from MPs, to suppliers passed on by healthcare professionals and offers referred by the NHS’s existing supply chain – SCCL.
Due to incomplete record keeping, in a small number of cases we have not been able to identify the individual or team who directed the offer to this route.
We publish this account today as an insight into how the government mobilised the resources of our Parliamentarians, our businesses, the Civil Service and the whole country to meet the challenges of a national emergency. We are proud of the efforts to secure PPE supplies for our frontline workers at a time of incredible need. Above all, we are hugely grateful to all those who responded to the calls to help us protect those who care for the most vulnerable in our society. Our PPE stocks are now resilient. We have a strong UK manufacturing base, and a contingency stockpile should there be further spikes in demand.
Routes used to identify suppliers
The following lists indicate the range of routes used to identify suppliers.
High Priority Lane
The ‘source of referral’ is the individual or team that identified the organisation and the ‘actual referrer’ is the individual or team who directed the offer to the high priority route.
| Supplier | Source of referral | Actual referrer |
|---|---|---|
| Aiya Technology | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office | DHSC PPE Buy Cell |
| Aventis Solutions Ltd | NHS E&I | Office of Dr Emily Lawson, DHSC |
| Ayanda Capital Ltd | NHS Shared Business Services | Darren Blackburn, Cabinet Office |
| Blueleaf Ltd | Keith Lincoln NHS E&I | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office |
| Brandology Ltd | Dr Julian Lewis MP | Office of Penny Mordaunt MP |
| Cargo Services Far East Ltd | Andrew Percy MP | Matt Hancock MP |
| CCS McLays Ltd | Steve Brine MP | DHSC Special Adviser |
| Community Pharma Co Ltd | Office of Esther McVey MP | Office of Esther McVey MP |
| Crisp Websites Ltd trading as Pestfix | Office of Steve Oldfield, DHSC | Nick Dawson, NHS E&I |
| Euthenia Investments Ltd | Office of Lord Agnew | Office of Lord Agnew |
| Excalibur Healthcare | Matt Hancock MP | Jonathan Marron, DHSC |
| Eyespace Eyewear | Grant Shapps MP | Not available |
| GBUK Ltd | Preeya Bailie, NHS E&I | Not available |
| Global United Trading | Dominic Cummings | Steve Oldfield, DHSC |
| Headwind Industrial (China) Ltd | Ljupsco Mihailovszki, DIT Budapest | Ljupsco Mihailovszki, DIT Budapest |
| Hotel Logistics Ltd | SCCL | Not available |
| Ideal Medical Solutions Ltd | SCCL | Not available |
| Invisio Ltd | SCCL | PPE Buy Team |
| JD.COM | Matt Hancock MP | Jonathan Marron, DHSC |
| KPM Marine Ltd | Office of Dr Emily Lawson, DHSC | Office of Dr Emily Lawson, DHSC |
| Liaoning Zhongquiao Overseas Exchange Co Ltd | Office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster |
| Mazima Markets Ltd | Lord Leigh | Lord Feldman |
| Mayfair Global | Michael Urwick, Hinduja Foundation | Direct approach |
| MDS Healthcare Ltd | Referred because the supplier managed a PPE donation made by a third party | Not available |
| Medicom Healthcare Holding | David Reed, FCDO | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office |
| Meller Design Ltd | Office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Office of the Government Chief Commercial Officer |
| MGP Advisory Ltd | GCF Commercial Policy Team | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office |
| Monarch Acoustics Ltd | Matt Hancock MP | Matt Hancock MP |
| New Asia Logistic Service PTE Ltd | Dr Andrew Swift | Office of the National Medical Director |
| Nine United Ltd | Matt Hancock MP | Jonathan Marron, DHSC |
| NKD International Ltd | Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN | Jonathan Marron, DHSC |
| P14 Medical Ltd trading as Platform 14 | Dr Ian Campbell, Innovate UK | Richard James, Cabinet Office |
| P1F Ltd | Chris Dunn, FCO | Chris Dunn, FCO |
| Pakan Medical | Christine Emmett, Former HS2 NED | Janette Gibbs, Cabinet Office |
| PPE Medpro Ltd | Baroness Mone | Office of Lord Agnew |
| Regal Polythene Ltd trading as Regal Disposables | Chris Hall, Cabinet Office | Chris Hall, Cabinet Office |
| Rehear Labs Ltd | SCCL | Not available |
| Sanaclis | SCCL | Andy Wood, Cabinet Office |
| SG Recruitment UK Ltd | Lord Chadlington | Lord Feldman |
| Skinnydip Ltd | Lord Leigh | Lord Feldman |
| Summit Medical Ltd | SCCL | Direct approach |
| The Paper Drinking Straw Ltd | Stuart Marks | Chris Hall, Cabinet Office |
| Tower Supplies | Pia Larsen, NHS | Richard James, Cabinet Office |
| Uniserve Ltd | Lord Agnew | Jonathan Arrowsmith, Cabinet Office |
| Unispace | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office | GCF COVID-19 Enquiries mailbox, Cabinet Office |
| Universal Solutions Trading Ltd | HMT Special Advisor | DHSC Special Advisor |
| Urathon Europe Ltd | Jane Harrison, SCCL | DHSC PPE Buying Cell |
| Visage Ltd | COVID-19 Single Point of Contact mailbox, DHSC | COVID-19 Single Point of Contact mailbox, DHSC |
| Worldlink Resource | Lord Agnew | Office of Lord Agnew |
| Wuhan Xiaoyaoyao Pharmaceutical | Office of Lord Deighton | Office of Lord Deighton |
UK Make
Alpha Solway (Globus) Ltd
Berry Global Plastics Inc
Blue Tree Group
Burberry
Don & Low Ltd
Drager: UK
DTR Medical Ltd
Duraweld Ltd
Elite Plastics Ltd
Eumar Technology Ltd
Honeywell: UK
I Love Cosmetics (Expac) Ltd
Kingsbury Press
Lenzing Hygeine UK Joint Venture Ltd
Lincoln Polythene Ltd
LJA Miers and Co Ltd
McDonald and Taylor Healthcare Ltd
Medicom HealthPro Ltd
MediCare UK
Numatic International Ltd
PFF Packaging Group Ltd
Photocentric Ltd
Potter and Moore Innovations Ltd
Private White VC
Ramfoam Ltd
Redwood TTM
SIVA Group
Staeger Clear Packaging
Survitec Group
The Royal Mint
China Buy
Beijing Union Glory Investment Co. Ltd
Beijing Yuanlong Yato
China Meheco Co Ltd
China National Instruments Import & Export Group Corporation
China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation
China Sinopharm International Corporation
Jason Offshore Equipment
Qingzhou Yaowang Pharmaceutical
Shanghai Sunwin Industry Group Co. Ltd
Shenzhen DJ Medical Equipment Co. Ltd
Sino Greatwall Healthcare Co. Ltd
Weifang Yuanhua Plastic Products Co. Ltd
Winner Medical Co. Ltd
Xinxing Pipes International Development Co. Ltd
Yancheng New Cloud Medical Equipment Co. Ltd
Zheng Ben Yuan Pharmaceutical (Hainan) Ltd
Zhongcheng Huadao Group Co Ltd
New Buy
These are companies who did not sit on existing frameworks to supply PPE and the Department of Health and Social Care contracted with them in order to ensure the necessary supply of PPE. UK Make, China Buy and the High Priority Lane are all subsets of, and are included in, this.
Able Services Supplies Ltd
AEFO Technical Services Ltd
Aiya Technology Hk Limited
Arco
Ascot Signs Ltd
Ashfield Health
Asia Pacific Distributors PTY
Aventis Solutions Ltd
Ayanda Capital Limited
Beijing Union Glory Investment Co., Ltd
Beijing Yuanlong Yato
BELLAGIO GLOBAL
Biosana Health
BIOSPECTRUM LTD
Blueleaf Care
Bluetree Design & Print Ltd
Blyth Group
BOLLE BRANDS UK
Brandology
British Packaging
BRYSON PRODUCTS LTD
Bunzl
Burberry
Cambodian Textiles Worldwide Phnom Penh Works Co., Ltd
Cannagrow biosciences ltd
CARDIATIS / Worldlink Resources
Cargo Services Far East
CCS McClays
Central National Gottesman
CH AND L LTD
Chart One Automotive Ltd
Chemical Intelligence
CHINA MEHECO CO.,LTD
China National Instruments Import & Export Group Corporation
China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation
China Sinopharm International Corporation
CLANDEBOYE AGENCIES LTD
Clearmask
Community Pharma Company Ltd
Cooneen (MOD)
Crown Salvage Limited
Deflecto-Europe (Yearntree)
Direct Corporate Clothing PLC
Doja Limited
Don and Low LTD
Double Dragon International Ltd
Draeger Safety UK Ltd
DTC Consulting Ltd
DTR Medical
Dunlop BTL LTD
Duraweld
Dylan Imports Ltd
Elite Creations
ELITE Plastics
EUMAR TECHNOLOGY LTD
EURO PACKAGING UK LTD
Euthenia Investments Ltd
Excalibur Healthcare Services
Eyespace Eyewear Limited
Fannin
Fillcare Fareva
FirstAid4sport
Fluid Branding Ltd
Fonebox Assets Ltd
Forever Young International Ltd
Forward Industrial Products Ltd
Fourds Ltd Trading As Bloc Blinds
GBUK LTD
GEMINI SURGICAL UK LTD
GL Oil and Gas Services
Global Manufacturing Asia Limited
Global Unite Trading & Sourcing
GLSI
Guangdong Kingfa Science & Technology
Headwind China Ltd
HLP KLEARFOLD
Honeywell
Hotel Logistics Ltd
Ideal Medical Solutions
Imperial Polythene
Initia Ventures Ltd
Invios
Invisio Pharmaceuticals
Jason Offshore Equipment
Jingdong e-commerce
Kau Media Group
KINGSBURY PRESS
KPM Marine
L J A MIERS AND COMPANY LTD
Leagues Commercial Co Ltd
LIAONING ZHONGQIAO OVERSEAS EXCHANGE CO., LTD.
Linc Medical Systems Ltd
Lincoln Polythene Ltd
Love Cosmetics Ltd
LUXE LIFESTYLE LTD
Macdonald & Taylor Healthcare
Maxima Markets Limited
Mayfair Global (UK) Ltd
MDS Healthcare
MEDCO SOLUTIONS LTD
Medicine Box Ltd
Medicom
MELLER DESIGNS LTD
MGP ADVISORY LTD
MI HUB TA ALEXANDRA
MIHUB T/A ALEXANDRA
Minster Hands
MIP UK LIMITED
Monarch Acoustics Limited
MYSHIPPER LTD
Network Medical Products
New Asia Logistic Services Pte Ltd
Nine United
NKD INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Numatic International Limited
Ocean Footprint
Omni-ID Ltd
Opalion
P14 MEDICAL LTD
P1F Limited
Pakan Medical
Pestfix
PFF PACKAGING GROUP LTD
Pharmaceuticals Direct Ltd
Photocentric
Planet Aid
POLYSTAR PLASTICS LTD
Potter & Moore Innovations
PPE Medpro Limited
Prime Group
PRIVATE WHITE VC LTD
Protechnique / Huons Medicare
Protecting Heroes Community Interest Co (Si Freedman)
Purple surgical
Qingzhou Yaowang Pharmaceutical
RAMFOAM
Rawbridge Ltd
RBW Consultancy Ltd / Weihai Dishang Medical Technology CO Ltd
Red E Med
REDWOOD TTM LTD
Regal Polythene
Rehear Lab
Robert Housely Limited
Saiger Llc
Sanaclis
Schaefer-Global
SEAGO YACHTING LTD
SG Recruitment
SGH Global
Shanghai Sunwin Industry Group Co., Ltd
Shenzhen DJ Medical Equipment Co., Ltd
Sino Greatwall Healthcare Co., Ltd
SIVA Group
Skinny Dip
SMC Premier Cleaning Ltd
Southgate
Sovereign
Springfield Supplies
STAEGER CLEAR PACKAGING LTD
Summit Medical Ltd
Super 7 Wholesale
SURVITEC GROUP LTD TA RFD BEAUFORT
Sustainable Criminal Justice Solutions Community Interest Company
Swish Dental Limited T/A Biosana Health
TAEG Energy
Tara Mobile Uk & Huav Technologies Co Ltd, China TIK Films China
The Paper Drinking Straw Co Ltd.
THE ROYAL MINT LTD
Thermoplastics Ltd
Toffeln
Top Gear Consumables
Tower Supplies
Trade Markets Direct
TRANSCONTINENTAL MARKETING LTD
UK GLOBAL HEALTHCARE LTD TA INDO UK INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH
UK-China Trading
Uniserve
Unispace Global Ltd
Universal Solutions Trading Limited
URATHON EUROPE LTD
Vanguard Air Services Ltd
Veritas medical solutions
Visage Group
Vital Innovations
Vitalcare UK
Weifang Yuanhua Plastic Products Co., Ltd
Weihai Textile Group Import Export Co Ltd (Dishang)
Winner Medical Co., Ltd.
Worldlink Resources Limited
Wuhan Xiaoyaoyao Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd
Xinxing Pipes International Development Co., Ltd
Yancheng New Cloud Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.
YEARNTREE LTD TA DEFLECTO
Zenith Guild Enterprise Ltd
Zheng Ben Yuan Pharmaceutical (Hainan) Ltd.
Zhongcheng Huadao Group Co Ltd
Zhonghong Pulin Medical Products Co., Ltd.
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