Pathology Off Site Storage

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Published: Aug 14, 2026

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a supplies contract in the construction and civil works, legal services and transport and logistics sectors, with a focus on Roads, Bridges, Legislative Drafting and Warehousing. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 187,000.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for the supply of goods in the construction and civil works sector. Supply contracts typically require bidders to demonstrate product compliance with technical specifications, delivery capacity, and relevant certifications. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ("the Authority") would like to engage with potential suppliers to explore the provision of an offsite storage solution for pathology archive materials. The Trust currently manages a substantial archive of histology blocks and slides and requires a secure, compliant, and scalable storage solution to support ongoing service requirements and future archive growth. The service will include the storage, management, tracking, retrieval, and transportation of pathology materials in accordance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements, including Human Tissue Authority (HTA) standards where applicable. Current archive volumes are approximately: - 63,463 histology blocks and slides currently held in archive - 130,000 histology blocks generated annually - 180,000 histology slides generated annually This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise aims to understand the market's capacity, capability, and interest in providing these services. The Trust is seeking feedback on the proposed requirements and would welcome suppliers' views on the deliverability and proportionality of the draft specification. The purpose of this engagement is to: - Assess whether the proposed specification is realistic and achievable. - Understand the capacity and capability of the market. - Identify potential barriers to participation and competition. - Obtain feedback on operational requirements, including storage capacity, retrieval timescales, onboarding arrangements, and governance requirements. - Refine the specification and procurement approach prior to commencing any formal procurement process. This exercise is not a call for competition, invitation to tender, or request for pricing. Participation in this engagement will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement process. The Authority invites interested suppliers to review the draft specification and respond to the accompanying questionnaire. Feedback will be used to inform the final service requirements and procurement strategy. The feedback received will help the Authority determine the most appropriate route to market and assess whether there is sufficient market capacity and interest to support a competitive procurement process. The Trust may contact suppliers who participate in this engagement to seek clarification on responses and to discuss feedback received. Any such discussions will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. Although this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice has been issued in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, it does not represent a commitment by the Authority to commence a procurement exercise. Should a future procurement be undertaken, the Authority reserves the right to determine the most appropriate procurement procedure and route to market in accordance with the legislation and circumstances applying at that time.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on August 14, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 077607-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has issued 138 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 2 currently open and 120 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Health & Medical, Governance & Public Administration, and Industry & Manufacturing. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: August 14, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £187,000 - £187,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 077607-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Supplies contract in the Construction & Civil Works sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.