Member Info for scardey_cat

You make a good imitation Super-slinkey. Another AP - Apprentice Palmer.

Remember the last time we had two inflated UT's on consecutive days, it caught up with the UT on the second day. It's doing the same thing this time. All a bit strange.

'frog on speed'...bit of an advance on Ce-la-vies 'puppy on meth'. Both about right, though.

Michael O'Higgins...friends in high places?
- formally managing partner with PA Consulting
- formally non-executive director of Oxford Medical Diagnostics plc (acquired by Avacta 2007)
- currently Treasury Group Audit Committee

He is also a non-executive director of HM Treasury and chair of the Treasury Group Audit Committee. Previously, he was a non-executive director of Oxford Medical Diagnostics plc. He was also a managing partner with PA Consulting, leading its Government and IT Consulting Groups. He was formerly a partner at Price Waterhouse, and worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. He has held academic posts at the University of Bath, the London School of Economics, Harvard University and the Australian National University.

Mologic stated aim is supply poorer nations at £1 per test.

The hope you have given this board tonight is unprecedented, Unprecedented.

What's interesting about the £3m grant to GAD (a subsidiary of Mologic), is that GAD was set up to exclusively to supply LFT's to less wealthy nations. So, what's the govt doing granting them £3m? Perhaps the govt have roped in Mologic as part of the UK manufacturing consortium on a quid pro quo basis. In other words, they contribute the the UK manufacturing capacity in return for the govt purchasing scale up equipment.

Maybe the govt are capable of joined up thinking after all! Hmmm..

Unprecidented: What a lovely scenario you have presented. It would be a dream come true for all Avacta shareholders. So, just to indulge your theory a little further, you state:

" and to hedge their bets they also commissioned a procurement alongside."

Well, if you're theory holds true, the commissioning of the procurement framework may well have been be to avoid the problems the government currently have with The Good Law Project, with regards to the non-competitive nature of the direct contract award for the ABC-19 AB test to Abingdon. It enables the 'secret cartel' to all tender and be awarded their share of the tender 'competitively'.

Here's hoping your proposition is correct and not just a mirage.

Brilliant analysis Sujood, so very, very informative.

Sounds plausible Oke, but you have to ask why are the govt throwing circa £250k to other companies to enable them to present their LFT's for evaluation at Porton Down. You would think if they'd already decided they'd got what they wanted, they wouldn't still be dishing out this money.

Agree CS. His posts can be quite informative...you just have to filter out the rampey bits. There's definately something 'holier than thou' about the man, though.

CS: I'm not a fan of RK (or, Son of a Preacher Man, as the song goes), quite the opposite. Just had a nibble at Angle a few days ago, whilst the congregation is being called to worship and whipped to a frenzy.

I feel I should do a virtual confessional at this point. I have to own up to throwing a few shekels in the collection box at the current Church of Richken. I have to admit, I feel a bit soiled, like a guilty Scientologist, but you have to give it to preacher Ken, he sure knows how to pack a church. Having considered a few of his latest sermons, I feel I have a much better angle on this new religion. Though the new church is not quite promising eternal life, but is offering an interesting alternative to biopsies in cancer care. Now I’ll go off and say my 2 Holy Fathers and 3 Hail Marys, and look forward to feeling cleansed again. Amen.

The timetable says early Feb 21 for contract award.

Another question from a potential supplier regarding production capacity:

Q: "How will you control production capacity statements given by applicants? Being the second-largest producer after Abbott, we have seen many times in the past regarding European tenders, that completely unknown actors and/or sole trader applicants with false given statements about production capacity are given contracts. These people later go out with the contract in hand and ""fish"" for products, capacity, and cheapest production for the tender they already have"

A:"DHSC is aware of the ""fishing"" practice which you have referred to. The ITT contains provisions relating to giving false or misleading statements. The Framework Agreement also contains provisions relating to giving false or misleading statements."

Have been reading some of the Supplier Clarification questions regarding the £912m contract. One potential supplier received this response to their question:

"As referred to in other clarification responses, this procurement is intended to satisfy a short term need; DHSC has therefore set a defined specification for qualification onto the framework (including in particular Phase 3A Validation) in order to ensure sufficient lateral flow tests of a validated quality and specification are available and ready for deployment at pace.

Please note that DHSC intends to continue validating new tests and is continuing to submit devices to Porton Down, even as this tender completes. We anticipate this will continue for the foreseeable future. DHSC’s current view is that there is an ongoing need for Lateral flow test devices and therefore it is likely that DHSC will issue further tenders in within the next few months. In light of such potential further requirements, we continue to direct suppliers to the validation process which can only improve opportunity for consideration on potential future tenders."

An imagined there for a minute, AS on Dragons Den..."I've got this idea for an antigen LFT"..."Come back in a year lad and let us know your progress".

Re: Theo P - We'll have to get the message out "Beware of Greeks bearing LFT's".
Cheers doh.

Their very own 'sovereign' test Timster.
Matt Handjob's intention to manufacture Innova tests here in the UK was stated on the Innova website a while back.
They're already half way there by the looks of it.