Healthy Start children’s vitamin drops are currently licenced as a medicine with a General Sales Product licence.

The Secretary of State for Health holds the Marketing Authorisation and DH manages this on his behalf.

The Department is looking to engage with the market to explore delivery options available for the manufacture of children's vitamin drops prior to any formal procurement.

Any replacement contract would need to commence around winter 2017.

Following internal and external engagement the Department is looking at two (2) potential contract delivery models (1. as a medicine & 2.as a food supplement) which could achieve the outcomes required within an overarching risk structure informed by the business need, commercial elements and other pertinent elements.

As part of the procurement process we are conducting an options appraisal of these delivery models.

The Department recognises that suppliers input and views on any proposed new delivery model will be helpful in appraising the options.

The current delivery model, Healthy Start children’s vitamin drops as a medicine, has required six relationships including five contracts as follows: • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) grants the marketing authorisation, (at present this relationship is managed by the Qualified Person for Regulatory Affairs) • Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (contract) • Qualified Person for Regulatory Affairs (contract) • Healthy Start Children’s vitamin drops manufacture (contract) • Healthy Start women’s vitamin tablet manufacture (contract) • Storage and distribution (managed by NHS Supply Chain as part of their Master Services Agreement).

If the Department were to change the Healthy Start children’s vitamin drops from a medicine to a food supplement then the existing model would alter accordingly.

The Department would regard supplier input as valuable to understanding how the wider delivery model would need to change and how any such change would need to be managed.

The procurement is at the pre-tender stage.

The purpose of this notice is to engage service providers to understand the capabilities available to deliver the requirements and understand the best competitive route to market.

The procurement is at the pre-tender stage.

The purpose of which is to engage service providers to understand the capabilities available to deliver the requirements and understand the best competitive route to market.

A supplier briefing event will be held on Thursday 17th December 2015 in London.

To register their interest and to receive details of the event suppliers should email their details to Supplier.helpdesk@dh.gsi.gov.uk by Tuesday 15th December 2015 2pm.

The Department has additional information on the requirements as attachments to this opportunity.