In Service Evaluation into Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SMA and SCID)

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. This general information notice is published to provide information about how the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will be engaging with interested parties to find one or more strategic collaborator/donor.
1.2. DHSC is seeking expressions of interest from organisations in the voluntary, community, social enterprise (VCSE) and private sectors to collaborate in support of both the capital and revenue commitments to enable the extension at pace of the existing In Service Evaluation (ISE) into newborn Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) screening in England, which will also include evaluating screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID).
1.3. The focus of this collaboration is the financial contribution required for the set up and running of an additional 6 newborn screening centres over a two year period (with the first of the additional centres looking to be operational by Q3 of 2027)
1.4. This is not a public procurement or sponsorship opportunity and will not result in the award of a “public contract” (within the meaning of the Procurement Act 2023). DHSC is specifically looking for financial contributions and wishes to hear from interested parties who can help us to:
• Extend the screening and laboratory testing process to enable all babies in England to receive the offer of screening.
• Help with the early identification of SMA[GD1.1][RX1.2][DG1.3] in newborns by extending the evaluation of SMA / SCID screening to an additional 6 labs.
Engagement process and deadline
1.5. Full details of the requirement can be found within section 3 of this document. Those wishing to participate in the engagement process should register their interest by completing and submitting the questionnaire at the following link:
https://forms.office.com/e/2FwiSsY8ib
1.6. The closing date for responses is on: 7th August at 23.59 pm. We reserve the right not to accept responses after this time.
1.7. We will be using a fair and non-discriminatory...