SourceBio International PLC (LON:SBI) announced it has been selected by the UK government for two separate services.
Firstly, it has been successful with its tender for a framework agreement with Public Health England (PHE) to provide clinical laboratory diagnostic testing services.
READ: SourceBio results confirm COVID-19 testing boost with revenue and profits up strongly
PHE's National Microbiology Framework is appointing suppliers to framework agreements in four lots.
Lot 4, where the AIM-listed group was included, covers clinical laboratory diagnostic testing services, utilising new and existing techniques to ensure that there are consistent and affordable provision of high quality, safe and compliant testing services that should be delivered efficiently and effectively to support wider clinical services.
The term of the Framework Agreement for Lot 4 is for an initial two years with the option to extend by up to a further two years.
Under the National Microbiology Framework, participating public health authorities across the UK can use any of the 50 qualifying companies of Lot 4 to call-off contracts to procure goods and testing services.
One of these is SourceBio, however this agreement is not exclusive to SourceBio and does not guarantee orders, the company noted.
SourceBio continues to invest in its capacity to meet the current requirements for centralised testing.
It said it is well placed to react to new strains of the virus and to respond with speed, utilising its experience working with the Department of Health and Social Care for surge testing and in operating mobile testing laboratories.
COVID-19 test approval
Secondly, the provider of integrated laboratory services and products has been added to the UK government's approved list as a private provider of day two and day eight COVID-19 testing for all international arrivals.
Its services meet the government’s 15 minimum standards and have been reviewed by UKAS, a national accreditation body recognised by the UK Government to assess against internationally agreed standards.
People travelling from ‘amber’ countries are required to self-isolate for ten days and take tests on days two and eight of the quarantine period.
If the day two test result is positive and meets the DHSC sequencing criteria, it requires sequencing in a laboratory for surveillance purposes to monitor variants of concern and variants under investigation, the results of which are reported directly back to PHE.
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