Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) Scale-up

NHS England issuing a Direct Award Contract to University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit for the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) Services. The initial term will be 24 months from 1 May 2026, with the potential to extend up to 3 additional years in increments.

The CVLP is a strategic priority and collaboration between NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Office for Life Sciences (OLS), and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), with the aim to facilitate access to personalised cancer vaccine research trials and other immunotherapies.

The programme is a scale up phase in the development, testing, and evaluation of personalised cancer vaccines and other immunotherapies through clinical trials and genomic analysis. The supplier will be responsible for clinical trial oversight, research management, facilitating strategic partnerships, consenting patients; tracking biological samples and facilitating the sharing of information between CVLP sites, research trial sites and commercial companies; hosting, maintaining and enhancing the electronic referral tool platform, and integrating with existing NHS and academic systems.

The approved procurement route to market is via Direct Contract Award, which aligns with the Cabinet Office’s published guidance on exempt contracts under Schedule 2 of the Procurement Act 2023 Regulations.