NPT0031/26: Bid/No-Bid Brief and Compliance Matrix
TenderGulf sample brief. Prepared Monday 19 October 2026.
How to read the references: "p." means the printed page number in the Arabic conditions booklet ("Page X of 24"). The PDF has 25 pages because the cover is not numbered, so PDF page = printed page + 1. "Sec." means the booklet section. Section 2 of the booklet restarts its clause numbers at 1.2, so clauses there are cited as "Sec. 2, cl. 1.x". "Item list" means the English tender announcement (32 pages). Text marked Our reading is TenderGulf analysis, not booklet text.
1. Header
| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tender number | NPT0031/26 | Booklet cover; item list header |
| Buyer | NUPCO, the National Unified Procurement Company for medicines, devices and medical supplies, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund. Orders and contracts are issued by NUPCO or government health entities ("beneficiary entities"). | Sec. 1, p. 1; cl. 1.1.7, p. 2 |
| Title (English) | Open framework agreement for blood transfusion, blood bank, stem cell, haematology and coagulation supplies. Item list header: "LAB TENDER, BLOOD BANK / HEMATOLOGY / COAGULATION / STEM CELL" (punctuation normalised). | Tender page; item list header |
| Title (Arabic) | الإتفاقية الإطارية المفتوحة لتأمين مستلزمات نقل الدم وبنوك الدم / الخلايا الجذعية / علم أمراض الدم / اختبارات التجلط | Booklet cover |
| Type | Open framework agreement: new suppliers may join during its term; awarded offers stay in force. | cl. 1.1.13, p. 3 |
| Opening (publication) date | Thursday 10 September 2026 | Tender page |
| Enquiry cut-off | Not given as a date. The booklet says enquiries must reach NUPCO through the NUPCO platform at least 15 days before the submission date. Counted back from 27 October, that is Monday 12 October 2026, already passed. | cl. 1.2, p. 4 |
| Submission deadline | Tuesday 27 October 2026. Time of day: not stated in the booklet (it defers to the announcement). | Tender page; cl. 4.2.1, p. 11 |
| Bid opening | Wednesday 28 October 2026, at NUPCO headquarters or online. Time: not stated in the booklet. | Tender page; cl. 4.5.1, p. 12 |
| Booklet fee | SAR 28,750. Local factories and SMEs get 50% off (excluding VAT) after proving status on the NUPCO platform. Whether VAT is added to SAR 28,750: not stated in the booklet. | Tender page; cl. 1.1.6, p. 2 |
| How the booklet is bought and paid | Paid through the "Eidaat" (إيداعات) payment service. Documents are released electronically on the NUPCO platform after purchase, to agents and distributors that are accredited and qualified with NUPCO and specialised in the items. The fee is not refunded if a bid is withdrawn. | cl. 1.1.5, p. 2; cl. 1.3, p. 4; cl. 4.4.1 and 4.4.2, p. 11 |
| Where bids go | Electronically only, through www.nupco.com or directly on iNUPCO (inupco.nupco.com). Supplier must have an active NUPCO platform account; inactive accounts are activated by the account manager or a ticket on NUPCO Care (nupcocare.nupco.com). | cl. 1.1.2 and 1.1.3, p. 2 |
| Tender email | NPT0031-26@NUPCO.COM. All tender correspondence must still go through the NUPCO platform. | cl. 9.1, p. 23; cl. 3.4.1, p. 9 |
| NUPCO address in booklet | Short address RASA7638, building 7638, additional number 2416, postal code 13315, Al Sahafa district. City: not stated in the booklet. | p. 24 |
| Scope size | 666 lines: 490 lines in 49 groups (G01 to G49) and 176 itemised lines. | Item list, computed |
2. Bottom line
- Bid if you are the analyser maker (or its sole Saudi agent) for a named platform, or a maker of open-spec blood bags and consumables, and every line you want already has an SFDA MDMA and a NUPCO Catalogue entry today.
- Do not bid as a third-party reagent maker for closed platforms: 77% of lines (513 of 666) say "compatible with" a named analyser, and each needs government-sector trial certificates proving compatibility (cl. 9.10, p. 24).
- Do not bid if your products have never been bought and used by Saudi government reference hospitals: proof of that is an award criterion (cl. 5.2.1.1.3, p. 12).
- The clock is the problem: 8 days to submission, the enquiry window closed on 12 October, the offer must be in Arabic, and a 1% bank guarantee must be issued and registered before the deadline.
- Single biggest gate: product-level SFDA registration (MDMA with national registry number) plus listing in the NUPCO Catalogue before submission. Without a Catalogue listing no offer can be submitted (cl. 1.1.10.2, p. 2; cl. 4.2.3, p. 11); without an MDMA a group cannot be awarded (cl. 5.2.2.1.1, p. 13; cl. 9.3, p. 23).
3. Scope
Method. We converted the item list PDF to text with pdftotext, parsed all 666 rows (serial numbers 1 to 666, none missing), and summed the column "SECTOR QTY FOR 3 YEARS" per group, separately for each unit of measure (UOM). Units are never added across different UOMs. "Platform" is the analyser or system named after "COMPATIBLE WITH" in the item descriptions. Quantities are 3-year sector figures from the item list; the booklet does not say they are guaranteed, and beneficiaries may raise, cut or cancel orders (cl. 7.2.3 and 7.2.7, p. 17 and 18).
Bidding rule. For a group you must bid every item in it, with a unit price per item. Itemised lines can be bid one by one (Sec. 2, cl. 1.8.1 and 1.8.2, p. 7).
| Group | What it covers | Items (SN) | Platform constraint in item text | 3-year quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G01 | ABO/D antisera vials (anti-A, anti-AB, anti-B, anti-D) | 4 (1 to 4) | None named | 212,005 vials |
| G02 | Reverse grouping cells, 3% | 2 (5 to 6) | None named | 11,659 kits |
| G03 | Antibody screening and ID cells, tube method | 3 (7 to 9) | None named | 12,990 kits; 1,408 sets |
| G04 | Blood bank gel cards, cell panels, QC, diluents, racks | 67 (10 to 76) | IH1000 and IH500 (66 of 67 lines; SN 48 names none) | 19,988,285 tests; 111,988 kits; 13,222 vials; 12,428 boxes; 3,356 packs |
| G05 | Adjustable pipette and tips 10/25/50 uL | 2 (77 to 78) | None named | 2,260,739 pieces; 76 kits |
| G06 | Pathogen reduction sets, platelets and plasma | 4 (79 to 82) | INTERCEPT (spelled "INTERCEPTT") | 156,430 sets |
| G07 | Pathogen reduction sets, plasma and platelets | 2 (83 to 84) | Mirasol | 35,675 sets |
| G08 | Platelet bacterial detection immunoassay and control | 3 (85 to 87) | PGD (named in 2 of 3 lines) | 26,590 tests; 3,340 kits |
| G09 | Apheresis collection sets and ACD-A | 3 (88 to 90) | Trima / Trima Accel | 46,209 sets |
| G10 | Therapeutic and cell collection apheresis kits | 3 (91 to 93) | Spectra Optia | 13,523 sets |
| G11 | Donor NAT: HBV/HCV/HIV and malaria | 3 (94 to 96) | Modules S201; cobas 5800/6800 (8800 for malaria) | 404,788 tests |
| G12 | HbA2/F (beta-thalassaemia) HPLC | 2 (97 to 98) | Variant II | 425,000 tests |
| G13 | Sterile tube welder and wafers | 2 (99 to 100) | None named. Text: "one machine for each 20000 wafers" | 60 welders; 1,554,750 wafers |
| G14 | Sickle cell solubility test and racks | 2 (101 to 102) | None named | 1,157,554 tests; 38,082 pieces |
| G15 | ABO/D and phenotype microplates | 3 (103 to 105) | Qwalys Evo | 2,500 tests |
| G16 | Coeliac autoimmune panel | 4 (106 to 109) | Mosaiq | 18 packs; 5 tests |
| G17 | CBC reagents | 3 (110 to 112) | Humacount 30TS/80TS | 21,000 tests |
| G18 | RBC glycerolisation, deglycerolisation, SAGM | 3 (113 to 115) | Haemonetics ACP215 | 51,373 sets |
| G19 | Apheresis sets and ACD-A | 5 (116 to 120) | Haemonetics MCS+ | 79,390 bottles; 17,415 sets |
| G20 | Blood bank gel cards, cells, antisera | 38 (121 to 158) | Ortho Vision and Max | 4,707,950 tests; 124,883 kits; 500 vials |
| G21 | CBC, retics, body fluids | 8 (159 to 166) | Yumizen H2500/H1500/H500, Micros ES60, Pentra XLR | 1,187,170 tests |
| G22 | Platelet aggregation reagents | 6 (167 to 172) | Thrombo aggregometer | 2,541 vials |
| G23 | Platelet function trigger | 1 (173) | PFA 200 | 1,179 bottles |
| G24 | CBC, retics, body fluids, smear/stain | 5 (174 to 178) | Mindray BC-6200/6800+, CAL6000/8000, SC-120 | 793,544 tests |
| G25 | Hb electrophoresis and A1c variant | 2 (179 to 180) | Tosoh G8/G11 | 662,416 tests |
| G26 | Red cell, platelet, RHD, RHCE genotyping | 4 (181 to 184) | AIS-400D | 158 kits |
| G27 | Microplate blood bank reagents and antisera | 41 (185 to 225) | Galileo / Echo / Neo Iris (40 of 41; SN 219 manual QC) | 85,681 vials; 28,530 boxes; 19,079 bottles; 8,090 packs; 5,982 tests; 3,514 sets; 1,284 plates |
| G28 | Coagulation panel | 29 (226 to 254) | ACL / ACL TOP | 1,324,236 tests |
| G29 | Coagulation panel | 7 (255 to 261) | CX series | 76,000 tests |
| G30 | Hb electrophoresis and controls | 6 (262 to 267) | Sebia Capillarys 3 Octa, Capillarys Flex 2, Hydrasys 2 Scan | 321,241 tests; 1,782 kits |
| G31 | Cell processing sets (TCR alpha/beta depletion, CAR-T CD19, cytokine capture) | 7 (268 to 274) | CliniMACS / CliniMACS Prodigy | 336 sets; 250 bags; 72 kits |
| G32 | Platelet aggregation reagents | 7 (275 to 281) | Chrono-log (spelled "CHRONOLOGY") | 4,666 tests; 560 kits |
| G33 | VWF and ADAMTS13 | 2 (282 to 283) | Acustar | 188 kits |
| G34 | CBC and retics | 7 (284 to 290) | Advia 2120i/560; Atellica | 2,708,360 tests; 538 packs |
| G35 | CBC with retics; slide smear/stain | 2 (291 to 292) | Alinity hq; Alinity hs | 5,104,090 tests |
| G36 | Coagulation panel | 34 (293 to 326) | BCS XP, BFT II, CA-560/660/1500, CS-2100/2500/5100, CN-3000/6000 | 5,782,958 tests |
| G37 | Slide maker sets and Wright stain | 4 (327 to 330) | Hematek 2000/3000 | 2,301 sets; 1,056 packs |
| G38 | Donor serology: HBc, HCV, HBsAg, HIV, HTLV, syphilis | 6 (331 to 336) | Alinity s | 2,282,541 tests |
| G39 | Blood bank gel cards and cells | 18 (337 to 354) | Erytra / Wadiana | 4,297,487 tests |
| G40 | Blood group and HPA genotyping | 4 (355 to 358) | Luminex 200 (ID CORE XT, ID HPA XT) | 1,224 kits |
| G41 | Rare antisera vials, tube method | 28 (359 to 386) | None named | 58,566 vials; 7,318 kits |
| G42 | Coagulation panel | 13 (387 to 399) | Yumizen G | 67,200 tests |
| G43 | Coagulation panel | 23 (400 to 422) | STHEMO | 395,784 tests |
| G44 | CBC | 2 (423 to 424) | Balio OX-560 / OX-580 | 554,000 tests |
| G45 | Coagulation panel | 21 (425 to 445) | cobas t711 | 201,428 tests |
| G46 | Coagulation panel | 36 (446 to 481) | STA R Max and STA Compact | 15,072,207 tests |
| G47 | Blood bag holders | 2 (482 to 483) | None named | 19,703 pieces |
| G48 | ESR and latex control | 2 (484 to 485) | Alifax | 1,428,000 tests; 1,157 kits |
| G49 | CBC, retics, smear/stain, controls | 5 (486 to 490) | DxH 500/800/900 | 7,620,675 tests; 1,379 kits |
| Itemised | 176 single lines: blood collection and transfer bags, cryopreservation bags and DMSO, stains, segment openers, temperature and irradiation indicators, transport coolers, malaria tests, D-dimer, CBC reagents, stem cell processing parts | 176 (491 to 666) | 74 lines name a platform (largest: Sysmex XN-series CBC, 10,485,900 tests; Sysmex XP-300 CBC, 4,825,200 tests; Cell Dyn Ruby CBC, 1,882,350 tests; Panther NAT, 780,000 tests). 102 lines name none. | 25,064,162 tests; 2,696,362 pieces; 2,462,724 bags; 580,154 sets; 548,113 kits; 68,467 vials; smaller UOMs omitted |
Item list points to note
- Largest open-spec lines (no platform named): SN 569 segment opener, 2,302,948 pieces; SN 565 rapid malaria Pf/Pan, 1,352,120 tests; SN 509 quadruple blood bag with double leukocyte filter, 1,288,980 bags; SN 582 150 mL transfer bag, 314,530 bags; SN 532 irradiation indicator label, 219,928 tests.
- Two lines require placing equipment: SN 100 ("one machine for each 20000 wafers") and SN 568 haemoglobin cuvettes ("all machines should be deliver upon signing contract, one machine for each 2000 test"). Our arithmetic: 3,134,000 / 2,000 = 1,567 machines for SN 568; 1,554,750 / 20,000 = about 78 for SN 100. Booklet cl. 8.9 (p. 20): free devices must be under warranty, maintenance and spare parts for the whole period of use.
- Oddities to query: SN 13 is a "VIAL" with UOM "TEST"; SN 626 is a "BOTTLE" with UOM "TUBE" and quantity 1; SN 253 and SN 285 have quantity 1. Descriptions of SN 87 and SN 568 are cut off in the source PDF.
4. Compliance matrix
"Gate" means failure can exclude the bid or the line. "Award criterion" means it decides who wins among compliant bids. The booklet has no weighted technical scoring: evaluation is pass/fail on compliance, then price (Sec. 5, p. 12 to 13).
| Requirement | What the booklet says (our translation) | Section and page | Who must hold it | Gate or scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who can buy the documents | Documents are released after purchase to agents and distributors that are "accredited and qualified with NUPCO" and specialised in the items: "للوكلاء والموزعين المعتمدين المؤهلين لدى نوبكو". | cl. 1.3, p. 4 | Saudi agent. Our reading: a foreign maker should not expect to buy and bid alone. | Gate |
| Who counts as a competitor | Factories, drug companies, agents, local producers, suppliers, or companies abroad. | cl. 1.1.9, p. 2 | Either | Definition |
| iNUPCO account | Bids only through the NUPCO platform; supplier must be registered and the account active. | cl. 1.1.2 and 1.1.3, p. 2 | Bidder | Gate |
| NUPCO Catalogue | Offers can only be made for products registered in the NUPCO Catalogue on iNUPCO. Registration must be done by the date and time in the announcement. "No offer can be submitted" otherwise. | cl. 1.1.10.1 and 1.1.10.2, p. 2; cl. 4.2.3, p. 11 | Bidder registers each product | Gate (per line) |
| SFDA product registration (MDMA) | Medical product registration certificate with SFDA for every item bid, including the MDMA. For award, the item must be SFDA-registered with the MDMA attached. For groups, every item must have an MDMA, with its number entered in the system. The MDMA must show the national registry listing number. | cl. 1.5.7 and 1.5.10, p. 5; cl. 5.2.1.1.2, p. 12; cl. 5.2.2.1.1, p. 13; cl. 9.3, p. 23 | Product; our reading: obtained by the Saudi AR for the maker | Gate for groups; award criterion for itemised lines |
| SFDA MDEL | Medical Device Establishment Licence. | cl. 1.5.8, p. 5 | Booklet: the competitor. Our reading: Saudi agent/importer | Must stay valid through the tender |
| SFDA AR | Certificate of legal representation of the manufacturers (AR). | cl. 1.5.9, p. 5 | Our reading: Saudi agent as AR of the maker | Must stay valid through the tender |
| MDIL for biological items | For items that are biological products, the bidder must undertake to provide certificates and permits, including the Medical Device Importation License (MDIL) at import. | cl. 9.7, p. 23 | Bidder (importer) | Undertaking |
| GMP | Valid GMP certificate from SFDA, or from the reference authority in the country of origin for items not registered with SFDA. | cl. 1.5.11, p. 5 | Maker | Required document |
| Agency or maker authorisation | "Agency certificate" for the manufacturers in the offer. Priority for unregistered items goes to the official agent dealing directly with the factory, not through an intermediary. | cl. 1.5.6, p. 5; cl. 5.2.1.2.2, p. 12 | Saudi agent holds, maker issues | Required document; priority rule |
| Proof of product validity | Evidence from the manufacturer of the product's validity ("صلاحية المنتج"). Meaning (shelf life or approval status) is not explained. | cl. 1.5.13, p. 5 | Maker | Required document |
| Saudi company documents | Zakat/tax certificate, Chamber of Commerce membership, Commercial Registration, Saudization certificate, GOSI certificate, each "when legally required". All must stay valid for the whole tender and be updated on the platform. | cl. 1.5.1 to 1.5.5, p. 5 | Bidder and its subcontractors | Required where applicable |
| Prior use in Saudi hospitals | Award requires that the product "has been previously purchased and tried by the beneficiary entities (reference hospitals)", stated in the remarks field with supporting documents attached. NUPCO may accept or reject the evaluated product. | cl. 5.2.1.1.3 and 5.2.1.1.4, p. 12 | Product track record; bidder documents it | Award criterion for itemised lines. Our reading: a hard barrier for new entrants |
| "Compatible with" lines | Offers for items described "compatible with or equivalent" must be compatible with the named device, with trial certificates from government sectors confirming compatibility, no effect on device safety, and a guarantee the product works after software updates. | cl. 9.10, p. 24 | Bidder, from maker data and hospital trials | Gate for the 513 platform lines |
| Language of offer | Offers must be in Arabic: "يجب أن تقدم العروض باللغة العربية". Another language may be added; Arabic prevails on conflict. | cl. 3.1, p. 8 | Bidder | Gate |
| Currency and price format | Saudi riyals, unit price for the smallest standard unit, no more than four decimals. | cl. 3.2, p. 9; cl. 7.1.4, p. 17 | Bidder | Format rule |
| VAT | Prices must include VAT and all costs (cl. 7.1.1). Unit price must be entered without VAT, with VAT in its own field (cl. 7.1.3). The two clauses conflict. | cl. 7.1.1 and 7.1.3, p. 17 | Bidder | Ask NUPCO |
| Offer letter content | Tender name and number, total value, number of items, list of attachments, initial guarantee details, any reservations, any discounts. Technical and financial offer on the bidder's letterhead. | cl. 4.1.5, p. 10 and 11; cl. 5.2.1.3.1.1, p. 13 | Bidder | Exclusion risk if missing |
| Brands | Bidder must disclose all trademarks in the price schedules. One country of origin and one factory per item. | cl. 4.1.2, p. 10; cl. 8.2, p. 20 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Alternatives | Basic offers only; alternative offers are not considered. | cl. 4.1.1, p. 10 | Bidder | Gate |
| Catalogues | Upload the specific catalogue page with the catalogue number highlighted; same catalogue number on several lines must be declared. Original catalogues or leaflets are required. | cl. 9.9, p. 24; cl. 8.5, p. 20; cl. 5.2.1.3.1.2, p. 13 | Bidder from maker | Exclusion risk |
| Initial bank guarantee | 1% of the offer value. Offers without it are excluded. Issued through the platform named "بواتك" and registered in the system within the submission period. In NUPCO's name, payable on first demand, unconditional, irrevocable, free of deductions. Valid 120 days from bid opening and auto-renewing. Cash and cheques not accepted. | cl. 3.7.1 to 3.7.1.5, p. 9 and 10 | Bidder | Gate |
| Initial guarantee exemptions | Local SMEs are exempt, and local factories may skip it, if proven on the NUPCO platform. | cl. 3.7.1.6 and 3.7.1.7, p. 10 | Saudi SME or local factory | Exemption |
| Bank acceptable | Guarantees from a local bank, or from a foreign bank through a local bank. A foreign bank approved by the Saudi Central Bank is accepted where a Saudi bank guarantee cannot be obtained. | cl. 6.2.4 and 6.2.5, p. 16 | Bidder | Gate |
| Final bank guarantee | 5% of contract value within 15 working days of award notice (issue of purchase orders or award letters); may be extended once by a similar period. If late, the initial guarantee is kept and NUPCO negotiates with the next bidder. | cl. 6.2.1, p. 16 | Awarded bidder | Gate |
| SME penalty | An SME that withdraws during validity, or fails to give the final guarantee, pays NUPCO a penalty equal to the initial guarantee value. | cl. 6.2.2, p. 16 | Saudi SME | Penalty |
| Offer validity | 120 days from bid opening, extendable for a similar period. | cl. 3.3, p. 9 | Bidder | Gate |
| Withdrawal | Before deadline: guarantee returned, fee kept. After deadline and before opening, or after opening: guarantee may be forfeited in whole or part. After award: execution at the supplier's cost and price differences charged. | cl. 4.4, p. 11 | Bidder | Penalty |
| Economic participation policy | The policy of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority applies. Competitors must comply and submit the required documents. An undertaking form for the policy is part of the tender documents. | cl. 1.1.11, p. 2; cl. 1.4.6 and 1.4.7, p. 4 and 5 | Bidder | Required. Policy text not in our document set |
| Local content and price preference | The regulation on preference for local content, local SMEs and listed companies applies, with ZATCA national rules of origin, including the price preference and the additional price preference. Percentages: not stated in the booklet. | cl. 1.1.11.1, p. 3 | Saudi maker or Saudi-origin product | Price adjustment at evaluation |
| Local content certificates | Baseline local content certificate for makers of products on the mandatory list if bidding those items; NUPCO may exclude or rank otherwise. Local content certificate needed to prove a product is national. Whether any line here is on the mandatory list: not stated in the booklet. | cl. 1.1.11.2 and 1.1.11.3, p. 3 | Saudi maker | Gate for mandatory-list lines |
| Priority to local products | Award priority to local or local-origin products, SFDA-registered and compliant. | cl. 5.2.1.2.1, p. 12 | Saudi maker | Award priority |
| SME and local factory benefits | 50% off the booklet fee; initial guarantee exemption; 50% off objection fees (local factories only). Monshaat SME certificate required to claim SME status. | cl. 1.1.6, p. 2; cl. 3.7.1.6 and 3.7.1.7, p. 10; cl. 5.8.3, p. 15; cl. 1.5.12, p. 5 | Saudi SME or local factory | Benefits |
| Regional HQ | Present. Bidders must take into account Council of Ministers decision no. 461 dated 13/06/1445H on rules for government contracting with companies that have no regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, and related parties: "قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (461)". The booklet does not say what document or consequence applies. | cl. 1.1.12.1, p. 3 | Our reading: affects the maker group as well as the agent | Unclear; ask NUPCO |
| Restricted origins | If official directives bar certain factories or countries of origin, NUPCO may require the same product from another origin, exclude the offer, or cancel the line. | cl. 1.1.15, p. 4 | Maker | Risk |
| Lowest price commitment | Price must be among the lowest offered in Saudi Arabia. Any lower price given to any entity during the term must be reported and applied here, or NUPCO may exclude the offer or cancel the award. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.10.2 to 1.10.4, p. 7 | Bidder | Gate during whole term |
| Negotiation | NUPCO may negotiate with the best bidder or others, including a reverse financial auction. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.10.1, p. 7 | Bidder | Process |
| Evaluation method | Technical committee checks compliance and reports to the bid examination committee, which sets final criteria, awards and negotiates. No weighted scoring. | cl. 5.1, p. 12 | n/a | Pass/fail then price |
| Award, itemised lines | Criteria: compliance with conditions and specs; SFDA MDMA; prior purchase and trial by reference hospitals; compliance with all terms. Price is not listed among these criteria. | cl. 5.2.1.1, p. 12 | n/a | See open questions |
| Award, groups | All items SFDA-registered; whole group compliant; lowest total price for the whole group. Committee may award some items singly. NUPCO is not bound to award the lowest non-compliant price. May exclude the lowest compliant bid for missing items, missing catalogues, weak finances, or a record of late deliveries. | cl. 5.2.2, p. 13 | n/a | Lowest compliant group price |
| Splitting of awards | NUPCO may split one item or one group between more than one supplier or maker; beneficiary entities may choose. After final results NUPCO or beneficiaries may order any single item in a group or the whole group. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.8, p. 7; cl. 9.4, p. 23 | n/a | Volume risk |
| Arithmetic errors | Written price beats figures; unit price beats total. Errors over 10% of total value after correction can lead to exclusion. | cl. 5.3, p. 13 and 14 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Samples | Must be ready to hand over within 3 days of the committee's request. Three samples in final registered form as marketed in the country of origin, data printed not stickered; one or two for costly or bulky items. NUPCO may test and need not return them. | cl. 5.4, p. 14 | Bidder, stock from maker | Gate on request |
| Factory visit | Bidder pays the cost of a factory visit for up to three people if the committee wants one. | cl. 5.5, p. 15; cl. 8.11, p. 20 | Maker hosts, bidder pays | On request |
| Bid opening attendance | Authorisation letter for the bidder's delegate, who must be a Saudi national. | cl. 4.5.1, p. 12 | Saudi agent | Required to attend |
| Objections | Within 5 working days of preliminary results, on the platform. Fee SAR 3,750 plus VAT per item or group, paid through the "Eisal" (إيصال) service, refunded only if the objection succeeds. NUPCO's decision is final. | cl. 5.8, p. 15 | Bidder | Process |
| Contract duration | Prices fixed for three Gregorian years from the announcement of final results; beneficiaries may order or add quantities in that period. Contracted quantities may be delivered up to six months after the term ends. | cl. 9.2, p. 23; cl. 1.1.14.3, p. 4 | Awarded bidder | Binding |
| Framework updates | Six-monthly updates for offers made in the base tender but rejected for incomplete SFDA or local content certificates, and for newly localised or mandatory-list products. Yearly updates for products not offered, at NUPCO's discretion. Updated prices may not exceed agreed prices. | cl. 7.6, p. 19 | Bidder | Our reading: bidding now keeps a later door open |
| Delivery terms | Prices include shipping, loading, unloading, storage and transport to site. Sites may be NUPCO warehouses, beneficiary warehouses or facilities anywhere in Saudi Arabia. First batch within 120 days of award letter or contract; later batches as scheduled. Bidder states delivery lead time per item in the remarks field. Incoterm: not stated in the booklet. | cl. 7.1.1, p. 17; cl. 7.5, p. 18 and 19 | Saudi agent delivers | Binding |
| Cold chain | Refrigerated vehicles and containers as per maker and SFDA rules; temperature indicators with each shipment to SFDA specifications; room-temperature items shipped at 20 to 25 C. Breaches allow beneficiaries to hold and destroy goods. | cl. 8.18, 8.26 to 8.28, 8.36, p. 21 to 23 | Saudi agent | Binding |
| Shelf life | At delivery, at least two-thirds of shelf life remaining. For items with shelf life of 3 years or more, no more than 9 months since manufacture. | cl. 8.1, p. 19 | Maker and agent | Binding |
| Labelling and batch papers | Production date, expiry and batch number printed, not stickered. Batch certificate of analysis, sterilisation certificate where sterile, and certificate of origin per shipment. Certificate of origin must be attested by the Saudi embassy in the country of origin. | cl. 8.13 to 8.17 and 8.21, p. 20 and 21 | Maker | Binding at delivery |
| PVC and DEHP | Medical-grade PVC only, stated in the offer, or excluded. Products with DEHP must be labelled; DEHP-free preferred. | cl. 8.35 and 8.37, p. 23 | Maker | Gate for PVC lines (blood bags) |
| Training and models | Training to safe use in line with CBAHI and JCI. Supply the latest model and any newer generation at no extra cost. All sizes for the whole contract. | cl. 8.6 to 8.8, p. 20 | Agent and maker | Binding |
| Replacements | Undertaking to replace any item with a manufacturing defect, whatever the quantity. Replace non-conforming or physically changed items within 15 days of notice. | cl. 7.1.7, p. 17; cl. 8.10, p. 20; cl. 8.30 and 8.31, p. 22 | Agent and maker | Binding |
| Penalties | Delay penalties and withdrawal of work "as per applicable regulations" and contract terms; rates not stated in the booklet. If the supplier misses two or more due deliveries of an item, NUPCO may cancel the award for the rest of the term and take the initial guarantee value from the final guarantee. Non-compliance may count against the supplier in future NUPCO tenders. | cl. 7.2.4, p. 17; cl. 7.4, p. 18 | Awarded bidder | Penalty |
| Payment terms | Beneficiary entities pay for delivered items under their own regulations. Number of days: not stated in the booklet. Supplier may not stop or delay supply because a beneficiary pays late. | cl. 7.2.6, p. 18; cl. 8.23, p. 21 | n/a | Cash flow risk |
| E-marketplace | Awarded items will be listed on the NUPCO e-marketplace at awarded prices for beneficiaries and the non-profit sector. Technically accepted but unawarded offers may also be listed at bid prices. | cl. 4.1.3 and 4.1.4, p. 10 | Bidder | Binding on bidding |
| Intellectual property | Intellectual property in the contents of winning offers belongs to NUPCO. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.7, p. 7 | Bidder | Accepted by bidding |
| Acceptance and reservations | Buying the documents and bidding means accepting all terms. Reservations go in the offer letter, but NUPCO may reject any bid with reservations, including on supply period. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.14, p. 8; cl. 5.6, p. 15 | Bidder | Exclusion risk |
| Consortium | Allowed if the agreement is made before bidding, certified by the Chamber of Commerce, names a leader, and all parties seal the offer. Members may not bid separately. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.11, p. 8 | Bidder and partners | Option |
| Subcontracting | Not allowed without NUPCO's written approval. | Sec. 2, cl. 1.12, p. 8 | Bidder | Rule |
| Agency change | If the agency moves to a new agent, the old agent must keep supplying until transfer papers are approved. | cl. 8.32, p. 22 | Old and new agent | Binding |
| Conflict of terms | General conditions prevail over special conditions. | cl. 8.38, p. 23 | n/a | Rule |
| Documents not in our set | Warehouse supply conditions, e-marketplace requirements, the economic participation policy and its undertaking form, and the platform upload instructions are named as tender documents but were not in the public download. | cl. 1.4.4 to 1.4.7, p. 4 and 5; cl. 9.5, p. 23 | n/a | Obtain after purchase |
5. Deadlines, counted from Monday 19 October 2026
| Date | Day count | What must happen | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 10 Sep 2026 | Day minus 39 | Tender published. | Tender page |
| Mon 12 Oct 2026 | Day minus 7 (passed) | Last day for enquiries, by our count (15 days before submission). | cl. 1.2, p. 4 |
| Mon 19 Oct to Tue 27 Oct 2026 | Day 0 to Day 8 | Buy the booklet (SAR 28,750) via Eidaat. Confirm the iNUPCO account is active. Register every product in the NUPCO Catalogue by the date and time set in the announcement. Issue the 1% initial guarantee and register it on the system. Prepare the Arabic offer letter, letterhead technical and financial offer, catalogue pages, SFDA certificates and all company documents. | cl. 1.1.3, 1.1.5, 1.1.10.2, p. 2; cl. 3.7.1.1, p. 9; cl. 4.2.3, p. 11 |
| Tue 27 Oct 2026 | Day 8 | Submission deadline. Time of day not stated in the booklet. After upload the offer cannot be changed; late offers are ignored. | Tender page; cl. 4.2.1 to 4.3, p. 11 |
| Wed 28 Oct 2026 | Day 9 | Bid opening at NUPCO or online. Saudi-national delegate with authorisation letter. Offer and initial guarantee validity start (120 days). | Tender page; cl. 4.5.1, p. 12; cl. 3.3, p. 9 |
| Thu 25 Feb 2027 | Day 129 | End of 120-day offer and initial guarantee validity, unless extended (guarantee auto-renews). | cl. 3.3, p. 9; cl. 3.7.1.5, p. 10 (our date arithmetic) |
| Date set by NUPCO | 3 days from request | Deliver samples to the technical committee. | cl. 5.4.1, p. 14 |
| Date set by NUPCO | 5 working days from preliminary results | File any objection and pay SAR 3,750 plus VAT per item or group. | cl. 5.8, p. 15 |
| Date set by NUPCO | 15 working days from award notice | Deliver the 5% final guarantee. | cl. 6.2.1, p. 16 |
| Date set by beneficiary | 120 days from award letter or contract | Deliver the first batch. | cl. 7.5.3, p. 18 |
| Three years from final results | n/a | End of price-fixed period; deliveries may run six months beyond. | cl. 9.2, p. 23; cl. 1.1.14.3, p. 4 |
| Every 6 months / yearly | n/a | Framework update windows. | cl. 7.6, p. 19 |
6. Bid/no-bid checklist: foreign maker with one Saudi agent
Answer every question. Any "No" in questions 1 to 9 means no-bid for that line or group.
| # | Question | Yes / No | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the Saudi agent already accredited and qualified with NUPCO for these product types, with an active iNUPCO account? | cl. 1.3, p. 4; cl. 1.1.3, p. 2 | |
| 2 | Does every line we will bid already have an SFDA MDMA showing the national registry listing number? | cl. 1.5.10, p. 5; cl. 9.3, p. 23 | |
| 3 | Does the agent hold a valid MDEL and AR for our company? | cl. 1.5.8 and 1.5.9, p. 5 | |
| 4 | Is every product already in the NUPCO Catalogue, or can it be listed before the announced cut-off? | cl. 1.1.10.2, p. 2; cl. 4.2.3, p. 11 | |
| 5 | For a group: can we offer every item in that group? | Sec. 2, cl. 1.8.2, p. 7; cl. 5.2.2.4.1, p. 13 | |
| 6 | For "compatible with" lines: are we the platform maker, or do we hold government-sector trial certificates for the named analyser? | cl. 9.10, p. 24 | |
| 7 | Have Saudi government reference hospitals already bought and used our product, and can we document it? | cl. 5.2.1.1.3, p. 12 | |
| 8 | Can the agent's bank issue the 1% initial guarantee through the required platform before 27 October? | cl. 3.7.1.1, p. 9 | |
| 9 | Can the full offer be prepared in Arabic by 27 October? | cl. 3.1, p. 8 | |
| 10 | Will we price at or below our lowest price anywhere in Saudi Arabia, and report any lower price for three years? | Sec. 2, cl. 1.10.2 and 1.10.3, p. 7 | |
| 11 | Can we keep the price fixed for three years plus six months of deliveries? | cl. 9.2, p. 23; cl. 1.1.14.3, p. 4 | |
| 12 | Can we ship the first batch within 120 days of award, anywhere in Saudi Arabia, cold chain included? | cl. 7.5.3, p. 18; cl. 8.26, p. 21 | |
| 13 | Will deliveries carry at least two-thirds of shelf life (and under 9 months from manufacture for 3-year products)? | cl. 8.1, p. 19 | |
| 14 | Can we supply 3 samples per item within 3 days of a request? | cl. 5.4, p. 14 | |
| 15 | Do we have GMP, batch CoA, sterilisation certificates and embassy-attested certificates of origin? | cl. 1.5.11, p. 5; cl. 8.15 to 8.21, p. 21 | |
| 16 | For PVC products: medical-grade PVC declared, DEHP labelled? | cl. 8.35 and 8.37, p. 23 | |
| 17 | Is our country of origin free of any official restriction? | cl. 1.1.15, p. 4 | |
| 18 | Does our group have a Saudi regional HQ, or have we checked how decision 461 applies to us? | cl. 1.1.12.1, p. 3 | |
| 19 | Can the agent fund a 5% final guarantee within 15 working days of award? | cl. 6.2.1, p. 16 | |
| 20 | Can the agent carry receivables with no stated payment period? | cl. 7.2.6, p. 18 | |
| 21 | If machines must be placed (SN 100, SN 568), can we fund placement, warranty and spares for the full period? | Item list; cl. 8.9, p. 20 | |
| 22 | Is the SAR 28,750 booklet fee justified by the lines we can actually win? | Tender page |
Fallback if the answer is No only because SFDA certificates are incomplete: cl. 7.6.2.1 (p. 19) lets offers made in the base tender, and rejected for incomplete SFDA certificates, re-enter at the six-monthly update. Bidding now may be worth it for that reason alone.
7. Open questions for NUPCO
Timing: by our count the enquiry window closed on Monday 12 October 2026 (cl. 1.2, p. 4). Questions can still be sent through the NUPCO platform, with NPT0031-26@NUPCO.COM in copy (cl. 3.4.1, p. 9; cl. 9.1, p. 23), but NUPCO has no stated duty to answer them. Send on Monday 19 October 2026 at the latest.
- What is the exact time of day for submission on 27 October and for bid opening on 28 October? What is the cut-off date and time for NUPCO Catalogue registration?
- Is any extension of the submission date planned, and will late enquiries be answered?
- Can a foreign manufacturer buy the booklet itself, or only a NUPCO-qualified Saudi agent (cl. 1.3)?
- For itemised lines, is price an award criterion? Cl. 5.2.1.1 does not list it.
- Is "previously purchased and tried by reference hospitals" (cl. 5.2.1.1.3) mandatory for award, or a preference? What documents prove it? Does it apply to groups?
- Are items without an SFDA MDMA at submission excluded, given cl. 1.5.11 (GMP for unregistered items) and cl. 5.2.1.2.2 (priority for unregistered items)? Will such offers qualify for the six-month update under cl. 7.6.2.1?
- For "compatible with" lines (cl. 9.10), what form must the government-sector trial certificate take? Does it apply to the platform maker's own reagents?
- Should unit prices include VAT (cl. 7.1.1) or exclude it (cl. 7.1.3)?
- Is the 1% initial guarantee based on the full 3-year offer value? One guarantee for all lines, or one per group? Please confirm the full name of the guarantee platform written as "بواتك" in cl. 3.7.1.1.
- Under Council of Ministers decision 461 (cl. 1.1.12.1), what must a bidder submit if the foreign maker has no regional HQ in Saudi Arabia? Does it apply to the agent, the maker, or both?
- Are any lines on the local content mandatory list? What price preference percentages apply (cl. 1.1.11.1)?
- Is only the offer letter required in Arabic, or must catalogues, IFUs and certificates be translated (cl. 3.1)?
- Are the 3-year quantities minimum commitments or estimates?
- Item list: please confirm UOM and quantity for SN 13, SN 253, SN 285 and SN 626, and give the full descriptions for SN 87 and SN 568.
- For SN 568 (cuvettes) and SN 100 (wafers), how many machines must be placed, where, and on what ownership and service terms?
- What payment period applies, and what delay penalty rates apply (cl. 7.2.4 and 7.2.6)?
- Please provide the economic participation policy, its undertaking form, the warehouse supply conditions and the upload instructions (cl. 1.4.4 to 1.4.7; cl. 9.5).
8. Sources
- Conditions booklet (Arabic, 25 pages): https://www.nupco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/كراسة-الشروط-NPT0031-26.pdf
- Tender announcement and item list (English, 32 pages, dated 10 September 2026): https://www.nupco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NPT0031-26-TENDER-ANNOUNCMENT.pdf
- NUPCO tenders list (status, opening date, submission and bid opening dates, booklet price, as captured 19 October 2026): https://www.nupco.com/en/tenders/tenders-list/
Both PDFs were downloaded on 19 October 2026. Arabic quotations were checked against the rendered pages because the PDF text layer swaps some letters.