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Published 28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST

Official UK procurement notice

250077 - Provision of services for Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVS)

Official notice

Authority: Queen's University Belfast (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove threshold
Sectors: Health & Social Care (85) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Published estimate £1,000,000≈ £333k / year · £1,200,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submissions closed 30 Jul 2025
Contract term 3 yrsup to 7 yrs with extensions · starts 2 Jan 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences' Biological Services Core Technology Unit (BSU), at Queen's University Belfast (Queen's) wish to procure the services of a Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) for the BSU.

Scientific Procedure Establishments, breeding and supplying establishments1 are required to name a veterinary surgeon(s), nominated by the Establishment Licence Holder, in their Licence Schedule, who accepts responsibility under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and its subsequent amendments to provide advice on the health, welfare and treatment of animals within these establishments. The NVS will fulfil the duties of the NVS in accordance with ASPA, and its subsequent amendments. ASPA is a UK-wide Act and is administered by the Home Office in Great Britain and the Department of Health (DOH) in Northern Ireland.

The NVS's role is to advise on the Health and Welfare of the animals in the Establishment, the performance of techniques, and to diagnose and treat diseases. They are responsible for directing the use of controlled and prescription-only medicines in the animals and should be familiar with the project licences in use at Queen's. The NVS must also be involved in the drafting of new project licence applications or amendments, and the discussions of Animal Welfare and Use Committees, such as the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB).

Read the full description (277 more characters)

Further information is available at: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/supporting-guidance/named-veterinary-surgeons/

Please also see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals

  • The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 21 Jun 2032, 00:59 BST.

CPV: Veterinary services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Lot 0001AwardedRenewal 3 yrsPublished value£1,000,000
Contract period: 2 Jan 2026 — 1 Jan 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 7 yrs with extensions
Value
£1,000,000 exc. VAT · £1,200,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
3 years, with options to extend by up to a further 48 months (4 x 12 months extension options)
85200000 Veterinary services

What it takes to win

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published — the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
  • Simple description — • Price 60% • Mandatory Specification – Pass/Fail • Desirable Criteria – 15% • Qualitative – 20% • Sustainability – 5%
  • Simple description — • Price 60% • Mandatory Specification - Pass/Fail • Desirable Criteria - 15% • Qualitative - 20% • Sustainability - 5%
  • Simple description — • Price 60% • Mandatory Specification - Pass/Fail • Desirable Criteria - 15% • Qualitative - 20% • Sustainability - 5%

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Cancelled
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Yes · next expected 21 Jun 2032
First published
28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
Last source update
28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end — 16 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Authority reference
250077
Latest notice
Procurement termination notice (UK12)
Classification (CPV)
Veterinary services
Delivery area
Not published
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0550f2 Find a Tender
Review and risk notes
Risks
Evolving Service Requirements • Changes to the scope of veterinary services may arise due to: o Expansion or reconfiguration of the Biological Services Unit. o Introduction of new species, procedures, or research methodologies. o Amendments to legal, ethical, or licensing requirements (e.g. under the Animals more…[Scientific Procedures] Act 1986). Impact: This may require additional time, specialisation, or resource commitments from the veterinary provider, and could necessitate a contract modification. Additional Consumables or Equipment • The veterinary service may require access to additional or specialist consumables, diagnostics, or therapeutic agents that are not currently in use or foreseeable. Impact: These costs may not be fully covered under the original contract scope and may require budgetary adjustment or procurement support. Integration with Future Software or Systems • The provider may be required to interface with future digital systems (e.g. electronic records, compliance platforms, or biosecurity monitoring tools) introduced by the Department of Health. Impact: This could involve additional training, time investment, or technical development that may not be currently estimable. Continuity and Availability Risks • Risks associated with the availability of the provider, such as: o Unexpected staff shortages or turnover. o Lack of appropriate cover for leave or emergencies. o Limited capacity to respond to out-of-hours, urgent, or specialist callouts. Impact: May affect service reliability or continuity of animal care, requiring contingency planning. Compliance and Regulatory Risks • Regulatory or compliance breaches could arise if either party fails to meet evolving expectations under Department of Health licensing, university policy, or veterinary best practice. Impact: May lead to enforcement action, reputational damage, or contract suspension/termination. Cost and Scope Escalation • As described above, unknown developments may lead to: o Increase in the scope of work. o Associated increases in cost or resource requirements that are not foreseen within the initial pricing model. Impact: May require formal contract modification under applicable public procurement regulations. Risk Management To mitigate these risks: • Queens University and the supplier will maintain open and proactive communication. • Regular contract reviews will be held to assess evolving needs and service delivery. • Any required modifications will be managed in accordance with public procurement law and recorded transparently.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
Submission deadline
30 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
Clarification deadline
23 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
in-tendhost.co.uk/queensuniversitybelf… ↗ Suppliers wishing to express an interest in this tender must register at this address and download the documentation

Timeline

6 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice published
    20 Jun 2025, 14:07 BST
  2. Clarification questions by
    23 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline
    30 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
  4. Latest notice published389 days ago
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
  5. Award decision expected by370 days ago
    16 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  6. Contract starts263 days ago
    2 Jan 2026, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics — not a forecast
Awards 1
Contracts signed 1
Awarded toValueDateStatus
supplier not published—27 Aug 2025CancelledIdentified several procedural considerations that require us to take a precautionary step to ensure full compliance under the Procurement Act 2023, so a decision was taken to terminate the current process.

Contracts

  • Contract 1 · supplier not published

    Signed
    date not published
    Value
    —
    Status
    cancelled

Notice history

9 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Jun 2025
  1. Procurement termination notice published
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BSTUK12
  2. Published value updated
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BSTwas £1,000,000
  3. Status changed to complete
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
  4. Procurement method changed
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
  5. Deadline withdrawn
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
  6. Buyer details updated
    28 Aug 2025, 13:22 BST
  7. Tender notice published
    24 Jun 2025, 08:00 BSTUK4
  8. Deadline moved to 30 Jul 2025, 16:00 BST
    24 Jun 2025, 08:00 BST+0 days · was 30 Jul 2025, 17:00 BST
  9. Tender notice published
    20 Jun 2025, 14:07 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)

Changing time for submission to 16:00 hrs. as per tender documents.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Queen's University Belfast

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central governmentNorthern Irish devolved regulations apply GB-NIC: 101788 University Rd, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN procurement@qub.ac.uk

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsSuppliers wishing to express an interest in this tender must register at this address and download the documentation
  • Conflict of interest declarationtenderConflict of interest declarationNot published

Notices published for this procedure

  • Procurement termination notice tenderProcurement termination noticeUK12Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender