Official UK procurement notice
250079 - Contract for the Provision of Laboratory Animal Health Monitoring Services in Compliance with FELASA Guidelines
Authority: Queen's University Belfast (Education)
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences’ Biological Services Core Technology Unit (BSU), at Queen’s University Belfast (Queen’s) wish to procure the Provision of Laboratory Animal Health Monitoring Services in Compliance with FELASA Guidelines
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 4 Jan 2033, 23:59 GMT.
- No preliminary market engagement: In accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, a Prior Market Engagement (PME) exercise was not undertaken for this requirement. This decision is justified on the basis that a suitable contract is already in place, and the relevant Unit has confirmed that they have a clear and sufficient understanding of the service requirements. As such, no further market engagement was deemed necessary.
CPV: Laboratory services · Medical analysis services · Veterinary services
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · all with a published value (£700,000 together)Lot #11 Lot 1: Sentinel Animal Health Monitoring (Sacrificial)AwardedRenewalPublished value£280,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #22 Lot 2: Non-Animal Health Monitoring MethodsAwardedRenewalPublished value£280,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #33 Lot 3: Zebrafish Health MonitoringAwardedRenewalPublished value£140,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
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
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 4 Jan 2033
- First published
- 24 Sept 2025, 14:02 BST
- Last source update
- 20 Apr 2026, 08:29 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 18 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
250079- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-059272- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a11dFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
30 days from receipt of a valid and undisputed invoice
- Risks
- Failure to Deliver Timely Results
o Delays in processing or reporting test results could compromise animal health, welfare, and research timelines.
- Loss or Damage of Samples
o Improper handling during transport or processing may lead to invalid results and the need for re-sampling. Resampling, in particular with sacrificial methods, would be contrary to the 3Rs and would only be undertaken as a last resort.
- Non-Compliance with FELASA Guidelines
o Failure to adhere to FELASA standards could result in inaccurate health status declarations, regulatory non-compliance, or reputational damage to the University. This could impact on Biosecurity and the health status of our Laboratory animal colonies and negatively impact upon research programs.
- Quality Assurance Failures
o Lack of appropriate accreditation or failures in contractor quality management systems could undermine confidence in results.
- Data Security and Confidentiality Breach
o Inadequate data protection could compromise sensitive health monitoring information.
- Disruption of Service
o Operational issues such as staff shortages, supply chain disruptions, or laboratory closures (e.g. due to emergencies or pandemics) could interrupt service delivery, create unacceptable gaps in our health monitoring program and impact upon unit biosecurity.
- Failure to Support 3Rs Progression
o Contractors unwilling or unable to advise on replacement of sentinel animals with non-animal monitoring methods could impede the University’s ethical commitments and strategy.
- Misinterpretation of Results
o Poorly communicated or unclear reporting and subsequent guidance could lead to inappropriate colony management decisions.
- Health and Safety Risks
o Inadequate sample kit design or guidance could expose BSU staff to biohazards during collection and handling.
- Cost Overruns
o Unanticipated price increases or unclear charging structures could lead to budgetary pressures.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 28 Oct 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
in-tendhost.co.uk/queensuniversitybelf… ↗, please register if not already done so and submit tender via the In-tend portal.
Timeline
24 Sept 2025 → 20 Apr 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published392 days ago24 Sept 2025, 14:02 BST
- Submission deadline358 days ago28 Oct 2025, 16:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by306 days ago18 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts289 days ago5 Jan 2026
- Assessment summaries sent222 days ago13 Mar 2026
- Standstill ends209 days ago25 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published184 days ago20 Apr 2026, 08:29 BST
Notice history
5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 24 Sept 2025- Tender notice published24 Sept 2025, 14:02 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published13 Mar 2026, 16:17 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete13 Mar 2026, 16:17 GMT
- Contract signature expected26 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published20 Apr 2026, 08:29 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across several lots1 award | |||
| Envigo Holdings Ltd (Lot 3), Fera Science Ltdjoint award26 Mar 2026 – 25 Mar 2029 · up to 25 Mar 2033Extensions: Option to extend by up to 48 months | £698,400 inc. VAT | 13 Mar 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
250079 - Contract for the Provision of Laboratory Animal Health Monitoring Services in Compliance with FELASA Guidelines · Envigo Holdings Ltd (Lot 3), Fera Science Ltd
- Signed
- 20 Apr 2026
- Value
- £698,400 inc. VAT
- Period
- 20 Apr 2026 – 19 Apr 2029 · up to 18 Apr 2033 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- Option to extend by up to 48 months
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · 1 Lot 1: Sentinel Animal Health Monitoring (Sacrificial) | 3final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 · 2 Lot 2: Non-Animal Health Monitoring Methods | 3final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 · 3 Lot 3: Zebrafish Health Monitoring | 3final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- Envigo Holdings Ltd (Lot 3)Awarded supplier
- Fera Science Ltd (lot 1 & 2)Awarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender