Find a TenderPlanned procurementPreliminary market engagement notice
Published 9 Sept 2026, 12:47 BST

Official UK procurement notice

CEFAS26-88 ISO9001 & ISO45001 Certification

Authority: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Central government)

ServicesAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Published estimate£140,000≈ £43k / year · £168,000 inc. VAT
Tender notice expected 19 Oct 2026from the planned procurement notice
Contract term 3 yrs 3 moup to 6 yrs 3 mo with extensions · starts 5 Jan 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This procurement project is for the appointment of an accredited external audit and certification provider to deliver independent certification, assurance, surveillance, and recertification services for Cefas' Health and Safety Management System (ISO 45001) and Quality Management System (ISO 9001). The contract will support ongoing compliance with internationally recognised management system standards and provide the required external audits and certifications.

CPV: Auditing services · Certification services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Lot 1PlannedRenewal 3 yrs 3 moSMEVCSE
Contract period: 5 Jan 2027 — 31 Mar 2030 (3 yrs 3 mo) · up to 6 yrs 3 mo with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligibleDelivery: UK
Extensions
Extension options published
79132000 Certification services79212000 Auditing services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Planned procurement
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
No (one-off requirement)
First published
9 Sept 2026, 12:47 BST
Last source update
9 Sept 2026, 12:47 BST
Authority reference
C35404
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Auditing servicesCertification services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f591

How it was run

Submission deadline
—

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Planning notice published16 days ago
    9 Sept 2026, 12:47 BST
  2. Market engagementtoday
    25 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
    Cefas (the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) is an executive agency of Defra, providing world-leading scientific research, monitoring, advice and technical services to support the sustainable management of marine, freshwater and coastal environments. Operating across a more…diverse range of scientific, laboratory, field-based (land and water) and corporate activities, Cefas maintains certified management systems to provide confidence to stakeholders that its services are delivered consistently, safely and effectively. As part of its market engagement activities for future certification requirements, Cefas is seeking feedback from prospective accredited certification bodies on whether they would prefer to bid for ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management) as separate lots or as a single contract. Cefas does not currently operate an integrated management system and is not actively seeking to do so. The information gathered through this exercise will help inform Cefas's future procurement strategy, maximise market engagement, and support the development of an effective and competitive approach for both Cefas and potential suppliers. Please note that this request is for information-gathering and market research purposes only. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement exercise, commitment to procure, or any promise of future contract opportunity. Please complete this questionnaire by 12pm on Friday, 25/09/2026. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/WYdAnkkp1z
  3. Tender notice expectedin 24 days
    19 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST
  4. Contract startsin 101 days
    5 Jan 2027, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    9 Sept 2026, 12:47 BSTUK2

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PPGW-5299-JGTN Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, East of England, NR33 0HT

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure