Official UK procurement notice
250244 - Contract for The Services of a Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS)
Authority: Queen's University Belfast (Education)
What is being bought
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 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).
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 11 Sept 2032, 00:59 BST.
CPV: Veterinary services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£1,000,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- 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
- 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 11 Sept 2032
- First published
- 10 Sept 2025, 14:51 BST
- Last source update
- 18 Dec 2025, 20:50 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 11 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
250244- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-055445- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0597acFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
30 days from receipt of a valid invoice
- 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 [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- Submission deadline
- 14 Oct 2025, 16:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
10 Sept 2025 → 2 Mar 2026 · 7 dates- Tender notice published10 Sept 2025, 14:51 BST
- Submission deadline368 days ago14 Oct 2025, 16:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent338 days ago13 Nov 2025
- Standstill ends326 days ago24 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Award decision expected by309 days ago11 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published302 days ago18 Dec 2025, 20:50 GMT
- Contract starts229 days ago2 Mar 2026
Notice history
7 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 10 Sept 2025- Tender notice published10 Sept 2025, 14:51 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published13 Nov 2025, 21:33 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete13 Nov 2025, 21:33 GMT
- Contract award notice published13 Nov 2025, 22:04 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected26 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published17 Dec 2025, 08:02 GMTUK7
- Contract details notice published18 Dec 2025, 20:50 GMTUK7
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-11: 1 release · 13 Nov 2025
- 2025-09: 1 release · 10 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda Resource Management Ltd +1 morejoint awardContract for The Services of a Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS)2 Mar 2026 – 1 Mar 2029 · up to 1 Mar 2033Extensions: 3 years, with options to extend by up to a further 48 months (4 x 12 months extension options) · Options: 3 years, with options to extend by up to a further 48 months (4 x 12 months extension options) · Amended: Amendment to estimated date contract will be signed. | £1,000,000 | 13 Nov 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract for The Services of a Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) · Agenda Resource Management Ltd +1 more
- Signed
- 3 Dec 2025
- Value
- £1,000,000
- Period
- 2 Mar 2026 – 1 Mar 2029 · up to 1 Mar 2033 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- 3 years, with options to extend by up to a further 48 months (4 x 12 months extension options)
- Options
- 3 years, with options to extend by up to a further 48 months (4 x 12 months extension options)
- Change Amended to add Region - Belfast
2 agreed KPIs: Escalation Response 95% of logged issues responded to within 4 working hours. · Onsite Response 95% of onsite requests to be responded to within 2 working days.
- Escalation Response 95% of logged issues responded to within 4 working hours.
- Onsite Response 95% of onsite requests to be responded to within 2 working days.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- Agenda Resource Management LimitedAwarded supplier
- Agenda Resource Management LtdAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications 250244 - Provision of services for Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVS) - Tender Documents
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender