Find a TenderAwardedContract award notice
Published 30 Jul 2025, 10:12 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Coroner’s Service Toxicology Contract

Official notice

Authority: Reading Borough Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable
Sectors: Health & Social Care (85) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Published estimate£500,000≈ £167k / year · £600,000 inc. VAT21.5% below published estimate
Submissions closed 5 Sept 2025awarded 27 Oct 2025
Award (standstill) to Toxicology UK Ltd
Contract term 3 yrsends 20 Jan 2029 · up to 20 Jan 2031 with extensions · starts 21 Jan 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

RBC are completing a ITT exercise for the provision of Coroner’s Service Toxicology Contract - The scope for this project is to cover the following key deliverables: Testing analysis and interpretation of toxicological specimens, Interpretive toxicology reports to HM Senior Coroner and Pathologist within contract timescales, Maintenance of adequate contact between HM Senior Coroner’s Officers and staff, Attendance at inquest as required and Monthly statistics and performance indicators

Suppliers that would like to take part in this process are invited to "Express Interest" upon which they will be given access to the full documentation delivered through this portal. Documents can be accessed from the "My Tenders" area of this website by selecting the "View Details" button for the project.

Expressions of interest will only be accepted until 19/08/2025.

Any questions relating to this opportunity should be made via the correspondence link on this portal.

CPV: Services provided by medical laboratories

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 3 yrsPublished value£500,000
Contract period: 21 Jan 2026 – 20 Jan 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 20 Jan 2031 with extensionsValue: £500,000 exc. VAT · £600,000 inc. VAT
Extensions: 1year + 1 year

What it takes to win
i

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 more
How bids were scored
  • Simple description: 40% Price and 60% Quality (includes Social Value)

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
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
30 Jul 2025, 10:12 BST
Last source update
5 Nov 2025, 10:28 GMT
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 22 Sept 2025
Authority reference
RBC 00002335
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-044120
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Services provided by medical laboratories
Delivery area
Not published
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0568ab Find a Tender

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
5 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
Clarification deadline
19 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

30 Jul 2025 → 21 Jan 2026 · 7 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    30 Jul 2025, 10:12 BST
  2. Clarification questions by
    19 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  3. Submission deadline
    5 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  4. Award decision expected by400 days ago
    22 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  5. Assessment summaries sent366 days ago
    27 Oct 2025
  6. Latest notice published356 days ago
    5 Nov 2025, 10:28 GMT
  7. Contract starts280 days ago
    21 Jan 2026

Notice history

7 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 30 Jul 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    30 Jul 2025, 10:12 BST
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    15 Aug 2025, 14:11 BST
    UK4
  3. Deadline moved to 5 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
    15 Aug 2025, 14:11 BST
    +7 days · was 30 Aug 2025, 00:59 BST
  4. Contract award notice published
    27 Oct 2025, 14:45 GMT
    UK6
  5. Status changed to complete
    27 Oct 2025, 14:45 GMT
  6. Contract award notice published
    5 Nov 2025, 10:28 GMT
    UK6
  7. Contract signature expected
    17 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
Published amendments (1)

Due to the high volume and complexity of the clarifications, we have decided to extend the closing date for the project by 1 week to the 5th September, in order to provide enough time for the clarification responses to be fairly processed and analysed by the suppliers.

Routine re-releases (4)
  • 2025-07: 1 release · 30 Jul 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1some still in standstill
Awarded value £392,7001 award exc. VAT
Bids received 55 from SMEs
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Toxicology UK LtdSMECoroner's Toxicology Service21 Jan 2026 – 20 Jan 2029 · up to 20 Jan 2031Extensions: +1+1 · Amended: The standstill period will be extended by 1 week to the 12th November in order to allow the Council time to review a challenge that has been received.£392,70027 Oct 2025Standstill

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
5final-stage tenders50—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Reading Borough Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PWBJ-9435-VXQQ Bridge Street, Reading, South East, RG1 2LUContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Toxicology UKAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PBLQ-5782-PNHT Mazars, First Floor, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33AXContact email

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsSuppliers that would like to take part in this process are invited to "Express Interest" via In-Tend upon which they will be given access to the full documentation delivered through this portal. Documents can be accessed from the "My Tenders" area of this website by selecting th…

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender