Official UK procurement notice
Framework Agreement for DNA, Drug and Alcohol Testing Services
Authority: City & County of Swansea (Local council)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionSwansea Council is seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of accredited testing services to support safeguarding, social care, legal proceedings and associated statutory functions.
The Framework will comprise two Lots:
Lot 1 Drug and Alcohol Testing Services
Lot 2 DNA Testing Services
CPV: Services provided by medical laboratories
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 6 suppliers
- Framework period
- 5 yrs · up to 7 yrs from 11 Jan 2027
Published description of the framework
Prices will be determined through the pricing schedule submitted as part of the tender, unless a specialist requirement is required.
Direct award – Swansea Council will select the most appropriate provider within the relevant Lot to deliver the requirements.
Mini-competition – Swansea Council reserves the right to undertake a mini competition between the Providers set out on the appropriate Lot where required.
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotEvery one of these 2 lots carries the same published figure, £350,000: it is the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.
Lot #1Drug and Alcohol Testing ServicesRenewalceiling above
The Framework Providers will deliver drug and alcohol testing services, including:
- Sample collection.
- Chain of custody management.
- Laboratory analysis.
- Interpretation of results.
- Preparation of professional reports.
- Expert witness support where required.
Lot #2DNA Testing ServicesRenewalceiling above
Sample collection.
Identity verification.
Chain of custody management.
Laboratory analysis.
Reporting of results.
Expert witness support.
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Price
- Quality
- Price carries 25 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 2.5 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “Framework Agreement for DNA, Drug and Alcohol Testing Services” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 6 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How City & County of Swansea buys Miscellaneous health services (CPV 8514), and who usually turns up
City & County of Swansea’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Miscellaneous health services (CPV 8514) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in Wales (Cymru).
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 55 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Awards are recorded, but published direct routes and bid counts do not establish this buyer’s share.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid0% / 4%
2–30% / 12%
4–60% / 15%
7+100% / 69%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1Drug and Alcohol Testing ServicesCPV 8514Published estimate£350k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid9%
2–346%
4–630%
7+14%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITIZENS ADVICE SWANSEA NEATH PORT TALBOT LIMITEDLive contract | Award for the Contract for the Provision of Independent Advice and Information Service in Swansearuns to Mar 2029 | — | £1.1m | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £748k8 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 5 live · £248k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 15% below n=2 | |
| £48m3 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 1 live · £8.6m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 14% below n=1 | |
| £848k4 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 1 live · £575k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=1 | |
| £1.2m5 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago | 2 live · £1.5m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 58% above n=1 | |
| £60k2 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 2 live · £60k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs |
Lot #2DNA Testing ServicesCPV 8514Published estimate£350k
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid11%
2–346%
4–629%
7+14%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
| Supplier | This buyer’s earlier contract | Lot | Award value | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITIZENS ADVICE SWANSEA NEATH PORT TALBOT LIMITEDLive contract | Award for the Contract for the Provision of Independent Advice and Information Service in Swansearuns to Mar 2029 | — | £1.1m | Matched as the earlier contract |
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
| Supplier | Won in this category | Live contracts | Award vs estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| £748k8 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 5 live · £248k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 15% below n=2 | |
| £848k4 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago | 1 live · £575k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=1 | |
| £1.2m5 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago | 2 live · £1.5m iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | 58% above n=1 | |
| £60k2 awards in 36m · last 4 months ago | 2 live · £60k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | no comparable pairs | |
| £96k1 awards in 36m · last 12 months ago | 1 live · £96k iPublic contracts this supplier still holds. Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book. Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity. | at estimate n=1 |
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
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
- Open admission
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 28 Aug 2026, 13:03 BST
- Last source update
- 20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 2 Dec 2026
- Authority reference
CCS/26/257- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-099183- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ee82Find a Tender
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Apply via Sell2Wales- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Appointment period ends
- 16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 9 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- cy, en
Please use the following link to login and access tender documents. etenderwales.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/home.html ↗ Once you have logged into the eTenderWales Portal please search for ITT code:- itt_128023
and ITT Description:- Framework Agreement for DNA, Drug and Alcohol Testing Services
To
Timeline
28 Aug 2026 → 11 Jan 2027 · 8 dates- Planning notice published54 days ago28 Aug 2026, 13:03 BST
- Market engagement39 days ago11 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
Swansea Council has created an Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) which seeks the views and opinions of those organisations that may be interested in delivering the services.
The Market Engagement Questionnaire (MEQ) can be completed using the following Microsoft Forms Link:
forms.cloud.microsoft/e/ZbGAni6Lhx ↗
Please copy and paste the above link into your internet search bar to access (as this notice does not recognise embedded links)
Please submit your completed MEQ by no later than 12:00 noon on the 11th September 2026.
Participation in this engagement exercise is not a mandatory requirement for participating in any potential future procurement; however, responses received will assist to inform Swansea Council as to the level of interest from the market and will be used to evidence a decision as to how to undertake a competitive procurement.
This notice is not a call for competition.
Swansea Council reserves the right to withdraw from undertaking a tender process at any point.
- Tender notice publishedearlier today20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Next notice expectedin 17 days6 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Clarification questions byin 19 days9 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period endsin 26 days · period end, not a bid countdown16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 43 days2 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 82 days11 Jan 2027
Notice history
6 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 Aug 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published28 Aug 2026, 13:03 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £700,00020 Oct 2026, 16:43 BSTwas £350,000
- Status changed to active20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BST
- Procurement method changed20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BST
- Deadline published: 16 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT20 Oct 2026, 16:43 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender