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Published 20 Oct 2025, 17:58 BST

Official UK procurement notice

ID 6210936 - DAERA - CAFRE - Farming for Sustainability Scheme Training and Themed Groups Requirements

Official notice

Authority: College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) (Central government)·On behalf of: CPD

2 lotsServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitable
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: Delivery location not published
Published estimate£3,500,000envelope for 2 lots · £4,200,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 20 Nov 2025awarded 12 Dec 2025
Awarded to Countryside Services Limited2 awards
Contract term 3 yrsends 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2031 with extensions · starts 5 Jan 2026

What is being bought2 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

This contract will be broken down into 2 Lots:

  • Lot 1 - Face-to-face training for groups of farmers
  • Lot 2 - Themed peer-to-peer group facilitators Each Lot will be evaluated and awarded independently.

Lot 1- CAFRE require a Supplier to administer, secure access to appropriate venues and deliver training to participants who cannot use e-learning courses without support. The supplier will be required to administer, hire appropriate venues, and deliver training sessions to groups of participating farmers. Each course will have its own specific Learning Outcomes, underpinning knowledge, assessment process (if required) and delivery schedule.

Lot 2 - CAFRE requires a Supplier to administer and deliver specialist technical facilitation and mentoring to Themed Groups. These groups will be delivered alongside Business Sustainability Groups (BSGs) and are a development from the previous Business development Group (BDG) scheme which operated under the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme. BSGs are enterprise specific but with a focus on the sustainability of the entire farm. Themed Groups will provide more focused support and advice relating to specific enterprises and topics. Groups will also have a shorter duration of 18-24 months with an estimated 3-6 meetings per group per year dependent on topic.

This will be a demand-led contract and all values are estimates only.

  • No preliminary market engagement: The PME was published under the previous procurement regulations and therefore a notice was not necessary.

CPV: Education and training services · Specialist training services · Technical training services · Training programme services · Training seminars · Training services

Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure

2 lots · all with a published value (£3,500,000 together)
Lot #1Face-to-face training for groups of farmersAwardedRenewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£500,000

CAFRE require a Supplier to administer, secure access to appropriate venues and deliver training to participants who cannot use e-learning courses without support.

The supplier will be required to administer, hire appropriate venues, and deliver training sessions to groups of participating farmers.

The training courses will be prioritised by DAERA as part of the Sustainable Agriculture Programme or wider policy programme, with CAFRE responsible for overall planning and development of learning materials for each training course. Each course will have its own specific Learning Outcomes, underpinning knowledge, assessment process (if required) and delivery schedule.

Contract period: 5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 4 Jan 2031 with extensionsValue: £500,000 exc. VAT · £600,000 inc. VAT
Eligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.
80000000 Education and training services80500000 Training services80510000 Specialist training services80521000 Training programme services80522000 Training seminars80531200 Technical training services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)1
  • Technical & professional ability

    TA1 - Event Management Experience

Lot #2Themed peer-to-peer group facilitatorsAwardedRenewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£3,000,000

CAFRE requires a Supplier to administer and deliver specialist technical facilitation and mentoring to Themed Groups. These groups will be delivered alongside Business Sustainability Groups (BSGs) and are a development from the previous Business Development Group (BDG) scheme which operated under the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme. BSGs are enterprise specific but with a focus on the sustainability of the entire farm. Themed Groups will provide more focused support and advice relating to specific enterprises and topics. Groups will also have a shorter duration of 18-24 months with an estimated 3-6 meetings per group per year dependent on topic.

Contract period: 5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 4 Jan 2031 with extensionsValue: £3,000,000 exc. VAT · £3,600,000 inc. VAT
Eligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.
80000000 Education and training services80500000 Training services80510000 Specialist training services80521000 Training programme services80522000 Training seminars80531200 Technical training services
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)1
  • Technical & professional ability

    TA1 - Company Experience

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
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
20 Oct 2025, 17:58 BST
Last source update
27 Jan 2026, 10:05 GMT
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 5 Jan 2026
Authority reference
ID 6210936
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-066886
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Education and training servicesSpecialist training servicesTechnical training servicesTraining programme servicesTraining seminarsTraining services
Delivery area
Not published
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d031 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: eTendersNI · Who buys & how to bid on eTendersNI
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free Northern Ireland registration
Submission deadline
20 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
10 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

etendersni.gov.uk/epps ↗

Timeline

20 Oct 2025 → 27 Jan 2026 · 8 dates
  1. Tender notice published362 days ago
    20 Oct 2025, 17:58 BST
  2. Clarification questions by341 days ago
    10 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadline331 days ago
    20 Nov 2025, 14:00 GMT
  4. Assessment summaries sent309 days ago
    12 Dec 2025
  5. Standstill ends297 days ago
    23 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  6. Contract starts285 days ago
    5 Jan 2026
  7. Award decision expected by284 days ago
    5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
  8. Latest notice published263 days ago
    27 Jan 2026, 10:05 GMT

Notice history

5 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Oct 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    20 Oct 2025, 17:58 BST
    UK4
  2. Contract award notice published
    12 Dec 2025, 16:44 GMT
    UK6
  3. Status changed to complete
    12 Dec 2025, 16:44 GMT
  4. Contract signature expected
    29 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
  5. Contract details notice published
    27 Jan 2026, 10:05 GMT
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2
Awarded value £3,500,0002 awards exc. VAT
Bids received 44 from SMEs
Contracts signed 2latest 29 Dec 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Lot 1 · Face-to-face training for groups of farmers1 award
Countryside Services LimitedSMEID 6210936 - DAERA - CAFRE - Farming for Sustainability Scheme: Training and Themed Groups Requirements - Lot 1: Face-to-face training for groups of farmers5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2031Extensions: One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.£500,00012 Dec 2025Awarded
Lot 2 · Themed peer-to-peer group facilitators1 award
Countryside Services LimitedSMEID 6210936 - Farming for Sustainability Scheme: Training and Themed Groups Requirements – Lot 2: Themed peer-to-peer group facilitators5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2031Extensions: One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.£3,000,00012 Dec 2025Awarded

Contracts

  • ID 6210936 - DAERA - CAFRE - Farming for Sustainability Scheme: Training and Themed Groups Requirements - Lot 1: Face-to-face training for groups of farmers · Countryside Services LimitedSME

    Signed
    29 Dec 2025
    Value
    £500,000
    Period
    5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2031 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.

  • ID 6210936 - Farming for Sustainability Scheme: Training and Themed Groups Requirements – Lot 2: Themed peer-to-peer group facilitators · Countryside Services LimitedSME

    Signed
    29 Dec 2025
    Value
    £3,000,000
    Period
    5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2031 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    One optional extension period of 2 years for each Lot. The extension will be utilised at the Buyers discretion.

Bid statistics published by the authority

LotBidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1 · Face-to-face training for groups of farmers2final-stage tenders21—
2 · Themed peer-to-peer group facilitators2final-stage tenders21—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

3 public bodies on the notice

College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central governmentNorthern Irish devolved regulations apply GB-PPON: PYCL-3331-QQMP 45 Tirgracey Road, Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT41 4PSContact email

Other public bodies

  • CPDBeneficiary authority
  • CPD - Supplies and Services DivisionProcess contact pointProcuring entitySummary of their role in this procurement: Construction and Procurement Delivery, Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland.GB-PPON: PVWG-8426-YWXV Belfast, Northern IrelandContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Countryside Services LimitedAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PDLJ-1526-MNDY 97 Moy Road, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, BT71 7DXContact email

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • 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