Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 19 Mar 2025, 15:20 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

LIFE R4ever Kent Project (LIFE20 NAT/UK/001001013) - eDNA monitoring for freshwater invertebrate species

Official notice

Authority: NATURAL ENGLAND (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

ServicesBelow threshold - open competitionBelow thresholdReserved: K02000001
Published estimate£45,833≈ £46k / year · £55,000 inc. VAT41.2% below published estimate
Submissions closed 2 Apr 2025awarded 9 Apr 2025
Awarded to Surescreen Scientifics Limited
Contract term 1 yrends 31 Mar 2026 · up to 30 Sept 2026 with extensions · starts 14 Apr 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

he LIFE R4ever Kent project (2021 -2026) aims restore and revitalise the River Kent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in South Cumbria and its wider catchment, so it is more resilient to environmental pressures. This unique river, located on the fringes of the English Lake District is home to internationally important populations of bullhead, white-clawed crayfish, freshwater pearl mussel and water crowfoot (Ranunculus) habitat. A key deliverable of the project is to trial new monitoring techniques by implementing the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling for testing for the presence of Freshwater Pearl Mussels, White-clawed Crayfish along with invasive Signal Crayfish and associated disease Crayfish Plague.

There are three parts to this contract:

  • The provision of eDNA water sampling equipment/kits and protocols
  • DNA extraction, analysis of samples taken and reporting the result
  • Sequencing of qPCR products

Natural England will be responsible for the collection of water samples from sites across the River Kent Catchment.

CPV: Environmental indicators analysis other than for construction

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 1 yrPublished value£45,833
Contract period: 14 Apr 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 (1 yr) · up to 30 Sept 2026 with extensionsValue: £45,833 exc. VAT · £55,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: North West
Extensions: 6 months as per standard contract

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

Lot awarding rule: Full details outlined in the RFQ.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Below threshold - open competition
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Below threshold
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
19 Mar 2025, 15:20 GMT
Last source update
22 May 2025, 16:18 BST
Authority reference
eDNALRKeK
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-010198
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Environmental indicators analysis other than for construction
Delivery area
North West (UKD)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04ef2f Find a Tender
Contract terms
Reserved participation area
K02000001

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
2 Apr 2025, 16:00 BST
Clarification deadline
26 Mar 2025, 16:00 GMT
Electronic submission
Not allowed
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

To apply for this opportunity you must submit your quotation meeting the requirements detailed in the Request for Quotation (RFQ) attached.

Your response must be sent to [email protected] by 16:00 on 02/04/25.

If you have any clarification questions linked to this opportunity or the procurement process please submit these via email to [email protected] by 16:00 on 26/03/25. Please note that, unless commercially sensitive, both the question and the response will be circulated to all tenderers.

Timeline

19 Mar 2025 → 22 May 2025 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published
    19 Mar 2025, 15:20 GMT
  2. Clarification questions by
    26 Mar 2025, 16:00 GMT
  3. Submission deadline
    2 Apr 2025, 16:00 BST
  4. Contract starts
    14 Apr 2025, 00:00 BST
  5. Latest notice published
    22 May 2025, 16:18 BST

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 Mar 2025
  1. Tender notice published
    19 Mar 2025, 15:20 GMT
    UK4
  2. Contract details notice published
    22 May 2025, 16:18 BST
    UK7
  3. Status changed to complete
    22 May 2025, 16:18 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £26,9421 contract exc. VAT
Contracts signed 1latest 9 Apr 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Surescreen Scientifics LimitedSME£26,942 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • LIFE R4ever Kent Project (LIFE20 NAT/UK/001001013) - eDNA monitoring for freshwater invertebrate species · Surescreen Scientifics LimitedSME

    Signed
    9 Apr 2025
    Value
    £26,942
    Period
    14 Apr 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 · up to 31 Aug 2026 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    6 months as per standard contract

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Natural England

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PJDG-6588-XDMM Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, London, SW1P 4DFContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender