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Official procurement procedure

Specialist Science and Contingency Services

Education and training services
Endangered species protection services
Environmental monitoring other than for construction
+17 more
UK
Published value
Not published
Submission deadline Not published
Lots published1
Procurement Executive Summary
AI & Search Synopsis
Generated from official OCDS record
Tenderline Synopsis: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS: "Specialist Science and Contingency Services". Published status: complete. Published value: Value not published. 1 published lot. Submission deadline not published. See the official notice for participation instructions.
Contracting AuthorityDEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSScope & CategoriesNot publishedSubmission Window
complete
No deadline published
Submission GatewayDirect notice routeLegal Basis & RegimeStandard procurementEstimated Value (exc. VAT)Not published
Bidder Intelligence · Authority Profile: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Market Analytics
View Authority Profile →
Derived from OCDS awards & bid statistics
Published history for DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS. These figures describe retained records, not a forecast of bids or a measure of buyer bias.
Average Price Reduction
Not availableInsufficient comparable data
Requires at least 5 comparable procedures
Competition Density
4.1Bids / Report
37.7% of reports have one bid
Supplier ConcentrationNo estimate
Insufficient attributable awardsNo concentration estimate available
Payment Terms
Check noticePublished terms
Payment obligations depend on the applicable regime and contract. Consult the official documents.
Coverage: 71 active published awards; 69 bid reports (which may be per lot). Supplier values exclude multi-supplier awards, frameworks and DPS, and use GBP only. They are published award values, not payments. Price reduction compares single-lot, single-award, single-supplier GBP procedures with explicitly non-framework/non-DPS status; increases remain in the average. Unpublished data stays unknown. Awarded suppliers are winners, not all bidders.
Procedure terms
Contracting AuthorityDEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Procedure methodNot published
Procurement categoryNot published
Statuscomplete
Framework / DPSNot published
CompetitionNot published
Above thresholdNot published
Legal basisNot published
Tender period startsNot published
Clarification deadlineNot published
Electronic submissionNot published
Submission languagesNot published
Published17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
Last source update17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
Recurring procurementNot published
ClassificationEducation and training services, Endangered species protection services, Environmental monitoring other than for construction, Environmental protection, Environmental rehabilitation, Environmental safety services, Food or feed contamination protection services, Genetic resources protection services, Marine conservation strategy planning, Marine research services, Natural resources management or conservation strategy planning services, Natural risks or hazards protection services, Pollution investigation services, Research and development consultancy services, Research and development services and related consultancy services, Research and experimental development services, Research laboratory services, Research services, Survey analysis services, Veterinary services
Delivery area
UK
OCIDocds-h6vhtk-04ede8
What is being bought
This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. Defra would like to notify their intention to directly award a service contract for Specialist Science and Contingency Services having identified no alternative provider, through extensive market engagement, with the capability and capacity to deliver the services.
What changed
From the official release history
  1. Status changed to complete
    17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
  2. Official notice release published
    17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
  3. Buyer information updated
    17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
Lots and requirements (1)
Published by the contracting authority
  • Lot 1 · #1
    Individual lot title not published
    Status not published
    Published valueNot published
    The existing Long Term Service Agreement framework will expire 31 March 2025. Defra sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide critical scientific evidence and contingency services to support its policy making and operational responsibilities including emergency response capabilities in relation to food and the environment. The contract is also used by other government departments, including but not limited to the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office. The supplier has the ability to deliver reliable, high-quality business and scientific services competitively; well-proven transition and transformational capabilities within challenging timeframes; and possesses a vision and commitment to enhance relevant scientific capability<br/>into the future. The seamless continuation of services is essential due to statutory requirements, and Defra therefore must have a supplier that has the required capabilities in place within the timescales outlined.<br/>The contract is awarded for an initial period of five years and has the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).
    Contract periodNot published
    EligibilityNot published
    Options / renewalNot published
Timeline
  1. Procedure published
    17 Mar 2025, 14:20 GMT
  2. Award active
    Not published · Not published
  3. Contract active
    Signed 17 Mar 2025, 00:00 GMT · £345,710,030
Commercial outcome and competition
Awards
Fera Science Ltd
Not published · Not published · active
Contracts
Contract
£345,710,030 · signed 17 Mar 2025, 00:00 GMT · active
Bid statisticsNo aggregate bid statistics published
Buyer and organisations in this procedure

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Contracting authority GB-FTS-139505
View buyer profile

  • DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
    buyer

    Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, UK, SW1P 4DF
    sscs@defra.gov.uk

  • Fera Science Ltd
    supplier

    9413107
    York Bio Tech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, North Yorkshire., York, UK, YO41 1LZ
    tracker@fera.co.uk
    +44 1904462000

  • HIGH COURT ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE
    mediationBody

    London, The Strand, WC2A 2LL

  • Public Procurement Review Body
    reviewBody

    N/A, N/A, N/A
    publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Documents (0)
Official links; attachments are not copied
No data
No linked documents are published
Related procedures (0)
No data
No related procedures published
Planning and rationale
Planning budgetNot published
No-engagement rationaleNot published
Procedure rationaleDefra intends to direct award a contract using the negotiated procedure without prior publication, in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) (competition absent for technical reasons) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. <br/><br/>The current contract will expire on 31 March 2025 and this contract must be made to ensure critical statutory specialist science and contingency services continue to be provided. This contract will be awarded to Fera Science Limited for the provision of specialist science and contingency services. <br/><br/>To inform its decision-making, Defra has undertaken three rounds of market engagement with interested suppliers. Before each round, it has published a prior information notice (PIN), ensuring that all interested suppliers are aware of the re-procurement and have had the opportunity to express interest and provide evidence of their capacity and capabilities to perform all or part of the services. Three elements of the specification were identified:<br/><br/>(a) those aspects where there is no competition, eg, those parts of the specification that relate to the required specialist facilities for this contract; <br/>(b) those parts where there may be genuine competition.<br/>(c) those parts where competitors have expressed an interest in supplying all or part of the requirement, but have not provided sufficient information when requested to establish that they have, or could develop in the time available, the necessary capacity or capability.<br/><br/>In relation to (b) there are some services for Government Departments, FSA, HSE, Welsh Government and DAERA where reasonable alternatives in the market were identified, as such, those services have been disaggregated and those respective Departments will identify a route to market outside of this contract. Some research and development requirements that are not related to (a), will be procured through Defra’s existing RDE Framework or such other route to market. As such these services no longer form part of the specification for this contract. <br/><br/>In relation to (a) and (c), the market engagement has identified that currently there is no candidate who is able to deliver the requirements of the specification and competition is absent for technical reasons.<br/><br/>As such this contract will be awarded by direct award in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii).