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Published 9 Dec 2025, 13:37 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

UK Plant Breeders Rights, National Listing and Seed Certification: NIAB Concession Contract

Official notice

Authority: ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY (Central government)

ServicesDirect awardAbove thresholdConcessionSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services (77) Delivery: UK
Awarded value£10,700,0002 awards · exc. VAT · operator revenue, not the authority's budget
Awarded 15 Dec 2025no call for competition
Awarded to Niab3 awards
Contract term 1 yr 7 moends 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Jun 2028 with extensions · starts 11 Dec 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This notice is published to describe we have signed the concession contract with the National Institute of Agricultural Botany ("NIAB"). As described in our prior notice, the service contract has already been signed.

Link to the contract details notice for the service contract:

www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016786-2026 ↗

The subject matter of both the service and concession contracts is the delivery of plant breeders rights, national listing & seed certification. The services covered by this concession contract are:

Service A: Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability, (“DUS”) Testing Service

Service D - Seed Certification Services. Note: a proportion of Service D is covered by the service contract.

Service E - Seed Testing Services. Note: a proportion of Service E is covered by the service contract.

Please note: the contract start date was 1st July 2025.

CPV: Agricultural services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 1 yr 7 moSMEVCSE
Contract period: 11 Dec 2025 – 30 Jun 2027 (1 yr 7 mo) · up to 30 Jun 2028 with extensions
Eligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: Extension options published
77100000 Agricultural services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Concession
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
9 Dec 2025, 13:37 GMT
Last source update
29 Jun 2026, 10:00 BST
Authority reference
C32756
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-060605
Latest notice
Contract performance notice (UK9)
Classification (CPV)
Agricultural services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f1c2 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification

No other supplier can deliver the services.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

9 Dec 2025 → 29 Jun 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Planning notice published311 days ago
    9 Dec 2025, 13:37 GMT
  2. Next notice expected309 days ago
    10 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  3. Contract starts309 days ago
    11 Dec 2025
  4. Standstill ends295 days ago
    24 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
  5. Latest notice published109 days ago
    29 Jun 2026, 10:00 BST

Notice history

12 events · 9 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Dec 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    9 Dec 2025, 13:37 GMT
    UK1
  2. Pipeline notice published
    9 Dec 2025, 17:06 GMT
    UK1
  3. Procurement method changed
    9 Dec 2025, 17:06 GMT
  4. Transparency notice published
    15 Dec 2025, 18:14 GMT
    UK5
  5. Status changed to complete
    15 Dec 2025, 18:14 GMT
  6. Contract award notice published
    15 Dec 2025, 18:32 GMT
    UK6
  7. Contract signature expected
    2 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
  8. Contract details notice published
    25 Feb 2026, 11:10 GMT
    UK7
  9. Contract details notice published
    10 Mar 2026, 11:57 GMT
    UK7
  10. Contract details notice published
    8 Apr 2026, 11:01 BST
    UK7
  11. Contract details notice published
    8 Apr 2026, 11:05 BST
    UK7
  12. Contract performance notice published
    29 Jun 2026, 10:00 BST
    UK9
Published amendments (1)

added procedure type to notice

Routine re-releases (9)
  • 2026-03: 1 release · 10 Mar 2026
  • 2026-02: 1 release · 25 Feb 2026
  • 2025-12: 4 releases · 9 Dec 2025, 15 Dec 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 3
Awarded value £10,700,0002 awards exc. VAT
Contracts signed 2latest 3 Mar 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
NiabSMEService Contract2 Jan 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Jun 2028Extensions: 12 month extension options£6,100,00015 Dec 2025Awarded
NiabSME +1 morejoint awardConcession Contract2 Jan 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Jun 2028Extensions: 12 month extension options£4,600,00015 Dec 2025Awarded
NiabSME——Awarded

Contracts

  • PVS - NIAB - Concession Contract · NiabSME

    Signed
    3 Mar 2026
    Value
    £4,627,000
    Period
    1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Jun 2028 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    12 month extension option
    • Change To attach redacted contract
    16 agreed KPIs: KPI-11 · KPI-12 · KPI-08 …
    • KPI-11, Service E – Seed Testing Services: Reports for samples failing to meet the relevant quality standards to be sent to APHA within 5 Working Days of the test result
    • KPI-12, Service E – Seed Testing Services: Audit of LSTSs: At least one audit visit per year and non-compliance reported to APHA within 5 Working Days of visit.
    • KPI-08, Service D – Seed Certification Services: Check inspections not meeting crop category and level entered: (a) 98% to be followed up with applicants within 5 Working Days of date of inspection and within 5 Working Days of receipt by Supplier (APHA inspectors). (b) 100% within 10 Working Days
    • KPI-01, Service A – DUS Testing: Trials sown by agreed date
    • KPI-02, Service A – DUS Testing: Inform APHA within 5 Working Days of any trial’s failure
    • KPI-13, Service F – Technical Support: Replies to requests for advice and information from the Authority to be provided in writing within 5 Working Days following the Authority’s acceptance of the Supplier’s quotation, with a full answer or a proposed solution
    • KPI-15, Service G – Management of IT Systems: Replies to requests for investigation of issues, maintenance, reporting, testing and training from the Authority to be provided in writing within 5 Working Days, with a full answer or a proposed solution
    • KPI-16, Service H – DUS Quality Assurance System: Deliver the annual report to APHA within 20 Working Days of completion of the audit
    • KPI-09, Service D – Seed Certification Services: Exam results to be reported to APHA within 5 Working days of the examination, or 10 Working Days for cereals and pulses
    • KPI-03, Service A: DUS Test Centre meetings must be held, minutes agreed, and DUS summary reports sent to APHA at least 10 Working Days before the relevant NLSC meeting
    • KPI-06, Service C – Independent Review of VCU data: Summary report for each crop to be provided ten (10) Working Days before the relevant NLSC meeting
    • KPI-04, Service B – VCU Testing: Tests sown by agreed date
    • KPI-05, Service B – VCU Testing : Inform APHA within 5 Working Days of any trial’s failure
    • KPI-07, Service D – Seed Certification Services: (a) 98% of Official Inspections reported to applicants within 3 Working Days. (b) 100% within 10 Working Days.
    • KPI-10, Service E – Seed Testing Services: Monitoring of the quality of final generation seed: (a) Samples started within 5 weeks of receipt (b) Samples started within 8 weeks of receipt (c) Samples completedwithin 10 weeks of receipt (d) Check testing of LSTSs: Samples completed within 10 weeks of receipt
    • KPI-14, Service F – Technical Support: International meetings: Provide a report to APHA within 10 Working Days of the end of each meeting

  • UK Plant Breeders Rights, National Listing and Seed Certification: NIAB Service Contract · NiabSME

    Signed
    22 Jan 2026
    Value
    £6,100,000
    Period
    1 Jul 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Jun 2028 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    12 month extension options
    • Change To attached redacted contract
    4 agreed KPIs: KPI-01 · KPI-02 · KPI-03 …
    • KPI-01, Service A – DUS Testing: Trials sown by agreed date
    • KPI-02, Service A – DUS Testing: Inform APHA within 5 Working Days of any trial’s failure
    • KPI-03, Service A: DUS Test Centre meetings must be held, minutes agreed, and DUS summary reports sent to APHA at least 10 Working Days before the relevant NLSC meeting
    • KPI-04, Service B – VCU Testing: Tests sown by agreed date
    • Good - performance is meeting or exceeding the KPI KPI-01  · to 31 May 2026
    • Good - performance is meeting or exceeding the KPI KPI-04  · to 31 May 2026
    • Good - performance is meeting or exceeding the KPI KPI-7 · to 31 May 2026

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PBHC-6261-BLLQ Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, London, SW1P 4DFContact name, email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice
  • NaibAwarded supplierGB-COH: 03395389 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge, East of England, CB3 0LEContact email
  • NiabAwarded supplier Niab, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge, East of England, CB3 0LEContact email

Official documents & specifications (13)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Signed contract contractSigned contractPDFAttached here is a copy of the redacted contract.
  • Signed contract contractSigned contractZIPAttached here is a copy of the redacted contract.

Notices published for this procedure

Show 3 more notices
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender