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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Provision of Support to an APHA Tier 2 National Exercise (ASPEN)

ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 29 Sept 2026, 22:12.

Opportunity overview

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is seeking to engage a supplier to support the production and delivery of a Tier 2 National Exercise and supporting agencies. Tier 2 National Exercises are a) led by a Lead Government Department with involvement from key stakeholders (including other departments), b) may take the form of Tabletop or Live Exercises or elements of both and c) include likely participation of COBR (Civil Contingencies Committee).<br/><br/>The primary purpose of the Tier 2 National Exercise will be to test the Government’s Contingency Plans and established policy, for the control of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Its aim is not to provoke new policy developments but rather to explore current policy and the arrangements for its implementation. It will also test APHA’s operational response arrangements and expose communications, resilience and capability to<br/>scrutiny.<br/><br/>The supplier will have experience of managing and delivering exercises of a similar scale. They will be expected to create and deliver an Exercise Package capable of testing the preparedness and effectiveness of Defra framework response plans, Contingency Plans for Governmental administrations and APHA Operational response plans.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

RAB Consultants Ltd.

Matched by exact name
Contract value
£155.6k
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
19 May 2025
Award ID
023454-2025-1
Status
active
Identifier
5799647
Location
Lichfield, UK, WS13 7AA, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV98110000 — Services furnished by business, professional and specialist organisations

Lots

  • APHA has a critical role in the control and eradication of endemic and exotic notifiable and reportable diseases including responding to Outbreaks of notifiable avian disease, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) or swine fever.<br/><br/>APHA in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Welsh Government (WG), Scottish Government (SG) & Northern Ireland (NI) and their operational partners are to work in partnership to plan, prepare and deliver a Tier 2 National Exercise. The exercise will be a medium to large scale FMD Outbreak originating in<br/>the border regions of England and Wales spreading to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.<br/><br/>The primary purpose of the National Exercise is to test Defra’s, WG’s, SG’s and NI governments current contingency plans and established policy, for the control of an outbreak of FMD. Its aim is not to provoke new policy developments but rather to explore current policy and the arrangements for its implementation. It will also test the APHA’s operational response arrangements and expose communications, resilience and capability to<br/>scrutiny.<br/><br/>A phased approach is required and summarised below. This is to ensure a level of professionalism and quality of delivery that APHA resource could not produce. It is necessary that the Contractor has experience of managing and delivering exercises of similar scale.<br/><br/>Phase 1 – Project Initiation & Contract Mobilisation<br/>Phase 2 – Project Design & Exercise Planning<br/>Phase 3 – Exercise Development & Pre-briefing<br/>Phase 4 – Project and Exercise Delivery<br/>Phase 5 – Project Debriefing<br/>Phase 6 – Project Reporting & Closure£222k

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
C28984
Status
complete
Has Recurrence
No
Procurement Method
open
Main Procurement Category
services
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure

Covered By

GPA

Bid Opening

Date
21 Feb 2025, 17:00

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Expected award period

Starts
21 Feb 2025, 17:00

Tender Period

Ends
25 Mar 2025, 17:00

Classification

Id
98110000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Services furnished by business, professional and specialist organisations

Submission terms

Languages

en

Bid Validity Period

Duration In Days
120

Submission Method

written

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
cancelled
Has Options
Yes
Has Renewal
Yes
Description
APHA has a critical role in the control and eradication of endemic and exotic notifiable and reportable diseases including responding to Outbreaks of notifiable avian disease, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) or swine fever.<br/><br/>APHA in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Welsh Government (WG), Scottish Government (SG) & Northern Ireland (NI) and their operational partners are to work in partnership to plan, prepare and deliver a Tier 2 National Exercise. The exercise will be a medium to large scale FMD Outbreak originating in<br/>the border regions of England and Wales spreading to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.<br/><br/>The primary purpose of the National Exercise is to test Defra’s, WG’s, SG’s and NI governments current contingency plans and established policy, for the control of an outbreak of FMD. Its aim is not to provoke new policy developments but rather to explore current policy and the arrangements for its implementation. It will also test the APHA’s operational response arrangements and expose communications, resilience and capability to<br/>scrutiny.<br/><br/>A phased approach is required and summarised below. This is to ensure a level of professionalism and quality of delivery that APHA resource could not produce. It is necessary that the Contractor has experience of managing and delivering exercises of similar scale.<br/><br/>Phase 1 – Project Initiation & Contract Mobilisation<br/>Phase 2 – Project Design & Exercise Planning<br/>Phase 3 – Exercise Development & Pre-briefing<br/>Phase 4 – Project and Exercise Delivery<br/>Phase 5 – Project Debriefing<br/>Phase 6 – Project Reporting & Closure

Value

Amount
222,000
Currency
GBP

Options

Description
The Authority may extend the Contract for a period of up to 6 months’ by <br/>giving not less than 1 months’ notice in writing to the Supplier prior to the <br/>Expiry Date. The terms and conditions of the Contract shall apply throughout <br/>any such extended period

Renewal

Description
May be extended by a further six (6) months

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Technical Envelope (Including Sustainability & Social Value)
Type
quality
Description
50%
Criterion 2
Name
Commercial Envelope
Type
cost
Description
50%

Contract period

Ends
11 May 2026, 23:59
Starts
12 May 2025, 00:00

Submission terms

Variant Policy
notAllowed

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK
Entry 2
Region
UK
Entry 3
Region
UK
Entry 4
Region
UK

Published documents

Entry 1
Id
economic1
Document Type
economicSelectionCriteria
Entry 2
Id
technical1
Document Type
technicalSelectionCriteria

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-118855
Name
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

Roles

buyer
centralPurchasingBody

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P 4DF
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
MINISTRY
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
Entry 2
Id
05
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Environmental protection

Identifier

Legal Name
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

Contact

Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-69584
Name
Public Procurement Review Body

Roles

reviewBody
mediationBody

Address

Locality
N/A
Postal Code
N/A
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
N/A

Details

Identifier

Legal Name
Public Procurement Review Body

Contact

Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-142900
Name
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY

Roles

buyer
reviewBody

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P 4DF
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
MINISTRY
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
Entry 2
Id
05
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Environmental protection

Identifier

Legal Name
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY

Contact

Telephone
+44 3459335577
Organisation 4
Id
GB-FTS-148795
Name
RAB Consultants Ltd.

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UK
Locality
Lichfield
Postal Code
WS13 7AA
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Cathedral House, Second Floor, Beacon Street

Details

Scale
sme

Identifier

Id
5799647
Legal Name
RAB Consultants Ltd.

Contact

Telephone
+44 7753730886

Award information

Award 1
Id
023454-2025-1
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-148795
Name
RAB Consultants Ltd.

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
023454-2025-1
Status
active
Award ID
023454-2025-1
Date Signed
20 May 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
155,600
Currency
GBP

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UK · SW1P 4DF · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UK

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-04e60d-2025-05-20T16:36:49+01:00compiled ·