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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Specialist Science and Contingency Services

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 00:23.

Opportunity overview

The SSCS contracts give government customers access to specialist diagnostic, testing, advice and research services to support compliant statutory obligations relating to biosecurity, agriculture, food standards/ safety and environmental protection relating to plant health and wildlife. The contracts also provide incident and contingency services.

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.

Fera Science Ltd

Matched by exact name
Contract value
£345.7m
Awarded
Not supplied
Contract signed
28 Mar 2025
Award ID
016174-2025-1
Status
active
Identifier
9413107
Location
York, UK, YO41 1LZ, United Kingdom

Classification

  • CPV73000000 — Research and development services and related consultancy services
  • CPV73100000 — Research and experimental development services
  • CPV73110000 — Research services
  • CPV73112000 — Marine research services
  • CPV73200000 — Research and development consultancy services
  • CPV79311300 — Survey analysis services
  • CPV85200000 — Veterinary services
  • CPV90711500 — Environmental monitoring other than for construction
  • CPV90712400 — Natural resources management or conservation strategy planning services
  • CPV90715000 — Pollution investigation services
  • CPV90720000 — Environmental protection
  • CPV90721000 — Environmental safety services
  • CPV90721300 — Food or feed contamination protection services
  • CPV90721400 — Genetic resources protection services
  • CPV90721700 — Endangered species protection services
  • CPV90721800 — Natural risks or hazards protection services
  • CPV90722000 — Environmental rehabilitation

Lots

  • The existing Long Term Service Agreement framework expired on 31 March 2025. Defra sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide continued access to 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 competitively deliver reliable, high quality business and scientific services; well-proven transition and transformation capabilities within challenging timeframes; and possesses a vision and commitment to enhance relevant scientific capability 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 capability in place as of the effective date. The contract is awarded for a period of five years and has the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).Value not stated

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
C24955
Status
complete
Procurement Method
limited
Main Procurement Category
services
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Why this procedure was chosen
Defra has awarded 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 Contract Regulations 2015.<br/>The previous contract expired on 31 March 2025 and the contract must be made to ensure critical statutory specialist science and contingency services continue to be provided. This contract has been awarded to Fera Science Limited for the provision of specialist science and contingency services.<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 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 has been awarded by direct award in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii).

Covered By

GPA

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Classification

Id
73000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Research and development services and related consultancy services

Procedure reasons

Entry 1
Id
D_TECHNICAL
Scheme
TED_PT_AWARD_CONTRACT_WITHOUT_CALL
Description
The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
cancelled
Has Options
No
Description
The existing Long Term Service Agreement framework expired on 31 March 2025. Defra sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide continued access to 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 competitively deliver reliable, high quality business and scientific services; well-proven transition and transformation capabilities within challenging timeframes; and possesses a vision and commitment to enhance relevant scientific capability 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 capability in place as of the effective date. The contract is awarded for a period of five years and has the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).

Award criteria

Criteria

Criterion 1
Name
Quality
Type
quality
Description
45
Criterion 2
Name
Sustainability
Type
quality
Description
10
Criterion 3
Name
Price
Type
cost
Description
45

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery Location

Description
United Kingdom

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UK

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
90721000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Environmental safety services
Entry 2
Id
90720000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Environmental protection
Entry 3
Id
90721400
Scheme
CPV
Description
Genetic resources protection services
Entry 4
Id
90721700
Scheme
CPV
Description
Endangered species protection services
Entry 5
Id
79311300
Scheme
CPV
Description
Survey analysis services
Entry 6
Id
90712400
Scheme
CPV
Description
Natural resources management or conservation strategy planning services
Entry 7
Id
90721300
Scheme
CPV
Description
Food or feed contamination protection services
Entry 8
Id
90721800
Scheme
CPV
Description
Natural risks or hazards protection services
Entry 9
Id
73200000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Research and development consultancy services
Entry 10
Id
90715000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Pollution investigation services
Entry 11
Id
73100000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Research and experimental development services
Entry 12
Id
90711500
Scheme
CPV
Description
Environmental monitoring other than for construction
Entry 13
Id
85200000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Veterinary services
Entry 14
Id
73112000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Marine research services
Entry 15
Id
73110000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Research services
Entry 16
Id
90722000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Environmental rehabilitation

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-139505
Name
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

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
NATIONAL_AGENCY
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
National or federal agency/office
Entry 2
Id
05
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Environmental protection

Identifier

Legal Name
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Contact

Name
Defra group Commercial
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-112092
Name
Fera Science Ltd

Roles

supplier

Address

Region
UK
Locality
York
Postal Code
YO41 1LZ
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
York Bio Tech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, North Yorkshire.

Details

Scale
large

Identifier

Id
9413107
Legal Name
Fera Science Ltd

Contact

Telephone
+44 1904462000
Organisation 3
Id
GB-FTS-69584
Name
Public Procurement Review Body

Roles

reviewBody

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 4
Id
GB-FTS-140855
Name
HIGH COURT ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE

Roles

mediationBody

Address

Locality
The Strand
Postal Code
WC2A 2LL
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
London

Details

Identifier

Legal Name
HIGH COURT ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE

Award information

Award 1
Id
016174-2025-1
Status
active

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-FTS-112092
Name
Fera Science Ltd

Related lots

1

Contracts and changes

Entry 1
Id
016174-2025-1
Status
active
Award ID
016174-2025-1
Date Signed
28 Mar 2025, 00:00

Value

Amount
345,710,030
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-05057a-2025-04-22T11:19:18+01:00compiled ·