AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Centre for Process Innovation Limited has concluded and signed a four-year framework for GMP microbiological testing supporting its RNA Centre of Excellence in Darlington. The framework names HONEYMAN GROUP LIMITED and READING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITED as suppliers, with direct award call-offs under a ranked arrangement.
Published outcomeOne active award and one active framework contract cover lot 1. The published contract has a net value of £110,000 and a gross value of £132,000; these are shared framework-level values and are not allocated between the two suppliers.
Market significanceThe requirement supports GMP release testing of buffers, intermediates, drug substance and drug product for early-phase clinical-trial manufacturing, including bioburden and endotoxin testing.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
2 supplier records analysed
HONEYMAN GROUP LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · Not individually published; included in shared framework value GBP · Verified supplier named on active award
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Award 1 names Honeyman Group Limited; supplier verification matches Companies House number 03308581 to HONEYMAN GROUP LIMITED.
READING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · Not individually published; included in shared framework value GBP · Verified supplier named on active award
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Award 1 names Reading Scientific Services Ltd; supplier verification matches Companies House number 00741326 to READING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITED.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Tender notice published
99% confidence5 August 2026
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Release history records tender notice 073948-2026 dated 2026-08-05.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Contract document 097836-2026 is a Find a Tender contract details notice published 2026-10-16.
Contract signed
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Contract 1 explicitly records dateSigned as 2026-10-16.
Contract start
99% confidence19 October 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-10-19.
Contract end
99% confidence11 October 2030
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Contract 1 period endDate is 2030-10-11.
Published status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 and contract 1 are both recorded with status active.
VALUES
Published values explained
Published contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£110,000
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Contract 1 value.amount is 110000 GBP.
Published contract value including VAT
99% confidence£132,000
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 132000 GBP.
Value allocation
99% confidenceShared framework-level value; no allocation to either supplier or lot is published
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The contract contains one overall value and award 1 has two suppliers, with no supplier-level or lot-level values.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender publication
99% confidence5 August 2026
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Release history.
Submission deadline
99% confidence21 August 2026, 23:59:59 BST
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Process submission_deadline is 2026-08-21T23:59:59+01:00.
Contract signed
99% confidence16 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned.
Framework period
99% confidence19 October 2026 to 11 October 2030
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Contract 1 period.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceGMP microbiological testing services for release analysis
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Tender description states that microbiological testing is required for release analysis of buffers, intermediates, drug substance and drug product.
Examples of testing
98% confidenceBioburden and endotoxin testing, among other microbiological testing
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Tender description explicitly includes Bioburden and Endotoxin.
Primary operating site
99% confidenceCPI RNA Centre of Excellence, 3 John Williams Boulevard South, Darlington, DL1 1GL
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Tender description identifies this as the primary site.
Potential wider use
98% confidenceMay be used across other CPI sites where requirements are within scope
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Tender description states the tender may be used across other CPI sites.
Lot
99% confidenceLot 1; no published lot title or separate description
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Tender and award records identify lot 1 only.
Service classifications
99% confidenceTechnical testing services; technical inspection and testing services; technical testing, analysis and consultancy services
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Award item classifications list CPV 71632000, 71630000 and 71600000.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceBelow-threshold open competition
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Tender procurementMethod is open and procurementMethodDetails is 'Below threshold - open competition'.
Framework structure
99% confidenceClosed framework, ranked, minimum one and maximum two suppliers
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Tender frameworkAgreement specifies type closed and description 'Ranked, Minimum of 1, Maximum of 2 suppliers'.
Call-off method
99% confidenceDirect award without reopening competition
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Tender frameworkAgreement method is withoutReopeningCompetition and description states 'Call off method is direct award'.
Awarded supplier count
99% confidenceTwo suppliers named
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Award 1 lists two suppliers.
Bid count and evaluation results
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract type
99% confidenceFramework agreement
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Tender techniques state hasFrameworkAgreement true.
Contract duration
99% confidenceApproximately four years (19 October 2026 to 11 October 2030)
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Published contract period dates.
Quality requirements
98% confidenceSupplier approvals and a Quality Technical Agreement are required
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Tender description states these requirements for products used in early-phase clinical trials.
Expected certification
97% confidenceVendor expected to hold an MHRA-issued GMP certificate
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Tender description says it is expected that the vendor holds a GMP certificate issued by the MHRA.
Extensions or renewal options
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Supplier access route
99% confidenceDirect-award call-offs can be made under the ranked framework without reopening competition
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Published framework method and description.
Commercial value interpretation
99% confidenceThe £110,000 net value is a framework-level published value and should not be treated as revenue committed to either named supplier
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One contract value is published for a two-supplier award, without allocation.
Demand context
98% confidenceThe framework addresses GMP release-testing needs associated with clinical-trial manufacturing inputs and products
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Tender description covers release analysis of buffers, intermediates, DS and DP for early-phase clinical trials.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and contract evidence
99% confidenceA contract details notice records an active contract, explicit signature date and explicit contract period
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Contract 1 status, dateSigned and period fields.
Shared value
99% confidencePublished value is not apportioned between the two suppliers or to individual lot activity
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One contract value is reported for award 1, which lists two suppliers; no allocation is published.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or individual value
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Lot record contains no title, description or value.
Competition detail
99% confidenceInformation on bids, scoring, ranking positions and reasons for award is not supplied in the published notice
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No such fields are present in supplied evidence.
Supplier identity
99% confidenceBoth suppliers are verified by supplied Companies House number matching; source trading-style names differ only in capitalisation or abbreviation from verified legal names
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Supplier verification records company-number matches and nameMismatch false for both suppliers.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The published £110,000 net and £132,000 gross values are shared framework-level figures; no amount is allocated to HONEYMAN GROUP LIMITED, READING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITED, or individual call-offs.
- Lot 1 has no published title, separate scope description or value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid count, evaluation scores, ranking positions, award rationale, pricing breakdown, call-off commitments, and supplier-specific volumes.
- No extension or renewal option is published; the renewal observation is based solely on the stated contract end date.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
CPI microbiological testing frameworkHONEYMAN GROUP LIMITEDREADING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITEDGMP release testingRNA Centre of ExcellenceDarlington procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won CPI's microbiological testing framework?
The active award names HONEYMAN GROUP LIMITED and READING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES LIMITED for lot 1.
What is the value of the framework?
The published contract value is £110,000 excluding VAT and £132,000 including VAT. It is a shared framework-level value, not an allocation to either supplier.
When does the CPI framework run?
The published contract period runs from 19 October 2026 to 11 October 2030, and the contract records a signature date of 16 October 2026.
How are call-offs made?
The framework is described as ranked and uses direct award call-offs without reopening competition.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.