AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate awarded University of Bristol a below-threshold framework call-off for research on evidence of equine large strongyles in the UK. The contract was signed on 4 September 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award and contract are recorded for University of Bristol, covering lot 1.
Market significanceThis is a £114,999 net research-services contract addressing an evidence gap in equine parasite occurrence and diagnostic interpretation.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
University of Bristol
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £114,999 net; £137,998.80 gross contract value GBP · Active award and contract
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Award 1 names University of Bristol as its sole supplier. Contract 1 is linked to award 1 and gives value.amount £114,999 and amountGross £137,998.80.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Procurement route
99% confidenceBelow-threshold award under a framework; selective method; marked non-competitive.
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tender.procurementMethodDetails: 'Below threshold - award under framework'; procurementMethod: 'selective'; competitive: false.
Award status
99% confidenceActive award.
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awards[0].status: 'active'.
Contract status
99% confidenceActive contract.
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contracts[0].status: 'active'.
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 4 September 2026.
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contracts[0].dateSigned: '2026-09-04T00:00:00+01:00'.
Contract commencement
99% confidence1 October 2026.
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contracts[0].period.startDate: '2026-10-01T00:00:00+01:00'.
Notice publication
99% confidence7 October 2026.
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Contract details notice published 2026-10-07T15:03:19+01:00.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£114,999
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contracts[0].value.amount: 114999; currency: GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£137,998.80
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contracts[0].value.amountGross: 137998.8; currency: GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceThe stated contract value is linked to the sole recorded award and supplier.
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Contract 1 references awardID 1; award 1 has one supplier, University of Bristol.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence4 September 2026
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contracts[0].dateSigned.
Contract start
99% confidence1 October 2026
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contracts[0].period.startDate.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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contracts[0].period.endDate.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence7 October 2026
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contracts[0].documents[0].datePublished.
Term
98% confidenceApproximately 6 months.
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Calculated from explicit start date of 1 October 2026 and end date of 31 March 2027.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
96% confidencePilot research into the prevalence and evidence of equine large strongyles in the UK.
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Tender title and description refer to 'Evidence of equine large strongyles in the UK' and pilot prevalence.
Research purpose
99% confidenceAddress an evidence gap concerning possible re-emergence of equine large strongyles in the UK equine population and uncertainty in diagnostic interpretation.
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Tender description.
Intended use
99% confidenceSupport assessment of the parasite's significance and its consideration in evidence-based parasite-control guidance, including diagnostic testing.
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Tender description.
Category
99% confidenceResearch and development services and related consultancy services (CPV 73000000).
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Award item additionalClassifications lists CPV 73000000.
Lot structure
98% confidenceOne recorded lot (lot 1); no separate lot title or description is supplied.
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tender.lots contains lot 1; award and contract are linked to it.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Method
99% confidenceSelective.
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tender.procurementMethod: 'selective'.
Award route
99% confidenceBelow-threshold award under a framework.
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tender.procurementMethodDetails.
Competition flag
99% confidenceMarked non-competitive.
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tender.competitive: false.
Framework reference
98% confidenceRelated to framework process OCDS ocds-h6vhtk-04ef64, framework lot a2XTu000000WlWrMAK.
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relatedProcesses entry with relationship 'framework'.
Bidder count and evaluation information
99% confidenceUnknown.
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No bidder count, tender responses, scores or evaluation narrative is supplied.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Status
99% confidenceActive.
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contracts[0].status: 'active'.
Period
99% confidence1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
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contracts[0].period.
Extension or options
99% confidenceUnknown.
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No extension, option or renewal terms are supplied.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold.
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contracts[0].aboveThreshold: false.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Call-off characteristic
99% confidenceThe award appears to be a framework-based, below-threshold direct award rather than an open competition.
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Description says 'VMD Self-Service Direct Award'; procurement method details state below-threshold award under framework; competitive flag is false.
Value interpretation
98% confidenceThe published net and gross values describe the linked contract, not a separately stated award value.
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Award record has no value; contract linked to award 1 provides the values.
Scope specificity
96% confidenceThe notice establishes a research objective but does not provide deliverables, methodology, milestones or data requirements.
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Supplied description contains context and intended purpose only.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Contract date consistency
99% confidenceThe contract was signed before its stated start date and the notice was published after both dates; this sequence is internally consistent.
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Signed 4 September 2026; starts 1 October 2026; notice published 7 October 2026.
Missing tender timetable
99% confidenceTender start date and submission deadline are not supplied.
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Top-level tender_start_at and submission_deadline are null.
Missing award date
99% confidenceNo distinct award decision date is supplied.
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Award record award_date is null.
Incomplete title
99% confidenceThe supplied title is truncated, ending with 'pilot prevalence an'.
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Process and contract title text ends with that fragment.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The opportunity title is truncated in the supplied data.
- No standalone award decision date is provided.
- No tender timetable, bidder count, evaluation results, deliverables, extension terms or renewal terms are provided.
- The award record itself has no value; values are available only in the linked sole-supplier contract.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Veterinary Medicines DirectorateUniversity of Bristolequine large strongylesequine parasite researchresearch and development servicesframework call-offUK public procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the contract?
University of Bristol is the sole supplier named on award 1.
What is the contract value?
The contract value is £114,999 excluding VAT and £137,998.80 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
It runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 and was signed on 4 September 2026.
How was it awarded?
The notice describes a below-threshold award under a framework and marks the procurement as non-competitive.
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.