AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Natural England awarded a below-threshold framework call-off for research on aquatic exposure and effects of veterinary medicines and pesticides to FERA SCIENCE LIMITED. The published contract record states that it was signed on 6 August 2026 and runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award and active contract are recorded for FERA SCIENCE LIMITED under lot 1.
Market significanceThis is a £31,125 net (£37,350 gross) specialist research-services award made through a framework without competition.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
FERA SCIENCE LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots Lot 1 · £31,125 net / £37,350 gross GBP · Active award; active contract
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Verified supplier identity is FERA SCIENCE LIMITED (company number 09413107). Award 1 names Fera Science Ltd as supplier; contract 1, linked to award 1, states £31,125 amount and £37,350 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Published document is described as “Contract details notice on Find a Tender”.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award 1 has status “active”.
Contract status
99% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 has status “active”.
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned 6 August 2026
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Contract 1 states dateSigned: 2026-08-06.
Contract period
99% confidence1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period states startDate 2026-09-01 and endDate 2027-03-31.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value, excluding VAT
99% confidence£31,125
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Contract 1 value.amount is 31125 GBP.
Contract value, including VAT
99% confidence£37,350
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 37350 GBP.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence6 August 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-08-06.
Contract start
99% confidence1 September 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-09-01.
Contract end
99% confidence31 March 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-03-31.
Notice published
99% confidence14 October 2026
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The contract details notice datePublished is 2026-10-14.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceResearch quantifying pesticide and veterinary-medicine active substances and determining chemical-exposure effects on aquatic species representative of British wildlife and/or protected or sensitive species.
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Tender description states this work will quantify pesticides and veterinary medicine actives to determine effects of chemical exposure to aquatic species.
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is “services”.
CPV classification
99% confidence73000000 — Research and development services and related consultancy services
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Award item 1 lists CPV 73000000.
Lot allocation
98% confidenceLot 1
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Award 1 is related to lot 1. No lot title or separate lot description is published.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement route
99% confidenceSelective; below-threshold award under framework
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Tender procurementMethod is “selective” and procurementMethodDetails is “Below threshold - award under framework”.
Competition
99% confidenceNot competitive
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Tender competitive field is false.
Framework reference
98% confidenceocds-h6vhtk-04ef64, related lot a2XTu000000WlS1MAK
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Related process is identified as a framework with this OCID and related lot reference.
Legal basis
99% confidenceProcurement Act 2023 (2023/54)
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Tender legalBasis identifies UKPGA 2023/54.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027
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Published contract period gives these start and end dates.
Value basis
99% confidence£31,125 excluding VAT; £37,350 including VAT
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Contract value provides amount and amountGross in GBP.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract aboveThreshold is false and procurement method details state below-threshold framework award.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Call-off structure
98% confidenceThe award is a direct, non-competitive framework call-off rather than an openly competed tender.
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Description says “Natural England Self-Service Direct Award”; tender is marked competitive false and below-threshold award under framework.
Value allocation
98% confidenceThe full published contract value can be associated with the sole supplier because contract 1 is linked to award 1, which names one supplier.
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Contract 1 links to awardID 1; award 1 lists only Fera Science Ltd.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
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Lot record contains only ID 1 and status complete; no title, description or value is supplied.
Evaluation and bid information
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bidder count, evaluation criteria, scores, pricing breakdown or award rationale is included in the supplied data.
Renewal terms
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No extension, option or renewal terms are provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or standalone value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bidder count, evaluation criteria, scores, award rationale and pricing breakdown.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: extension, option or renewal terms.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Natural EnglandFERA SCIENCE LIMITEDFera Scienceaquatic pesticide researchveterinary medicinesresearch and development servicesframework call-off
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Natural England aquatic chemical exposure research contract?
FERA SCIENCE LIMITED, verified as company number 09413107, is the sole supplier named for award 1.
What is the contract value?
The published contract value is £31,125 excluding VAT and £37,350 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published period is 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027; the record states it was signed on 6 August 2026.
Was the opportunity competitively tendered?
The notice identifies a below-threshold award under a framework and marks the procurement as not 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.