Award

Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

12 Jun 2025 at 12:40

Award

20 Jan 2025 at 16:38

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process for the Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot was conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aimed at initiating a three-year project centred on badger vaccination and research across three pilot areas in Cornwall. The project falls under the services procurement category, specifically focusing on veterinary services. Using a selective procurement method via a competitive procedure with negotiation, the award process was completed successfully. Key dates involved in the contracting process include the award on 10th June 2025 and the previous contract indicated in January 2025, highlighting a strategic start in March 2025. With the project emphasising quality as the sole award criterion, Defra aims to shift from badger culling to vaccination as a core TB control strategy in badgers. The activities are to be carried out at designated sites within mid-Cornwall.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities primarily for organisations involved in environmental protection and veterinary services. The NFU, already awarded the contract, is a large-scale business, well-suited to providing such complex services due to their vast experience with badger control operations. Businesses with expertise in similar areas such as veterinary services, research and development, and those capable of training and deploying technical resources could find further opportunities in subcontracting roles. The project demands competencies in sett surveying, trapping, vaccination, blood sampling, and data analysis—all sectors where specialised firms can thrive by leveraging these services. Therefore, companies possessing technical skills in wildlife management and scientific research, especially those already networking in the Cornwall region, could benefit significantly from engaging with or supporting the NFU in this pilot initiative.

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Notice Title

Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot

Notice Description

Defra requires a three-year project for badger vaccination and research activities in three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Defra requires a three-year contract for badger vaccination and research activities in three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall.

There will be three (3) different approaches to badger vaccination delivery carried out under this Pilot: Annual, Bi-annual and Reactive, with TB blood tests carried out on a proportion of the badgers.

This unique pilot aims to provide scientific evidence in support of the Government manifesto pledge to stop badger culling and move to badger vaccination as the main form of TB control in badgers.

Procurement Information

This unique pilot aims to provide scientific evidence in support of the Government manifesto pledge to stop badger culling and move to badger vaccination as the main form of TB control in badgers.<br/><br/>This project focuses solely on three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall. Defra recognise that the National Farmers Union (NFU), alongside their main subcontractor Zoological Society London (ZSL), are uniquely placed in Cornwall to deliver this project, starting in March 2025. <br/><br/>The NFU is the recognised industry body that has delivered licensed badger control operations since its inception in 2013. For many years in Cornwall, the NFU has worked closely with landowners, farmers and industry, organising badger culls alongside small badger vaccination projects. They have developed extensive networks and groups, including those developed specifically to oversee these types of operations. For reasons of privacy, security and sensitivity, information on their networks is not publicly available or collectively accessible by any other third party or organisation.<br/><br/>ZSL has undertaken badger vaccination research and delivery projects in Cornwall since 2012. They are able to provide technical expertise in trapping and vaccinating badgers, and also the procedures required for the research aspects of this project. This includes highly specialized processes such as anesthetising and blood sampling badgers in the field under Home Office licence. In addition, they are APHA accredited badger vaccination trainers and will train a field force of local industry contractors to vaccinate badgers.<br/><br/>Based on the information detailed above, the conclusion is that the NFU is the only contractor able to provide these services to Defra.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031917-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive procedure with negotiation
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

85200000 - Veterinary services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£1,370,231 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jun 202510 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Jan 20251 years ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Additional Buyers

DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NFU

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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