Notice Information
Notice Title
Specialist Science and Contingency Services - Food Contingency Laboratory
Notice Description
This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. FSA would like to notify the intention to directly award a service contract for Food Contingency Laboratory Services as part of the Specialist Science and Contingency Services Agreement tendered by Defra. We have identified no alternative provider following extensive market engagement who have the capability and capacity to deliver the service.
Lot Information
Lot 1
The existing Long Term Service Agreement under which these services are provided will expire on 31 March 2025. Defra as the commercial lead, sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide critical scientific evidence and contingency services to support its policy making and operational responsibilities including emergency response capabilities in relation to the food and the environment. The overarching contract is also used by other Government Departments, including Food Standards Agency. This contract specifically covers FSA and Defra's food contingency requirements. The supplier has the ability to deliver reliable, high quality scientific services competitively; well-proven transition and transformational 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 to maintain the governments food incident response capability. The contract is awarded for an initial five years and has an option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).
Procurement Information
Detra intends to direct award 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 Contracts Regulations 2015. The current contract will expire on 31 March 2025 and this contract must be made to ensure critical statutory specialist science and contingency services continue to be provided. This contract will be awarded to Fera Science Limited for the provision of specialist science and contingency services. To inform its decision-making, Detra 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: (a) those aspects where there is no competition, eg, those parts of the specification that relate to the required specialist facilities for this contract; {b) those parts where there may be genuine competition. (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. In relation to {b) there are some services for Government Departments, FSA, HSE, Welsh Government 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 Detra's existing RDE Framework or such other route to market. As such these services no longer form part of the specification for this contract. 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. As such this contract will be awarded by direct award in accordance with Regulation 32(2){b)(ii).
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-04ee8b
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009941-2025
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Limited
- Procurement Method Details
- Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
-
- CPV Codes
73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
73111000 - Research laboratory services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- Not specified
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- £3,589,260 £1M-£10M
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 18 Mar 202511 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 17 Mar 202511 months ago
- Contract Period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Not Specified
- Awards Status
- Active
- Contracts Status
- Active
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY
- Contact Name
- Mark Croft
- Contact Email
- fsa.commercial@food.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- +44 1904232228-22228
Buyer Location
- Locality
- LONDON
- Postcode
- SW1H 9EX
- 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
Further Information
Notice URLs
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.
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