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Courier Services for Hampshire Scientific Services

Hampshire County Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

24 Aug 2026 at 15:39

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

02 Jul 2026 at 10:53

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Hampshire County Council is procuring courier services for Hampshire Scientific Services, which supports public authorities with scientific and analytical work. The requirement is for secure, direct transport of time-critical food and feed enforcement samples from the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich to designated laboratories in Kent and Hampshire. The service must protect sample integrity, maintain a secure and auditable chain of custody, and support statutory enforcement testing, including cases requiring collection, delivery and laboratory analysis within 24 hours. Collections are mainly from Felixstowe, with less frequent collections from Harwich and Ipswich. This is a specialist same-day courier service (CPV 64120000), involving electronic proof of delivery, clear communications and responsive operational support.

The procurement has reached tender: Hampshire County Council has invited offers through an open procedure. It is a single lot and is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The tender submission deadline was 25 September 2026 at 14:00:59, and enquiries were due by 14 September 2026 at 17:00:59. The contract is scheduled to run from 7 December 2026 to 6 July 2028, with an option to shorten the initial term by one week and two further 12-month extensions, subject to the stated arrangements. The estimated value is £628,000 excluding VAT (£753,600 including VAT). Evaluation is 70% quality and 30% price, covering delivery model, capacity, responsiveness, resilience, chain of custody, records, contract management and improvement.

This opportunity suits courier and specialist logistics providers able to deliver reliably to tight, time-critical schedules across ports and laboratories in East Anglia, Kent and Hampshire. Suppliers need scalable weekday capacity, with occasional Saturday collections and deliveries, and the flexibility to handle cancellations, additional collection points and changing instructions. Strong procedures for secure, direct transport, sample handling, traceability and chain-of-custody records are central to the requirement, alongside electronic proof of delivery and proactive communication. Bidders must meet the Council’s data protection and Information Commissioner’s Office registration requirements, hold or obtain the required public and employer’s liability insurance, and demonstrate effective health and safety arrangements. At least one relevant contract must evidence technical and professional ability.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Courier Services for Hampshire Scientific Services

Notice Description

Hampshire County Council (the Authority) is tendering a contract for courier services to support Hampshire Scientific Services ("HSS"). HSS provides scientific advisory and analytical services to UK public authorities and is accredited to high quality standards required by Government. Under the Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) arrangements, HSS coordinates the transport of time-critical food and feed enforcement samples from East Suffolk ports to designated laboratories in Kent and Hampshire. These samples are collected for enforcement testing and are highly time-critical, with some requiring collection, delivery, and analysis within a strict 24 hour window. Maintaining chain of custody, sample integrity, and timely delivery is critical to statutory enforcement work. The purpose of this procurement is to appoint a suitably capable same-day courier to deliver a robust, reliable and responsive service. The supplier will be required to provide secure, direct transport that preserves chain of custody and sample integrity, avoiding hub consolidation or processes that add delay or risk, and to provide scalable capacity to meet weekday demand with occasional weekend requirements. The contract will be for an initial period of 19 months, with the option to extend for up to 2 additional 12-month periods. The Authority reserves the option to reduce the 19 month term by 7 days (1 week), so that the initial term would end on 29th June 2028. Any additional periods would then also reflect that amended date. This is to ensure this contract is co-terminus with the Authority's underlying contracts with the ports set out in the Specification.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There are 2 contract extensions, detailed below: Extension 1 Maximum duration: 1 year and 0 month Value ex VAT: PS 157,000 Extension 2 Maximum duration: 1 year and 0 month Value ex VAT: PS 157,000

Planning Information

The current intention is to publish the tender for these services in August 2026. The future tender will be published on the Authority's e-tendering portal In-Tend: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/hampshire/. If your organisation is not registered on the Hampshire In-Tend portal, please go to the website stated above and click on the 'Register' tab - registration is free. This notice is provided for information only to inform the market of this opportunity. A summary of requirements has been provided below. No response is required at this stage, and this notice does not constitute a call for competition. SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS HSS holds a contract with Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) to test imported food prior to its release for sale. The aim is to establish a robust, reliable, and responsive daily collection service for the transportation of food and feed samples from the Ports to designated laboratories located in Kent and Hampshire. Collections are required most weekdays from the port of Felixstowe, with less frequent collections from the ports of Harwich and Ipswich. These samples are collected for enforcement testing purposes and are highly time-sensitive, with some requiring collection, delivery, and laboratory analysis within a strict 24-hour window. Maintaining chain of custody and sample integrity is critical. To maintain this integrity and traceability, the courier service must provide timely, secure, and direct transportation from collection to delivery. The use of overnight transport hubs or any process that introduces delays, additional handling or increases the risk of sample damage or loss is not acceptable. The Supplier will be expected to provide electronic proof of delivery for all consignments, and maintain a secure and auditable chain of custody. Clear communication and operational arrangements will be required to manage changes, late instructions, and escalation routes for service issues, to minimise disruption. We are therefore looking for a courier partner who can demonstrate: • Robustness, reliability and efficiency in in delivering time-critical services. • Flexibility to respond to changing requirements including occasional cancellations and additional collection points. • Clear and proactive communication, ensuring seamless coordination and rapid issue resolution. • Robust handling procedures that protect sample integrity and maintain a secure, fully traceable chain of custody at all times. Typical collection times from Felixstowe are: • 12:00 for same day delivery (by 14:30) to Kent ME19 4YT (Monday to Saturday) • 15:30-17:30 for next day delivery (by 10:30) to Hampshire PO5 4LL (Monday., Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) Saturday collections and deliveries may also be needed. Sunday and Bank Holiday collections will not be required. Volumes vary but currently average approximately 6 consignments per day to Kent and 4 to Hampshire.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c216
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080477-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64120000 - Courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£628,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£628,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
24 Aug 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
25 Sep 20265 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
17 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
7 Dec 2026 - 6 Jul 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Hampshire County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WINCHESTER
Postcode
SO23 8UJ
Postcode Area
Southampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ36 Central Hampshire
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC, TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight, TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Winchester
Electoral Ward
St Michael
Westminster Constituency
Winchester

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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