This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

09 Jul 2026 at 14:08

Award

09 Jul 2026 at 13:52

Summary of the contracting process

The Animal and Plant Health Agency, in collaboration with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has completed the direct award contract titled "Badger Hair Genotyping (APHA)". This procurement falls under the services category within the research laboratory services industry and is located in London, United Kingdom. The procurement process followed a direct award method due to technical reasons specified under the Procurement Act 2023. The contract, awarded to LGC Genomics Limited, commences on 27th July 2026 and will run until 31st March 2028, with a possible extension until 30th September 2028. The award process is currently in the pending stage, with the contract value set at £120,636 net of VAT, and the finalisation of the signature is scheduled by 24th July 2026.

This contract presents significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in DNA analysis and genotyping, particularly those capable of handling low-volume, poor-quality wildlife samples like badger hair. Companies with expertise in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology and experience with Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) identification will find this opportunity especially relevant. LGC Genomics Limited's role as the sole supplier underscores the niche technical expertise required for this contract, indicating that businesses looking to compete in similar tenders should focus on developing niche technical capabilities to meet specific procurement needs in wildlife research and analysis.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Badger Hair Genotyping (APHA)

Notice Description

This Contract is formed of two sampling requirements: Requirement 1: Single Badger Hair DNA extraction for the National Badger Sett Survey (25-28) Requirement 2: DNA extraction from clumps of badger hair. Requirement 1 requires the Supplier to extract DNA from single badger hairs and amplify using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology to identify sufficient material to determine which alleles are present at each pre defined Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP). The output data from this analysis will be used to determine the number of individual badgers. Requirement 2 requires the Supplier to extract DNA from clumps of Badger guard hairs (including roots); while samplers were asked to try to aim for a good number of hairs more than fifteen (number more than 15), this was not always feasible due to the nature of the work, and a minority of samples are of smaller size. The DNA should be processed to identify which specific SNP is present in the individual. The Buyer estimates that due to high rates of within-population homogeneity, and allelic drop out, the panel will need to include approximately five thousand five hundred (5,500) SNPs.

Procurement Information

This Direct Award is proposed under Schedule 5, Paragraph 6(a) and (b) of the Procurement Act 2023, which permits a direct award where: (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods or services required; and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods or services. Absence of Competition for Technical Reasons: The requirement is for the extraction and genotyping of DNA from badger hair samples, including samples comprising a single hair, using a methodology capable of generating reliable and reproducible data suitable for incorporation into APHA's existing population modelling and epidemiological analysis. LGC Genomics is the only UK supplier capable of providing all elements of the requirement, particularly the need to analyse low-volume and poor-quality wildlife samples. The technical characteristics of the requirement, particularly the need to process low-volume badger hair samples and generate compatible SNP genotyping data, mean that competition is absent for genuine technical reasons. No Reasonable Alternative: The Authority has identified a material risk of delays, additional administrative burdens, customs-related issues and potential loss or destruction of samples during transit. Given the specialist nature of the samples and the programme's dependency on a continuous and reliable flow of data, overseas providers do not represent a reasonable alternative.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c7ae
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064803-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services


CPV Codes

73111000 - Research laboratory services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£120,636 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Jul 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
26 Jul 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY
Additional Buyers

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

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

LGC GENOMICS

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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