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Defra Group General Courier Service

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

30 Sep 2026 at 14:04

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

29 Sep 2026 at 13:33

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) bought a general courier service for its group of UK public bodies. The service covers domestic and international deliveries, with collections from offices, depots, operational sites and staff members’ homes. It supports Core Defra, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Rural Payments Agency, the Marine Management Organisation, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Forestry Commission and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Occasional specialist courier services may also be needed. The work is courier and parcel delivery services across the United Kingdom, serving multiple departments and operational sites rather than a single location.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to CitySprint (UK) Limited. Defra used a competitive call-off under a framework, with a selective procedure, and awarded one lot. The award was made on 28 September 2026. The contract was signed on 30 September 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, with options to extend by two years and then a further year, up to 30 September 2030. The contract value is £1.7 million excluding VAT and £2.04 million including VAT. The published evaluation criteria and eligibility requirements are not described in the procurement data.

For courier operators, this award shows Defra’s demand for a service able to handle domestic and international consignments across a dispersed group of public bodies, including collections from remote staff addresses and operational sites. Credible competitors need the capacity and coverage to provide both same-day and overnight services, alongside occasional specialist deliveries. Performance expectations include prompt booking confirmation and query handling, reliable collection and delivery times, rapid escalation and resolution of complaints, and accurate monthly management information, reports and invoices. CitySprint’s contract includes monthly monitoring against service targets, including 98% performance for customer service, collection and delivery times, complaint management and invoicing, and 99% for reporting. Suppliers able to demonstrate dependable service at multi-department UK scale, with disciplined account management and reporting, are best placed to compete when this requirement next returns to market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Defra Group General Courier Service

Notice Description

The Defra Group requires a reliable and flexible courier service to support operations across the UK. The service will cover multiple agencies, including Core Defra, Environment Agency (EA), Natural England (NE), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Forestry Commission (FC) and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew). Requirements span domestic and international deliveries, with collections from offices, depots, operational sites, and residential addresses for staff working remotely. Occasional specialist services may also be required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077c77
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092385-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Award under framework
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64100000 - Post and courier services

64120000 - Courier services

64121000 - Multi-modal courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,700,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£1,700,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
28 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & 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
Postcode Area
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

CitySprint (UK) Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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