---
title: "RDE 318 - Follow on study to Dual Purpose Cows - GHG Mitigation Rationale"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-cfa04846-397a-43b6-a960-4733f4866556"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-cfa04846-397a-43b6-a960-4733f4866556"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cfa04846-397a-43b6-a960-4733f4866556.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-cfa04846-397a-43b6-a960-4733f4866556.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFRA"
published: "2023-11-28"
---

# RDE 318 - Follow on study to Dual Purpose Cows - GHG Mitigation Rationale

Buyer: DEFRA  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-cfa04846-397a-43b6-a960-4733f4866556

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## Summary

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has awarded a tender titled "RDE 318 - Follow on study to Dual Purpose Cows - GHG Mitigation Rationale" for research and development consultancy services to Harper Adams University. The procurement method used was selective, specifically a call-off from a framework agreement. The contract period is set to begin on 11th December 2023 and end on 5th February 2024, with the tender period closing on 20th November 2023.

This tender presents a unique opportunity for businesses involved in research and development consultancy services, particularly those with expertise in agricultural sustainability and greenhouse gas mitigation. Companies with a focus on improving livestock sustainability, such as alternative breeding practices for dual-purpose cattle, would be well-suited to compete for this contract. The location of the procurement includes various regions, such as the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and European territories, offering a broad scope for interested businesses to participate in this innovative project.

## Notice

At present we source about 50% of our Beef from dairy beef cross animals, and 50% from specialist suckler beef breeds. Precise statistics are not available, but information can be inferred from the Cattle Tracing System data. The Emissions Intensity of suckler beef is on average 70% higher than that of beef from the dairy herd due to longer maturation times and lower energy diets. Suckler Beef also requires around 2 to 6 times the land to produce than dairy beef, depending on the intensity of the finishing system. Efforts to increase the proportion of beef supplied from the dairy sector could therefore provide significant GHG reductions and alleviate land constraints for habitat creation, or greenhouse gas removal technologies such as afforestation. Two scenarios present themselves: 1. Replacing specialist dairy breeds such as Holstein with a dual-purpose breed like Norwegian Red that produce less milk and more beef. Although emissions from milk production would go up slightly, this would be more than offset by the reduced overheads of maintaining two herds 2. Improving the quality of dairy/beef cross animals through improved beef sire quality could improve beef yields e.g., switching from Angus/Hereford to Charolais, or potentially double muscled varieties such as Belgian Blue. This project was awarded by Defra.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c65d671d-ad8b-417b-9ae6-03f84db97c16 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 28 Nov 2023 |
| Submission deadline | 20 Nov 2023 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 22 Nov 2023 |
| Contract period | 11 Dec 2023 - 5 Feb 2024 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £10,128 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFRA |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3JR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

## Release History

- 28 Nov 2023 at 15:32 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c65d671d-ad8b-417b-9ae6-03f84db97c16

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c65d671d-ad8b-417b-9ae6-03f84db97c16
  28th November 2023 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

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