---
title: "Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS"
published: "2025-06-12"
---

# Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3

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## Summary

The procurement process for the Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot was conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aimed at initiating a three-year project centred on badger vaccination and research across three pilot areas in Cornwall. The project falls under the services procurement category, specifically focusing on veterinary services. Using a selective procurement method via a competitive procedure with negotiation, the award process was completed successfully. Key dates involved in the contracting process include the award on 10th June 2025 and the previous contract indicated in January 2025, highlighting a strategic start in March 2025. With the project emphasising quality as the sole award criterion, Defra aims to shift from badger culling to vaccination as a core TB control strategy in badgers. The activities are to be carried out at designated sites within mid-Cornwall.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities primarily for organisations involved in environmental protection and veterinary services. The NFU, already awarded the contract, is a large-scale business, well-suited to providing such complex services due to their vast experience with badger control operations. Businesses with expertise in similar areas such as veterinary services, research and development, and those capable of training and deploying technical resources could find further opportunities in subcontracting roles. The project demands competencies in sett surveying, trapping, vaccination, blood sampling, and data analysis—all sectors where specialised firms can thrive by leveraging these services. Therefore, companies possessing technical skills in wildlife management and scientific research, especially those already networking in the Cornwall region, could benefit significantly from engaging with or supporting the NFU in this pilot initiative.

## Notice

Defra requires a three-year project for badger vaccination and research activities in three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Defra requires a three-year contract for badger vaccination and research activities in three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall.

There will be three (3) different approaches to badger vaccination delivery carried out under this Pilot: Annual, Bi-annual and Reactive, with TB blood tests carried out on a proportion of the badgers. 

This unique pilot aims to provide scientific evidence in support of the Government manifesto pledge to stop badger culling and move to badger vaccination as the main form of TB control in badgers.

### Procurement Information

This unique pilot aims to provide scientific evidence in support of the Government manifesto pledge to stop badger culling and move to badger vaccination as the main form of TB control in badgers.

This project focuses solely on three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall. Defra recognise that the National Farmers Union (NFU), alongside their main subcontractor Zoological Society London (ZSL), are uniquely placed in Cornwall to deliver this project, starting in March 2025. 

The NFU is the recognised industry body that has delivered licensed badger control operations since its inception in 2013. For many years in Cornwall, the NFU has worked closely with landowners, farmers and industry, organising badger culls alongside small badger vaccination projects. They have developed extensive networks and groups, including those developed specifically to oversee these types of operations. For reasons of privacy, security and sensitivity, information on their networks is not publicly available or collectively accessible by any other third party or organisation.

ZSL has undertaken badger vaccination research and delivery projects in Cornwall since 2012. They are able to provide technical expertise in trapping and vaccinating badgers, and also the procedures required for the research aspects of this project. This includes highly specialized processes such as anesthetising and blood sampling badgers in the field under Home Office licence. In addition, they are APHA accredited badger vaccination trainers and will train a field force of local industry contractors to vaccinate badgers.

Based on the information detailed above, the conclusion is that the NFU is the only contractor able to provide these services to Defra.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031917-2025 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Competitive procedure with negotiation |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Jun 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 17 Jan 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £1,370,231 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS |
| Additional buyers | DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 4DF |
| 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 | NFU |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 85200000 - Veterinary services

## Release History

- 12 Jun 2025 at 12:40 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031917-2025
- 20 Jan 2025 at 16:38 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001935-2025

## Notice URLs

- https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d4d3.json.