---
title: "Specialist Science and Contingency Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS"
published: "2025-03-17"
---

# Specialist Science and Contingency Services

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8

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## Summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has completed the procurement process for a contract titled "Specialist Science and Contingency Services". This falls under the industry category of research and development services and related consultancy services (CPV code: 73000000). The contract, awarded on 17 March 2025, involves the provision of critical scientific evidence and emergency response capabilities related to food and the environment. It covers services within the United Kingdom. This procurement stage is the award stage, having directly awarded the contract to Fera Science Ltd due to the absence of competition for technical reasons. The initial contract period is for five years, with the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1), and it will ensure a seamless continuation of statutory services. The contract's value is £345,710,030.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in environmental safety, research laboratory services, and natural resources management to engage in essential public sector work. Companies offering expertise in areas such as pollution investigation, food or feed contamination protection, and marine conservation strategy planning would benefit greatly. With Defra's focus on high-quality, reliable services and transformational capabilities, businesses that can demonstrate these qualities will be well-placed to compete. Additionally, the long-term nature and potential extensions of the contract provide stability and a platform for sustained business growth.

## Notice

This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. Defra would like to notify their intention to directly award a service contract for Specialist Science and Contingency Services having identified no alternative provider, through extensive market engagement, with the capability and capacity to deliver the services.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The existing Long Term Service Agreement framework will expire 31 March 2025. Defra sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide critical scientific evidence and contingency services to support its policy making and operational responsibilities including emergency response capabilities in relation to food and the environment. The contract is also used by other government departments, including but not limited to the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office. The supplier has the ability to deliver reliable, high-quality business and scientific services competitively; well-proven transition and transformational capabilities within challenging timeframes; and possesses a vision and commitment to enhance relevant scientific capability
into the future. The seamless continuation of services is essential due to statutory requirements, and Defra therefore must have a supplier that has the required capabilities in place within the timescales outlined.
The contract is awarded for an initial period of five years and has the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).

### Procurement Information

Defra intends to direct award a contract using the negotiated procedure without prior publication, in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) (competition absent for technical reasons) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. 

The current contract will expire on 31 March 2025 and this contract must be made to ensure critical statutory specialist science and contingency services continue to be provided. This contract will be awarded to Fera Science Limited for the provision of specialist science and contingency services. 

To inform its decision-making, Defra has undertaken three rounds of market engagement with interested suppliers. Before each round, it has published a prior information notice (PIN), ensuring that all interested suppliers are aware of the re-procurement and have had the opportunity to express interest and provide evidence of their capacity and capabilities to perform all or part of the services. Three elements of the specification were identified:

(a) those aspects where there is no competition, eg, those parts of the specification that relate to the required specialist facilities for this contract; 
(b) those parts where there may be genuine competition.
(c) those parts where competitors have expressed an interest in supplying all or part of the requirement, but have not provided sufficient information when requested to establish that they have, or could develop in the time available, the necessary capacity or capability.

In relation to (b) there are some services for Government Departments, FSA, HSE, Welsh Government and DAERA where reasonable alternatives in the market were identified, as such, those services have been disaggregated and those respective Departments will identify a route to market outside of this contract. Some research and development requirements that are not related to (a), will be procured through Defra's existing RDE Framework or such other route to market. As such these services no longer form part of the specification for this contract. 

In relation to (a) and (c), the market engagement has identified that currently there is no candidate who is able to deliver the requirements of the specification and competition is absent for technical reasons.

As such this contract will be awarded by direct award in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009686-2025 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Mar 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 17 Mar 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 | £345,710,030 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS |
| 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 | FERA SCIENCE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 80 - Education and training services
- 85 - Health and social work services
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 73100000 - Research and experimental development services
- 73110000 - Research services
- 73111000 - Research laboratory services
- 73112000 - Marine research services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 79311300 - Survey analysis services
- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 85200000 - Veterinary services
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
- 90712300 - Marine conservation strategy planning
- 90712400 - Natural resources management or conservation strategy planning services
- 90715000 - Pollution investigation services
- 90720000 - Environmental protection
- 90721000 - Environmental safety services
- 90721300 - Food or feed contamination protection services
- 90721400 - Genetic resources protection services
- 90721700 - Endangered species protection services
- 90721800 - Natural risks or hazards protection services
- 90722000 - Environmental rehabilitation

## Release History

- 17 Mar 2025 at 14:20 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009686-2025

## Notice URLs

- http://www.fera.co.uk
- http://www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk/courts/royal-courts-of-justice
- 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-04ede8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04ede8.json.