---
title: "Specialist Science and Contingency Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05057a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05057a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05057a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05057a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS"
published: "2025-04-22"
---

# Specialist Science and Contingency Services

Buyer: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05057a

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## Summary

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has completed the procurement process for the "Specialist Science and Contingency Services" contract, identified under procurement ID C24955. This contract, valued at approximately £345.7 million, is crucial for enabling government bodies, including the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office, to access essential diagnostic, testing, research, and contingency services related to biosecurity, agriculture, food safety, and environmental protection. The contract was awarded to Fera Science Ltd and covers a five-year period with an option to extend for an additional five years. The procurement was conducted using a limited method, with no prior call for competition, due to the specialised nature of the services required, and is in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The services are to be delivered across the United Kingdom, with the procurement process having been concluded by April 2025.

This contract presents significant opportunities for businesses specializing in environmental safety, research and development, and scientific consultancy services. Companies that demonstrate strong capabilities in delivering high-quality, reliable scientific solutions and possess the infrastructure for rapid and effective response to emergencies could benefit from this procurement. Additionally, businesses with innovative approaches to enhance scientific capabilities in sectors like food standards, environmental monitoring, and public safety will find opportunities to collaborate and grow through related government projects and contracts. Given the strategic importance and the scale of this procurement, it offers long-term engagement prospects for large enterprises with advanced technical expertise in environmental and biosecurity domains.

## Notice

The SSCS contracts give government customers access to specialist diagnostic, testing, advice and research services to support compliant statutory obligations relating to biosecurity, agriculture, food standards/ safety and environmental protection relating to plant health and wildlife. The contracts also provide incident and contingency services.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The existing Long Term Service Agreement framework expired on 31 March 2025. Defra sought a replacement commercial arrangement to provide continued access to 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 competitively deliver reliable, high quality business and scientific services; well-proven transition and transformation 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 capability in place as of the effective date. The contract is awarded for a period of five years and has the option to extend for an additional five years (+2+1+1+1).

### Procurement Information

Defra has awarded 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 Contract Regulations 2015.
The previous contract expired on 31 March 2025 and the contract must be made to ensure critical statutory specialist science and contingency services continue to be provided. This contract has been 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 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 has been 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/016174-2025 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Apr 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 28 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 | Cancelled |
| 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
- 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
- 73112000 - Marine research services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 79311300 - Survey analysis services
- 85200000 - Veterinary services
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction
- 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

- 22 Apr 2025 at 10:19 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/016174-2025

## 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-05057a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05057a.json.