---
title: "TOXICOLOGY SERVICE for HM CORONER for SUFFOLK"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-03-31"
---

# TOXICOLOGY SERVICE for HM CORONER for SUFFOLK

Buyer: SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8

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## Summary

Suffolk County Council has successfully completed the procurement process for the delivery of Toxicology services for HM Coroner in Suffolk. The contract, valued at £750,000, will span from 6th July 2026 to 5th July 2029, with the possibility of a 24-month extension. The procurement method employed was an open procedure with a light touch regime, underlining its accessibility, and the award has been granted to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The service will involve pathology services aimed at analysing postmortem toxicology samples. Suffolk County Council, based in Ipswich, is a public authority operating under sub-central government classification, indicating its compliance with public procurement legislation. The tender process concluded in March 2026, following a standstill period extending to 13th April 2026.

This tender opens significant opportunities for businesses specialising in pathology services, particularly those with a focus on toxicology and postmortem analysis. Companies with expertise in laboratory services could benefit from similar future opportunities as these procurement processes not only support business growth but also facilitate long-term collaborations with public authorities. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can particularly find these ventures lucrative, given the contract's value and potential extensions. Organisations engaged in frameworks or with relevant accreditations such as ISO 15189 are well-positioned to compete, ensuring their offerings align with the stringent quality and technical requirements laid out by Suffolk County Council. The engagement with Suffolk's devolution and local government reorganisation further highlights the adaptability needed from potential suppliers, with risks and opportunities presented by geographical and structural changes within the council's operations.

## Notice

HM Coroner for Suffolk required a provider for Toxicology samples taken at Postmortem examinations to be analysed by a professional specialist laboratory service to help enable a cause of death to be determined. The contract value shown in this notice is the maximum value over the life of the contract (including the extension period). The actual contract value is dependent on the volume of work undertaken.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract could be extended for 24 months.

### Planning Information

The Authority wishes to invite interested parties to respond to the following topics:
1. Do you as a supplier have experience of working with other LAs at county level.
2. Are you part of a framework or wider contract that SCC could join? 
3. Which regulatory bodies are you a member of? 
4. How many samples, per week do you have capacity to test? 
5. Please confirm which days of the week you are able to receive samples. 
6. Do you use a tracking system to ensure samples are safely received and dispatched? 
Please note that responses received will be recorded and used to inform and reflect future procurements. This will ensure that any resulting tender pack provides information such that all bidders have the same information and no potential bidder unable to respond is disadvantaged. No sensitive or confidential information will be shared. 
Interested parties should respond to the questions, along with any comments to Rachael.Dann@suffolk.gov.uk by 5 pm 28th November 2025.
You are also advised to ensure you are registered on the Central Digital Platform, or your supplier information record is up to date. Suppliers: How to register your organisation and first administrator on Find a Tender in three easy steps 
https://shorturl.at/kigPg
This notice is intended as an awareness, communication and information gathering exercise. Participation is no indication of a commitment to partake in any future tendering process, nor does it infer any preferential or special status on those individuals and organisations who participate.
Please also note that this notice is not intended as a call for competition and as such you will need to express your interest in any future tender opportunity once the tender notice is published.
All future tender documents will be available on Suffolk County Council E- tendering portal: http://www.suffolksourcing.uk/
We look forward to your participation and contributions.
Suffolk County Council has joined the government's Devolution Priority Programme (DPP), a fast-track programme towards devolution and local government reorganisation.
Under the DPP it is proposed that:
a) a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Norfolk and Suffolk is established, with strategic powers and headed by an elected mayor ("Devolution").
b) the existing two-tier council structure in Suffolk is abolished and replaced with one or more unitary councils covering the current geographical boundary of Suffolk ("LGR"). 
It is possible that both, one or neither of these changes will happen. These changes are declared as known risks as we do not yet know the implications of Devolution and/or LGR.
As a result of LGR and Devolution, contract modifications may be necessary to novate, transfer or disaggregate the contract from the one you entered into to one or more successor authorities or the MCAA. Impacts could include changes to geographical boundaries, significant increases and/or decreases in the goods and/or services required due to the change in size/scope of any successor authority or the MCAA. This may also change the scope of the contract

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029461-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Feb 2026 |
| Future notice date | 28 Nov 2025 |
| Award date | 26 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 5 Jul 2026 - 5 Jul 2029 |
| Recurrence | 2029-01-06 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £750,000 |
| Lots value | £750,000 |
| Awards value | £750,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | IPSWICH |
| Post town | Ipswich |
| Postcode | IP1 2BX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH62 Ipswich |
| Local authority | Ipswich |
| Electoral ward | Gipping |
| Westminster constituency | Ipswich |
| Delivery location | TLH14 Suffolk CC |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85111800 - Pathology services
- 85111810 - Blood analysis services
- 85111820 - Bacteriological analysis services

## Release History

- 31 Mar 2026 at 09:20 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029461-2026
- 6 Jan 2026 at 14:26 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000706-2026
- 18 Nov 2025 at 08:53 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074592-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029461-2026
  31st March 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000706-2026
  6th January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074592-2025
  18th November 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.sth.co.uk/
- http://www.suffolksourcing.uk/
- https://shorturl.at/kigPg
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-05e2e8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05e2e8.json.