---
title: "The Swale - Shellfish Quality Monitoring"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2026-05-07"
---

# The Swale - Shellfish Quality Monitoring

Buyer: SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca

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## Summary

Swale Borough Council, located in Sittingbourne, Kent, has initiated a procurement process titled "The Swale - Shellfish Quality Monitoring". This project, classified under the industry categories of Shellfish and Environmental Quality Control Services, involves collecting and analysing shellfish and water samples in accordance with relevant standards. The procurement stage is currently at the 'Award' phase, with Marine Farm Services Limited being the awarded contractor. The contract is set to commence on 1 April 2026 and conclude on 31 March 2029, having been conducted under an open competition procurement method, which fell below the threshold. The open tender process attracted proposals before the deadline on 5 January 2026, with Swale Borough Council emphasizing quality and price in the evaluation criteria, 60% and 40% respectively.

This procurement presents considerable opportunities for businesses involved in environmental monitoring, marine biology, or related services, particularly those specialising in shellfish quality analysis. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), alongside larger firms, can find this contract beneficial for growth, as long as they demonstrate competitiveness in both quality and pricing strategies. The nature of the task demands technical expertise in sampling and analysis in accordance with FSA and CEFAS standards, and companies with capabilities in environmental quality services would find themselves well-positioned to succeed in this procurement space.

## Notice

The contract will involve the service provider collecting samples of shellfish and water in accordance with the current Food Standards Agency (FSA) and The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) relevant documents, including the Protocol for the Collection of Shellfish under the Microbiological Classification Monitoring Program and the Protocol for the Collection and Transport of Shellfish Samples for the Purposes of Official Control Monitoring of Classified Shellfish Production Areas in England and Wales: Marine Biotoxins and Chemical Contaminants. In practical terms the service will involve taking the required amount of water and flesh samples of shellfish from classified beds in The Swale, storing and transporting shellfish to the Public Health England FWEM laboratory for analysis and all associated administration. The contract shall commence on 1 April 2026 and terminate on 31 March 2029.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041864-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 5 Jan 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £64,727 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | SITTINGBOURNE, KENT |
| Post town | Rochester |
| Postcode | ME10 3HT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent |
| ITL 3 | TLJ43 Kent Thames Gateway |
| Local authority | Swale |
| Electoral ward | Roman |
| Westminster constituency | Sittingbourne and Sheppey |
| Delivery location | TLJ4 Kent |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MARINE FARM SERVICES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 03 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 03312200 - Shellfish
- 90714500 - Environmental quality control services

## Release History

- 7 May 2026 at 11:29 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041864-2026
- 2 Dec 2025 at 12:05 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078853-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041864-2026
  7th May 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078853-2025
  2nd December 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-14671
  Contract commenced on 1st April 2026 but was signed on 2nd April 2026.

## Notice URLs

- http://www.swale.gov.uk
- https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/delta/mainMenu.html
- 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-05ecca. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ecca.json.