---
title: "CEFAS26-87 ITT for eDNA analysis of samples from Beyond the Reef survey"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE"
published: "2026-06-17"
---

# CEFAS26-87 ITT for eDNA analysis of samples from Beyond the Reef survey

Buyer: CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0

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## Summary

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has initiated a public procurement process under the tender stage, inviting bids for a project titled "CEFAS26-87 ITT for eDNA analysis of samples from Beyond the Reef survey." The procurement is focused on the marine conservation industry and aims to analyse samples from a research expedition in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories. The procurement is facilitated through an open procedure, with the tender period set to close on 17 July 2026. The procurement process is conducted online, allowing electronic submissions in English, and aligns with the UK's legislative requirements. The contract, valued at £180,000 (gross value of £216,000), is expected to commence on 1 September 2026 and conclude by 1 December 2026, with potential flexibility extending to 1 March 2027.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specializing in environmental DNA analysis and associated laboratory services. Companies with expertise in metabarcoding workflows, high-throughput sequencing, and marine biology research are well-suited to compete for this contract. The project's requirements include high levels of transparency and collaboration in laboratory procedures, making it ideal for suppliers with cutting-edge facilities and experience in handling environmental samples. Additionally, the provision for a substantial contract value offers the potential for business growth and a chance to contribute to a prestigious government-led marine conservation initiative.

## Notice

The Blue Belt Programme is the UK Government's flagship marine conservation programme, working with a number of the UK Overseas Territories to safeguard more than four million square kilometres of the World's oceans. Earlier this year, the Blue Belt Programme conducted its first offshore research expedition 'Beyond the Reef' to the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. As a component of the 'Beyond the Reef' survey, Cefas undertook water sampling, yielding 417 filters (348 samples, 69 field negatives). Our overall aim is to identify the composition and distribution of teleost fishes and elasmobranchs around Anguilla, and the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. We require a Supplier to process these samples using a metabarcoding workflow and provide us with the raw sequence data. As we are aiming to publish this research, we require a high level of transparency on, and input into, the laboratory procedures used. Full specification details can be found in the Bidder Pack. Services required include: - Extract DNA from the Sterivex (0.22 um; PES) filters (348 total; triplicated per sampling station/depth; 4 L filtered total) and field negatives (69; one per station) provided by Cefas. - PCR amplify a ~170 bp fragment of the 12S rRNA region, with two primer sets: one targeting teleost fishes (MiFish-U) and another targeting elasmobranchs (MiFish-E). - Pooled PCR products will then be indexed. - Sequence the library(s) on a suitable High Throughput Sequencing Platform, e.g. NextSeq 1000 P1 XLEAP-SBS, to an appropriate level of sequence depth. - Provide Cefas with demultiplexed paired-end read sequence data. Contract is expected to start 1 September 2026 with delivery completed by 1 December 2026. Some flexibility can be provided where essential, up to 1 March 2027.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056980-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 17 Jul 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £180,000 |
| Lots value | £180,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE |
| Locality | LOWESTOFT |
| Post town | Norwich |
| Postcode | NR33 0HT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk |
| ITL 3 | TLH63 East Suffolk |
| Local authority | East Suffolk |
| Electoral ward | Kirkley & Pakefield |
| Westminster constituency | Lowestoft |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71620000 - Analysis services

## Release History

- 17 Jun 2026 at 09:43 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056980-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056980-2026
  17th June 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/Welcome
- https://atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/WelcomeAllbidstobesubmittedviatheaboveeProcurementsystem.
- https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- 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-06b6b0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b6b0.json.