---
title: "ARE-Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT"
published: "2025-08-05"
---

# ARE-Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland

Buyer: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982

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## Summary

The Scottish Government, located in Glasgow, has completed a procurement process titled "ARE-Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use – Herbage Trials North East Scotland." This contract pertains to the general public services industry category and involves the provision of services for conducting agronomic trials. The procurement was facilitated through an open procedure, focusing on testing agricultural and experimental developments for specific varieties suited to Scotland’s climatic conditions. The contract, valued at £200,000, was awarded to SRUC, a large-scale supplier, and the award was signed on 28th July 2025. The associated trials will be carried out in North East Scotland and follow protocols approved by the UK National Authorities, with a contract period extending until the end of 2032.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for companies specializing in agricultural research and development, who are equipped to handle specific trials such as Italian and Hybrid Ryegrass and Red Clover. Firms with a strong background in supply chain management, environmental compliance, and the requisite equipment to conduct trials will find this contract aligned with their capabilities. The open procurement process, coupled with a focus on economic and technical criteria, allows eligible businesses to demonstrate their compliance with environmental management standards and qualifications, fostering competitiveness and fostering innovation within the agricultural sector in Scotland.

## Notice

The Scottish Government, SASA Division, has awarded a contract for the provision of Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The purpose of the Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland is to obtain Scottish data for UK Variety List (VL) Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) assessments / Scottish Recommended List (RL) purposes, which includes the provision of advice to the Scottish Ministers. The UK Variety List (VL) system was established in 1973 when EU Directives dealing with the marketing of agricultural and vegetable seeds were implemented in domestic legislation. To be added to a Variety List a new variety needs to be distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) and for agricultural crops, have satisfactory value for cultivation and use (VCU). The information from VCU trials allow a number of varieties (on a national basis) to go forward for further trialling (Recommended List (RL)). It is the data from RL trials that provides enough information to identify if a new variety is suited to Scotland's geographical/climatic conditions. The trials will be carried out in accordance with the appropriate protocols and procedures approved by the UK National Authorities for herbage, which for the purpose of this contract are Italian Ryegrass, Hybrid Ryegrass, and Red Clover and any other species or species group specified by the National List Seeds Committee/UK National Authorities. These protocols and procedures will form part of any contract placed and are available online at the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vcu-protocols-and-procedures-for-testing-agricultural-crops. This procurement is excluded from the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) under Regulation 15 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 for Research & Development Services (Main CPV code - 73100000: Research and experimental development services).

Options: The number of candidates per herb species and the number of controls, replicates and treatments for each trial are given in the appropriate VCU Procedures Document. These are subject to change and may require additional trials to be purchased during the contract term.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536241 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Aug 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 21 May 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 28 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 1 Jul 2025 - 31 Dec 2032 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £200,000 |
| Lots value | £200,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £200,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT |
| Additional buyers | SRUC |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Glasgow |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | Southside/Newington |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh South |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SRUC |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services

### Codes

- 73100000 - Research and experimental development services
- 77100000 - Agricultural services

## Release History

- 5 Aug 2025 at 00:00 - Award - PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536241
- 17 Apr 2025 at 00:00 - Tender - PCS Notice - Website Contract Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR528582

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=APR528582
  ARE-Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland - SASA, a division of the Scottish Government, has a requirement to place a contract with an external service provider for the provision of Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland.
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536241
  ARE-Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland - The Scottish Government, SASA Division, has awarded a contract for the provision of Agronomic Trials for Value for Cultivation and Use - Herbage Trials North East Scotland.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.scotland.gov.uk
- http://www.sruc.ac.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vcu-protocols-and-procedures-for-testing-agricultural-crops
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

## 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-r6ebe6-0000792982. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792982.json.