Tender

Provision of Support to an APHA Tier 2 National Exercise (ASPEN)

  • DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-006592

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04e60d

Published 21 February 2025, 10:50am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (Defra Network eTendering Portal)

Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Contact

dgcenquiries@defra.gov.uk

Email

dgcenquiries@defra.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

Buyer's address

https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Provision of Support to an APHA Tier 2 National Exercise (ASPEN)

Reference number

C28062

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 98110000 - Services furnished by business, professional and specialist organisations

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The primary purpose of the Tier 2 National Exercise will be to test the Government’s Contingency Plans and established policy, for the control of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).  Its aim is not to provoke new policy developments but rather to explore current policy and the arrangements for its implementation. It will also test APHA’s operational response arrangements and expose communications, resilience and capability to scrutiny.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £222,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

APHA has a critical role in the control and eradication of endemic and exotic notifiable and reportable diseases including responding to Outbreaks of notifiable avian disease, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) or swine fever. 

APHA in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Welsh Government (WG), Scottish Government (SG) & Northern Ireland (NI) and their operational partners are to work in partnership to plan, prepare and deliver a Tier 2 National Exercise.  The exercise will be a medium to large scale FMD Outbreak originating in the border regions of England and Wales spreading to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The primary purpose of the National Exercise is to test Defra’s, WG’s, SG’s and NI governments current contingency plans and established policy, for the control of an outbreak of FMD.  Its aim is not to provoke new policy developments but rather to explore current policy and the arrangements for its implementation.  It will also test the APHA’s operational response arrangements and expose communications, resilience and capability to scrutiny.

A phased approach is required and summarised below. This is to ensure a level of professionalism and quality of delivery that APHA resource could not produce. It is necessary that the Contractor has experience of managing and delivering exercises of similar scale.

Phase 1 – Project Initiation & Contract Mobilisation

Phase 2 – Project Design & Exercise Planning

Phase 3 – Exercise Development & Pre-briefing

Phase 4 – Project and Exercise Delivery

Phase 5 – Project Debriefing

Phase 6 – Project Reporting & Closure

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 50

Price - Weighting: 50

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £222,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start date

12 May 2025

End date

11 May 2026

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

May be extended by a further six (6) months

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

25 March 2025

Local time

5:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

21 February 2025

Local time

5:00pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Public Procurement Review Body

N/A

N/A

N/A

Email

publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit

six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures

Public Procurement Review Body

N/A

N/A

N/A

Email

publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit