Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Pakefield Road
Lowestoft
NR33 0HT
Contact
Holly Power
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
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
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Environment
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CEFAS24-39 Contract for services for holistic approaches to investigating disease in aquatic animal systems in India, under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP)
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 90700000 - Environmental services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Contract for services for holistic approaches to investigating disease in aquatic animal systems in India, under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP)
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £120,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 73110000 - Research services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- IN - India
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) is funded through official development assistance (ODA) as part of the UK’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund. Through the OCPP, the UK government partners with ODA-eligible countries to deliver tangible and positive impacts on the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems. The programme supports countries to strengthen marine science expertise, develop science-based policy and management tools, and create educational resources for coastal communities.
Under the sustainable seafood objective, the programme supports the development of the skills and expertise needed to adopt sustainable seafood practices. This will reduce risks such as the spread of zoonotic diseases from unsustainable or unsafe activities, and will support trade in safe seafood. The programme will also help crack down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by supporting the development of better management, monitoring and enforcement capabilities.
Following a One Health Aquaculture workshop, held in Kerala, India in February 2023, key priorities were identified for India that support the overall aim of the Sustainable Seafood project. These priorities are:
• Aquatic disease
• Water quality
• Climate change
• AMR
In this project we aim to combine the four key priorities in one project focusing on investigating emerging and/or cryptic aquatic animal disease. Given the scope of this funding, only disease in marine or brackishwater aquatic animal culture can be investigated.
Aquaculture is the fastest-growing farmed food sector, with the proportion of cultured to caught seafood increasing year-on-year. Increased culture has coincided with the increased incidence of disease, resulting in huge losses worldwide (estimated at around US$6 billion annually). Traditionally, a “one disease, one pathogen” approach has been undertaken when investigating disease in aquaculture; however, as new and emerging ‘omic technologies become more readily available, alternative methods of looking at systems
as a whole to capture the bigger picture of what is happening in states of
health and disease.
This project aims to investigate an aquatic animal culture system in India that is experiencing clinical signs of disease and/or mortalities using a holistic approach (sampling both the affected species and the environment that it is cultured in). Traditional methods to investigate disease, such as histopathology and basic water quality measurements, will be combined with metatranscriptomics, and microbial/algal community analysis (including 16S bacterial and 18S eukaryote metagenomics) and chemical analysis to provide information on the parameters involved in disease and health states of the aquatic animal of interest.
The Contract will be a collaboration between the Supplier and Cefas, with Cefas able to provide training and support in:
- Sample collection and preparation of samples for metagenomic and 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing (in the form of SOPs) and bioinformatic analysis of sequence data generated within this project.
- Histopathology (in the form of SOPs)
- Microbial and algal community identification (in the form of technical advice)
- Analysis of chemical analysis data (in the form of technical advice)
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 70
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
Cost criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 20
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £120,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
10 June 2024
End date
31 May 2025
This contract is subject to renewal
No
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
two.2.14) Additional information
To view this opportunity please go to https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
You will need to log in or create a new supplier account. The opportunity can then be found searching 'CEFAS24-39 ITT for services for holistic approaches to investigating disease in aquatic animal systems in India, under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP)'.
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: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
10 May 2024
Local time
12:00pm
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
Tender must be valid until: 9 July 2024
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
9 April 2024
Local time
5:00pm
Place
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
publicprocurementreview@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-procurement-review-service-scope-and-remit