Scope
Reference
714890452
Description
The Armed Forces Compulsory Drug Testing Programme is the largest occupational drug-testing programme in Europe and was established in January 1995. It is designed to reduce the incidence of substance misuse in the Armed Forces by detection and deterrence underpinned by education and policy. Currently between100,000 - 125,000 samples are collected per annum. In addition to testing for drug misuse, there is also the requirement for the contractor to conduct screening for steroids and new psychoactive substances.
The programme involves the analysis of urine samples of service personnel. Samples are collected by Armed Forces collection teams and transported to the laboratory of the Authority's urinalysis contractor.
The programme also requires research and scientific support. These areas are included in this contract, which is structured to provide maximum flexibility to cope with change during its life.
The Statement of Requirement can be seen within the opportunity listing on the Defence Sourcing Portal: https://contracts.mod.uk/go/6139671401976418BF84
Total value (estimated)
- £15,000,000 excluding VAT
- £18,000,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2028
- Possible extension to 31 March 2031
- 5 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 85121292 - Urologist services
- 38544000 - Drug detection apparatus
- 71900000 - Laboratory services
- 38434000 - Analysers
- 85100000 - Health services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Engagement
Engagement deadline
14 July 2025
Engagement process description
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
REFERENCE: 62081818 - Armed Forces Compulsory Drug Testing Programme (AFCDT)
CUSTOMER: APSG, D Pers, Ministry of Defence (The Authority)
INTENDED CONTRACT START DATE: 01 April 2026
DATE RESPONSE REQUIRED: 14 July 2025
Dear Potential Provider,
We would like to notify you of a potential upcoming requirement, and by doing so we are keen to understand where the market stands in terms of our requirement below.
The UK MOD is conducting market research with the intention of continuing the provision of the AFCDT. AFCDT is designed to reduce the incidence of SM in the Armed Forces (AF) by detection and deterrence underpinned by education and policy. Currently between 100,000 and 125,000 samples are collected per annum. The AF remains committed to the AFCDT, recognising the risk to Operational Effectiveness (OE) and Risk to Life (RtL) resultant from Substance Misuse (SM). All SP (Army, Navy and Air Force) are subject to Service Law are liable for AFCDT from date of attestation. Samples are collected by the AFCDT Teams (military personnel) on a 24/7 basis and transported to the urinalysis contractor's laboratory, under a separate transport contract.
The current AFCDT is broken up into two contracts, the Urine Analysis (UA) AFCDT Contract and the AFCDT Assurance Contract (AC). This RFI only covers the AFCDT Urine Analysis Contract requirements.
Please note the following general conditions:
• This RFI will help us to refine the requirement and conduct market research.
• We reserve the right not to proceed with this procurement. Nothing shall constitute a commitment to instigating a formal procurement process.
• Any and all costs associated with the production of such a response either to an RFI or any resultant competition must be borne by the Supplier. The Authority will not contribute in any way to meeting production costs of any response.
• No down-selection of Potential Providers will take place as a consequence of any responses or interactions relating to this RFI.
• We expect that all responses to this RFI will be provided by Potential Providers in good faith to the best of their ability in the light of information available at the time of their response.
• No information provided by a Potential Provider in response to this RFI will be carried forward, used or acknowledged in any way for the purpose of evaluating the Potential Provider, in any subsequent formal procurement process that may take place.
• Should a Potential Provider fail to respond to this Supplier Questionnaire, it will not affect any further participation in any possible future procurement for this capability.
OUR AIMS - WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
The Customer is looking for one or more Suppliers to deliver the following aims:
a. Provision of suitable robust specimen collection kits and regulation compliant transport packaging.
b. The screening by urinalysis of all samples and the conduct of confirmation analysis where necessary applying recognized accredited methods.
c. The ability to conduct hair testing on an ad-hoc basis.
d. Secure delivery of results electronically to the Authority.
e. Ability to conduct DNA analysis on an ad-hoc basis.
f. Ability to conduct enhanced analysis i,e workplace steroids, New or Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and other emerging trends, up to 10% of the overall samples, or on request.
g. Regulation compliant storage of samples.
h. Destruction of bio-hazard waste.
i. Training, inspections and liaison: and
j. Customer support (including toxicology evidence and expert legal witness testimony where necessary).
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Customer is looking for Industry feedback on the following areas:
1. There is an appetite for a singular provider to deliver all requirements detailed in the brief as a capability under a single contract, can this be achieved by your organisation?
2. How would the potential provider seek to service the contract, which includes the provision of testing kits, clinical waste disposal, IT infrastructure, communications and overall technical support throughout.
3. Do any potential providers have the current capacity to deliver the capabilities? If a potential provider has a solution or is willing to develop a solution that fulfils the requirement, please provide a summary of the solution.
4. If the potential provider does not have a current solution that meets the requirement in full, what level of investment would the potential provider envisage as a result, or would the potential provider seek to sub-contract capabilities, and how would this sub-contract capability be managed.
5. Are there any major pit falls, issues or risks with the requirement?
6. How would a potential provider bring innovation to the testing process, for example a testing kit that indicates a positive result at the time of testing. Which can then be sent for further analysis.
7. Where possible, are you able to provide a submission of a rough order of magnitud in regard to how much it may cost to the Authority fulfil this requirement in full, for 5 years.
8. Where possible, confirm the lead time to establish a robust logistical plan for the delivery of test kits and other potential lead times to have a facility that provides the service up and running.
9. If not, UKAS accredited, how long would it take for you to achieve this or similar accreditation required by the UK Government to conduct this requirement.
10. How is your service currently measured by other customers of your services i.e. Key Performance Indicators.
11. Are you able to provide examples of Key Performance Indicators?
12. What are the most applicable social value missions and outcomes that be achieved in fulfilment of the requirement?
13. Are there any outcomes that provide tenderers the best opportunity to deliver greater benefit to social, economic and the environment missions and outcomes through the performance of the potential contract than other outcomes listed in the above link?
POTENTIAL PROVIDER QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
• Potential Providers may raise questions or seek clarification regarding any aspect of this RFI document at any time prior to the Clarification Period Closure, as detailed in 'our timeline'. Questions must be submitted through the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP).
• To ensure that all Potential Providers have equal access to information regarding this Procurement, responses to questions raised by Potential Providers will be published in a questions and answers document, which will be available through the DSP.
• Responses to questions will not identify the originator of the question.
• If a Potential Provider wishes to ask a question or seek clarification without the question and answer being published in this way, then the Potential Provider must notify us and provide its justification for withholding the question and any response. If the Authority does not consider that there is sufficient justification for withholding the question and the corresponding response, the Potential Provider will be invited to decide whether:
o the question/clarification and the response should in fact be published; or
o It wishes to withdraw the question/clarification.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION AND RETURN
• Answers should be limited to a maximum of one side of A4 per question, using Ariel Font, Size 11.
• Once completed please save as a PDF file and return to: Army-Comrcl-Procure-HC-Mailbox@mod.gov.uk
• Completed questionnaires should be returned by no later than COP 17:00 14 July 2025. Along with your completed responses you are invited to provide any marketing material/information that would help the MOD understand more about your organization and the market you operate in. Please note that failure to respond to this Supplier Questionnaire will not affect any further participation in any possible future procurement for this capability.
The full Statement of Requirement is attached to the opportunity listing on the Defence Sourcing Portal, this be accessed by clicking on the following link:
A DSP account will need to be created to access the link
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
25 August 2025
Contracting authority
Ministry of Defence
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ
Army Headquarters, Marlborough Lines
Andover
SP11 8HJ
United Kingdom
Contact name: Army-Comrcl-Procure-HC-Mailbox@mod.gov.uk
Email: Army-Comrcl-Procure-HC-Mailbox@mod.gov.uk
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
Region: UKJ36 - Central Hampshire
Organisation type: Public authority - central government