UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

The Animal and Plant Health Agency requires the supply and delivery of sterile boot swab sampling kits used to collect faecal material from poultry litter for laboratory testing. The kits are primarily used during official sampling undertaken as part of the UK Salmonella National Control Programme, with additional applications including research and environmental investigations.

APHA requires a supplier to deliver a range of Good Practice training via interactive workshops, where participants are active in both discussion and practice of the techniques/skills that are being explored. The inclusion of examples/scenarios are also requested to make learning as ‘real life’ as possible. Our evaluation of training has shown that our learners respond better to this blended approach. Training courses are to be tailored to animal health and animal scientist research and product needs, with the course content being designed to be relevant to these specific areas of work. All APHA attendees will require a certificate of attendance following the completion of each course. This requirement will need to be in place by December 2026. The tender will include two distinct, but related Lots concerning GxP Quality Training Courses, Lot 1 – GLP and GCPv Training Courses Lot 2 – GMP and GDP Training Courses Training courses required are: • Introduction to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) • GLP Refresher • GLP Outline for Test Facility Managers • GLP Update for Study Directors and Principal Investigators • GLP Refresher Training – Archivist • Good Clinical Practice veterinary (GCPv) Refresher • Introduction to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) • GMP Refresher • Good Distribution Practice (GDP) Refresher

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is seeking to engage with the market in advance of a planned procurement for the supply, installation, training, warranty and lifecycle support of approximately 60 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) systems over a period of up to five years. The systems will be used for the molecular detection and quantification of DNA and RNA targets within laboratory environments. The requirement is for current-production, CE-marked, 96-well qPCR platforms capable of quantitative and qualitative analysis, multiplex fluorescence detection with a minimum of five optical channels, high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis, and compatibility with non-proprietary reagents and consumables. The scope will include associated software, installation, user training, calibration certification, warranty provision and ongoing maintenance and support services. Suppliers must be able to provide network-enabled data management functionality and support operation within accredited laboratory environments. Full technical requirements, service expectations and evaluation criteria will be detailed within the procurement documents.

A UK2 notice (UK-0329) was published on 08/08/2025, containing the same details as below. Since then, the scope has been further developed, and we are re-engaging with the market to obtain the most current information before proceeding to competitive tender. Defra is exploring options for supply of antigen and vaccines to the UK foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank and is seeking to identify existing and potential suppliers who have FMD vaccines with robust evidence of quality, safety, and efficacy. We are keen to hear from suppliers who are in a position to supply suitable FMD vaccine products from early 2028 (including manufacturing lead times as necessary). Please provide the information detailed in the section below, but please note that Defra will not consider heterologous vaccine products. Those wishing to provide the information requested here should contact Melanie Swain ([email protected]), by 24th July 2026. Defra reserves the right to follow up with suppliers on a 1:1 basis to further understand their capabilities with regard to this requirement. Defra is seeking this information to inform decisions around guarantees of supply to the UK market. Therefore the estimated total value shown below is only indicative at this stage.

We require the supply of IFAT slides in order to undertake statutory import/export, and international trade, tests with respect to the following diseases in horses and dogs: 1. Leishmania Infantum 2. Babesia Caballi 3. Theileria Equi We are interested in engaging with potential suppliers of the above slides to: 1. Assess availability 2. Understand what technical requirements can be delivered 3. Assess possible alternative technical specifications