CEFAS26-120 Statutory shellfish E.coli monitoring service for Shetland and Orkney

Buyer
CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE
Value
£600,000
Closes
9 December 2026
Where
London
Type
Open tender

In plain English

This is a contract to test shellfish from Shetland and Orkney for E. coli bacteria, which helps decide how shellfish harvesting areas are classified. The winning supplier would handle both moving samples from remote islands to a laboratory and running the lab analysis. The notice estimates about 624 samples a year, though volumes and locations may change.

What the buyer wants

• Arrange reliable transport of samples from Shetland and Orkney to the laboratory, paying transport costs, supplying and restocking approved packing equipment, and coordinating with sample collectors, with samples received Monday to Friday and contingency plans for disruption • Analyse every sample using one approved UK National Reference Laboratory method for E. coli counts, starting analysis within 48 hours of collection and keeping samples between 1 and 10°C until testing begins • Upload results, rejections and audit records to the FSS Shellfish Monitoring and Classification dashboard, and provide monthly and quarterly performance reports

Requirements

What could rule a small business out: The notice requires an approved UK National Reference Laboratory test method, a 48-hour delivery window with temperature control from remote islands, and paying all transport costs, which together would most likely rule out a small business without an established accredited microbiology laboratory and its own island logistics.

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How to bid

This is an open tender: any eligible business can respond directly to the buyer by the deadline, with no framework membership needed.

Where to apply

The notice doesn't say where to apply. CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE uses Atamis for its other tenders, so start there: make a free account, then search for this tender's title.

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Questions about this tender? Email the buyer at procure@cefas.gov.uk.

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