ID 6316996 - DAERA - Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Policy Branch - Innovation Procurement
This tender closed on 22 October 2026.
- Buyer
- College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)
- Value
- £1,900,000
- Closed
- 22 October 2026
- Where
- Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Type
- Open tender
In plain English
CAFRE wants an external supplier to handle the day-to-day running of Innovation Farms visits across Northern Ireland. This is a 3-year contract (with an option to extend for 2 more years) worth £1.9 million. The supplier will manage logistics, administration, and visitor operations, but CAFRE keeps control of farm selection, technical content, and policy decisions.
What the buyer wants
• Provide operational support for Innovation Farm visits (scheduling, coordination, on-site management) • Handle administrative and logistical tasks (booking systems, communications, travel arrangements, catering, health and safety compliance) • Support delivery of the Sustainable Agricultural Programme through the Innovation Farms initiative • Work with CAFRE staff to ensure visits run smoothly without being responsible for educational content or policy
Requirements
What could rule a small business out: This is a large contract worth £1.9 million over 3 years with complex operational demands across multiple farm sites. Most sole traders or micro-businesses lack the infrastructure, staffing, insurance, and operational capacity to deliver this consistently. You would almost certainly need to be a small-to-medium enterprise with proven experience in events, logistics, or rural tourism management.
Always check the tender documents.
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