The Animal Health & Technical Support Services Framework (Including Daily Routine Work and Outbreak/Incident Support)

Defra procuring on behalf of Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA): The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and delivers the Animal Health and Welfare policies of Defra, Scottish Government and Welsh Government across Great Britain (GB). Its principal function is the safeguarding of animal health and welfare and public health, which in turn support economic growth and trade. To deliver this function APHA directly employs a number of staff including vets, scientists, technicians and administrators to deliver government policies. However cuts to government funding have led to a reduced permanent workforce added to which there is growing recognition that there is significant expertise outside Government which could usefully be employed in a flexible and economical way to complement the in-house capability. This includes the provision of goods and services in support of APHA’s response to disease outbreaks. Inevitably the need for such goods and services is ad-hoc in nature and may require a rapid response. In working with industry to provide these goods and services it is considered beneficial that these are included as part of the GB wide supply of animal health and technical services to Government in England, Scotland and Wales under a Framework provision. The Authority is seeking to appoint Providers onto a GB-wide, multi-supplier Framework for the delivery of any work as described in Section 3 – Specifications of Requirements. When certain diseases enter the UK, government is required to respond in a prompt manner to deal with the outbreak. Estimates from the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak outline the total cost to government as much as £3 billion pounds. Different diseases may mean that different responses are required to be mounted. It is impossible to predict with any accuracy when, where or how extensive the next outbreak may be. The Framework Agreement will not guarantee any minimum volume of goods/services, nor does it confer any exclusivity on providers.