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Tenders

Services-Framework-Lab Sample Couriers Service

Open
Deadline
77 days left
June 12, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Open Procedure
Reference
014158-2026
Value
£11,520,000
Location
North West England, United Kingdom
Published
March 19, 2026
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

February 17, 2026

Deadline for Questions

June 05, 2026

Submission Deadline

June 12, 2026

Contract Start Date

July 06, 2026

Budget
£11,520,000
Duration
97 months
Location
North West England
Type
Open Procedure
59
Quality Score/100
Fair

Original Tender Description

United Utilities Laboratory Services require a courier service for the transportation of samples from sites across the Company to the central Laboratory at Lingley Mere (Warrington) on a daily basis. It is a requirement of OFWAT (The Water Services Regulation Authority) that the Company constantly undertakes analysis of water/waste water samples from various sample points throughout the North-West Region. Water Quality Officers, Network Owners, Wastewater Operatives, Trade Effluent Officers, Agricultural Advisors and Project Staff obtain the samples requiring analysis. Samples are left at drop off points for collection by the dedicated courier in a refrigerated van. Samples need to be transported under refrigerated conditions to ensure that they are maintained at a temperature of between 2 and 7 degrees centigrade. It is a requirement to maintain evidence that this has been achieved to enable United Utilities to adhere to regulatory requirements with respect to the transportation of accredited samples under the Environment Agency's Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTs), Drinking Water Test Specifications (DWTS) and ISO 17025. On collection, the courier takes the samples to a Sample Registration Centre (SRC) or directly to Lingley Mere Laboratories Sample Reception. An additional dedicated courier service is then required to operate between the SRC's and the Laboratories at Lingley Mere, where required. Consignment Notes or Delivery Notes detailing the sample load carried and all other required information to the Laboratory at Lingley Mere are part of the hand-over procedure at the SRCs and the Laboratory. These are currently in paper form, the Company would like to move this to an electronic format, where reports should consist of (minimum requirement): • Sample bottle barcode number • crate barcode number • vehicle registration • collection date and time • collection location • time samples dropped off • location of sample drop off Route optimisation will also be a requirement of the tender, with bidders expected to demonstrate how routes will be optimised to ensure efficiency, reliability, and timely delivery of samples while maintaining required temperature controls. Detailed dates and milestones will be share in the tender documentation. Deadline for CoPQ submission: 10/03/2026

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Requirements & Qualifications

18 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (4)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (1)
Technical (11)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS4
--Submit a bid by the submission deadline of 2026-06-12T00:00:00.
--Submit a CoPQ (Call for Pre-Qualification/Clarification) by 10/03/2026.
--Include a demonstration of the proposed route optimisation strategy within the tender submission.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--Not specified in the provided information.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS1
--Not specified in the provided information.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS11
--Provide a daily courier service for the transportation of water/wastewater samples.
--Transport samples from various sites across the North-West Region to the central Laboratory at Lingley Mere (Warrington).
--Provide an additional dedicated courier service between Sample Registration Centres (SRCs) and the Laboratories at Lingley Mere, where required.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--Not specified in the provided information.

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Documents

No processed documents available for this tender.

Documents will appear here once they are downloaded and analyzed.

59
Fair

Tender Quality Score

This tender provides a clear service description and reasonable timeline but is significantly hampered by the absence of accessible tender documents and explicit evaluation criteria. Key legal and fairness aspects are compromised by missing eligibility and exclusion grounds.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance60/100

The tender provides a reasonable submission timeline and correct CPV codes. However, the AI summary indicates that mandatory exclusion grounds and eligibility requirements are not specified, which are fundamental legal components. The absence of accessible tender documents also prevents a full compliance check.

Unspecified mandatory exclusion grounds and eligibility requirements
Absence of accessible tender documents for full review
Clarity70/100

The service description and technical requirements are detailed and clear. However, the complete absence of specified evaluation criteria is a significant clarity issue for potential bidders.

No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness55/100

Basic tender information (title, reference, organization, value, deadlines, duration, location) is present. However, the critical tender documents are not provided for review, and key requirements like eligibility, financial, and evaluation criteria are explicitly missing from the provided information.

No tender document content available
Missing evaluation criteria
Fairness50/100

The estimated value is disclosed, and the submission timeline is reasonable. However, the lack of full document access, the absence of specified evaluation criteria, and the reported lack of e-submission significantly undermine the fairness and transparency of the process.

No full document access
No evaluation criteria specified
Practicality60/100

The contract start date and duration are clearly specified. However, the reported lack of electronic submission capabilities is a practical drawback, and the absence of direct document URLs (from the provided info) adds a hurdle for bidders.

No electronic submission
No direct document URL provided in the summary
Data Consistency75/100

Key dates are logical and consistent, and there are no reported disputes or suspensions. However, some fields like 'Liable Person,' 'Type Code,' and 'Procedure Code' are empty, and several key requirement sections are marked as 'Not specified.'

Empty fields for 'Liable Person', 'Type Code', 'Procedure Code'
'Not specified' for some key requirement sections
Sustainability30/100

The tender description focuses on operational efficiency (route optimization, electronic notes) and regulatory compliance. However, it explicitly lacks broader green procurement, social, or innovation criteria, and is not EU funded.

No explicit green procurement, social, or innovation criteria

Strengths

Clear and detailed service description with specific technical requirements
Reasonable submission timeline (almost 4 months)
Estimated value, contract duration, and start date are clearly specified
Regulatory context and compliance needs are well-articulated
Focus on operational efficiency through route optimization and electronic documentation

Concerns

Absence of actual tender document content, hindering full assessment and bidder access
Missing evaluation criteria, a critical omission for transparency and fairness
Unspecified eligibility, financial, and mandatory exclusion grounds
No electronic submission capabilities
Limited focus on broader sustainability, social, or innovation aspects

Recommendations

1. Ensure all tender documents are accessible and contain comprehensive information, including full terms and conditions.
2. Clearly define and publish all evaluation criteria to ensure transparency and fairness for bidders.
3. Explicitly state mandatory exclusion grounds, eligibility requirements, and financial requirements in the tender documentation.

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