Cornwall Badger Vaccination Pilot

Concepts

• veterinary services
• cornwall badger vaccination pilot
• cornwall
• badger vaccination
• pilot
• vaccination
• badger
• research and development
• consultancy services
• research activities

Location

United Kingdom: Three (3) sites in mid-Cornwall

Description

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice, indicating that Defra intends to enter into a contract with the National Farmers Union (NFU) to undertake a three-year project of badger vaccination and research activities in three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall.Defra aims to award this contract in February 2025 so this Notice confirms that a voluntary standstill period will be in effect for ten (10) days from the date of publication of this notice.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85200000 - Veterinary services
• 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Legal Justification

This unique pilot aims to provide scientific evidence in support of the Government manifesto pledge to stop badger culling and move to badger vaccination as the main form of TB control in badgers.This project focuses solely on three (3) pilot areas in Cornwall. Defra recognise that the National Farmers Union (NFU), alongside their main subcontractor Zoological Society London (ZSL), are uniquely placed in Cornwall to deliver this project, starting in March 2025. The NFU is the recognised industry body that has delivered licensed badger control operations since its inception in 2013. For many years in Cornwall, the NFU has worked closely with landowners, farmers and industry, organising badger culls alongside small badger vaccination projects. They have developed extensive networks and groups, including those developed specifically to oversee these types of operations. For reasons of privacy, security and sensitivity, information on their networks is not publicly available or collectively accessible by any other third party or organisation.ZSL has undertaken badger vaccination research and delivery projects in Cornwall since 2012. They are able to provide technical expertise in trapping and vaccinating badgers, and also the procedures required for the research aspects of this project. This includes highly specialized processes such as anesthetising and blood sampling badgers in the field under Home Office licence. In addition, they are APHA accredited badger vaccination trainers and will train a field force of local industry contractors to vaccinate badgers.Based on the information detailed above, the conclusion is that the NFU is the only contractor able to provide these services to Defra.

Other Information

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