Provision of biosecurity support services at ten aquatic sporting events and development of example biosecurity protocol for boating events.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency is seeking a contractor to provide biosecurity support at ten aquatic sporting events (including angling, paddling, boating and rowing) between now and end of March 2025, and develop three example biosecurity protocols for future boating events. The contractor is asked to provide biosecurity support at ten aquatic sporting events in England between now and end of March 2025 to help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species. The specific events will be confirmed shortly but will include angling, boating, paddling and rowing events, and are likely to be at a number of locations across England. The contractor will be required to run a biosecurity / washdown station to help participants clean their boats and kit on arrival, and / or before they leave (depending on specific event requirements) and raise awareness of biosecurity and the Check Clean Dry campaign to participants. Some events may require the contractor to attend the event for more than one day. The services shall also include using the experience gained (and any previous experience) to develop three example kit lists / methodologies for running a washdown station at boating events that are considered low, medium, and high risk for transfer of invasive aquatic species. The contractor is permitted to subcontract individual events to other contractors with similar experience.

Please reply:

1. Could you do all of them or require subcontracting?
2. Whether you could carry out all of the events (circa 10) across 2024, even if there are two events on one day- do you have a sufficient team to cover both events?
3. If you are interested in this - please email Angelica.Ho@defra.gov.uk.