12/11/21

Number of tenders received: 1

Awarded supplier:

National Co-Op Farm Relief Services , organisation no: 4607731J

Value excluding VAT: 16000000.00 EUR

Tender: suitably trained and skilled operatives to assist in delivery of the badger capture and inspections programme, badger activity scoring and new sett survey

Term for a period or periods of up to twelve (12) months with a maximum of two (2) such extension or extensions

Approximately one hundred and twenty (120) operatives are required

The duties will include the laying and removal of restraints, checking on restraints and the removal, culling and transportation of badgers

The duties will include the laying of restraints, checking restraints, assisting the Contracting Authority’s official in the course of the vaccination, removing restraints including travel costs.

Related duties, including assistance for surveying and setts classification)

The Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, implemented by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM), contains a comprehensive wildlife strategy in order to limit the spread of TB from badgers to cattle.
The badger is a protected species under the Wildlife Act. Where there has been a TB breakdown, and badgers are identified as the cause, the badgers are captured in restraints and humanely culled and removed, under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In addition, badgers are captured in specific vaccination zones, scanned and either released or presented for vaccination.
It is important to stress that capturing and removal is undertaken only in areas where serious outbreaks of TB have been identified in cattle herds and where an epidemiological investigation carried out by the Department’s veterinary inspectorate has found that badgers are the likely source of infection. The Department is very conscious of the welfare of badgers and any removal of badgers is carried out in accordance with the licence.

Tenders are sought for the Provision of suitably trained and skilled operatives to assist in delivery of the badger capture and inspections programme, badger activity scoring and new sett survey for the TB Eradication Programme of DAFM.
A detailed description of each of the services provided by the current service provider is set out in the ‘Overview of Services to be Provided’, and the Contracting Authority requires tenderers to describe how they will deliver the services required to achieve the objectives described in this RFT.
Services are generally required between September and June but may be required throughout the whole year.
Approximately one hundred and twenty (120) operatives are required by the Contracting Authority to perform all the duties described for badger capture and inspection; and for surveying and sett classification as described below.
Should there be any changes in the proposed funding, DAFM reserve the right to purchase additional services and also reserve the right to alter their requirements in line with the availability of funding.

The service provider provides the following:

(a) The setting of restraints for the capture of badgers at badger sett locations/paths/passes identified by and under the direction of the Contracting Authority for a defined work-cycle; 

(b) The inspection of the restraints before 1.00pm each day of the relevant cycle, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Authority;

(c) The humane dispatch of the badger including culling, tagging, recording, packaging and delivery to an agreed location;

(d) The humane capture and presentation for vaccination;

(e) The humane release of vaccinated badgers;

(f) The humane capture and removal or release of any other species captured as directed by the Contracting Authority;

(g) The taking up of restraints, under the direction of the Contracting Authority;

(h) The surveying/sett classification.

This service is provided throughout the country and can take place in all Counties simultaneously. However, tenderers should note that in this regard the area of agricultural land “under capture” (i.e. relevant to the service required) varies from County to County.

• The tenderer must have manpower levels available to:
• deploy operators each year from September to June for the term of the contract,
• to capture between 5,000 and 15,000 (estimated) badgers per annum, and have the flexibility to deal with seasonal variations and locations. 

Experience indicates that generally between 70 – 150 restraints can be laid at 8 – 12 active setts on day 1

The successful tenderer’s operative who laid the restraints will check the restraints s/he placed at least once every 24 hours (on or before 1pm on each of the days of the working cycle) or as directed by the Contracting Authority’s personnel.

Experience shows the time required to  check restraints by one operative could take up to 4 hours per day

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_docs.asp?PID=202034&LID=229806&AllowPrint=1