Negotiated Contract for the Provision of Scientific Testing Services (including chemical analytical, bacteriological examination)

South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) has a requirement for a suitably qualified service provider for the provision of a comprehensive Chemical Analytical and Bacteriological Examination service throughout South Lanarkshire. The contract period will be for a period from 7 August 2026 – 31 July 2030 (4 years) with SLC option to extend for a further period of up to 12 months. Following the closure of an Open tender exercise, the Council received one submission from the incumbent service provider. Upon review of the commercial submission, issues were identified and the bid was deemed non-compliant. A joint decision was made by the Procurement Service and Environmental Services to proceed with a negotiated procedure, following the failure of the previous procurement exercise. The award of this contract under the Negotiated Tendering Procedure can be justified under Standing Order 9.3.1(a) of the Council’s Standing Orders on Contracts as follows: Where as a result of the publication of a contract notice no tender, no suitable tenders, no requests to participate or no suitable requests to participate has been received provided that the initial conditions of the contract are not substantially altered. Consequently, this approach represents the most appropriate route to market, ensuring the continued provision of Scientific Testing Services while demonstrating Best Value for the Council.