Invitation to tender for processing and testing of samples for The Scottish Salmonella Scheme

Tender description

Invitation to tender for processing and testing of samples for The Scottish Salmonella Scheme Quality Meat Scotland is the marketing and industry development organisation for the Scottish red meat industry. For Scottish pig farms to control levels of salmonella a cost-effective and efficient testing programme is required. A pilot trial which was conducted by QMS and SAC Veterinary Services has identified a testing protocol using a combination of meat juice samples and colonic swabs collected from individual farms at the abattoir. You are invited to submit a bid to deliver a package for the next year and the following outlines the scope of work: - Processing and testing of frozen meat-juice samples for antibodies to salmonella using the IDEXX ELISA test. Fifteen individual samples per farm, per quarter from approximately eighty-five farms will be tested. - Processing and testing of fifteen colonic swabs per farm for the presence and type of salmonella from eight farms per year, this may vary depending on results from the meat-juice testing. - Supply of all meat-juice pots and swabs - Transfer of results in MS Excel spread-sheet format to SRUC Inverness and Wholesome Pigs Scotland Bids should include: - An explanation of your chosen approach to the project - A breakdown of costs Tenderers must include details of key staff to be used, examples of similar projects carried out and contact details for two referees. QMS reserve the right to check that your company is financially sound before contracting. All tenders will be treated with complete confidentiality and the decision will be taken based on best value for money and relevant experience. An electronic copy of your bid should be sent for my attention to arrive not later than 12.00pm on Friday 1st of March 2024. Successful tenders will be informed by Wednesday 6th of March and contract will commence on the 1st of April 2024. Please do not hesitate to contact me on PCS if you require further clarification.