PGI Designation Certification Services

Tender description

HCC is seeking to award a contract to a service provider for the provision of Protected Geographical Indication (“PGI”) designation certification services for both PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef for a three-year duration, commencing on 01 July 2026. HCC act as guardians of the PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef designations. These PGI designations are part of the UK Geographical Indication (GI) schemes, administered by Defra, which protect PDO, PGI, and TSG product names in Great Britain. These schemes are the direct domestic successor to the EU system originally created by Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. In order to fulfil its responsibilities and to ensure that the integrity of the PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef designations is protected, HCC has a certification scheme for organisations operating abattoirs and/ or cutting plants. This scheme provides for strict control and monitoring to ensure that only lamb and beef which meet the specifications is marketed as PGI Welsh Lamb or PGI Welsh Beef. The successful service provider will be required to administer the audit and certification scheme covering organisations operating abattoirs and/or cutting plants. A summary of the PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef Verification Scheme for abattoirs and cutting plants is provided in the scheme guidance document, in Annex 1. PGI Welsh Lamb - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60141fd68fa8f53fba2e4a54/Product_Specificiation__Welsh_Lamb_.pdf PGI Welsh Beef - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60141e4a8fa8f53fc3d79978/Product_Specification_Welsh_Beef_.pdf The number of organisations which are approved to use the PGI designations Welsh Lamb and/or Welsh Beef varies over time. On 01 March 2026, 42 sites were approved to use the PGI designations Welsh Lamb and/or Welsh Beef: 23 in Wales, 17 in England, 1 in Scotland and 1 in Northern Ireland. A full list of current approved sites can be found at; https://meatpromotion.wales/en/about/about-us/protected-geographical-indication-pgi/pgi-approved-abattoirs-and-cutting-plants/ As the number of organisations wishing to use the PGI designations may vary from year to year, the number of audits that HCC will require the successful tenderer to carry out over the term of the agreement will also vary.