Decision details

Surrey County Council (the Council) has obligations to ensure that safeguarding decisions about children are made using high quality evidence suitable for the courts. Forensic testing is sometimes required to support child protection and care planning decisions.

The current Forensic Testing Framework is due to expire on 31 July 2019. Therefore officers were required to go out to the market through a full tender process for a Framework under the Light Touch Regime. The services are broken into the following areas:

·         DNA Testing

·         Drug Testing

·         Alcohol Testing

This report provides details of the procurement process, including the results of the evaluation, and, in conjunction with the Part 2 report, demonstrates why the recommended award delivers value for money and meets the needs of individuals in the Council. Due to the commercial sensitivity involved in the contract award process, much of the Finance and Value for Money details have been included as a Part 2 report.