DAFM seeks laboratory service to test for BSE and scrapie
The department is inviting tenders from approved laboratories to test brain tissue samples for the presence of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathys (TSEs) in cattle, sheep and goat carcasses.
The successful rapid testing laboratory (RTL) will be testing for BSE in cattle and for scrapie in sheep and goats.
The four-year contract is worth an estimated €5 million, excluding VAT.
According to the tender documents, there will be an estimated 65,000 samples for BSE testing and 23,000 samples for scrapie testing per year.
The successful tenderer will arrange the collection and testing of all TSE samples taken from animal carcasses at knackeries, and the testing of all scrapie samples submitted directly by slaughter plants to the RTL.
They will occasionally be required to collect and test samples from Ashgrove Meats, Newcastle West or other department-approved dedicated slaughter plants.
There may also be testing required for samples from the DAFM Regional Veterinary Laboratories (RVLs) and the Veterinary Science Centre, at University College Dublin (UCD).
In compliance with EU regulations, all samples which produce a positive or inconclusive test result must be subjected to confirmatory testing at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in Co. Kildare.
Tenderers must provide a description of their organisation demonstrating that they have adequate resources to implement the contract.
The successful tenderer will report the test results of the samples, electronically and in hard copy format, to relevant DAFM officials within specified timeframes.
They should have adequate facilities to retain samples for at least 24 hours, along with the ability to retain all records of samples tested for TSE for seven years.
The closing date for the submission of tenders is 12:00p.m on September 12, 2025.
According to DAFM, there were two herds restricted for scrapie in 2024, along with one herd restricted for BSE.
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