RFP QuestBeta
Awarded · ResultStage · contract

Defra Network eTendering Portal

Petfished - Partnership Marketing

Business ServicesCPV 79000000 79400000 79410000
Value£25k
Awarded28 Feb 2020
Published8 Sept 2020
RegionUK-wide
Outcome — awarded

This is a contract result notice, not an open opportunity. Details from the official award data.

Contract value in context
£25ktotal contract value
median £66k
this tender£0£1.6m

This sits below the typical range for Business Services contracts — a smaller, more accessible award. Based on 57,319 valued Business Services tenders in our corpus.

The brief

In August 2018 Defra consulted on a proposal to introduce a ban on third party sales of puppies and kittens in England.

This followed a high-profile campaign known as 'Lucy Law' which brought attention to the poor welfare conditions associated with pet shops and dealers and the so-called puppy farms that supply them.

Lucy's Law came into force on 6 April 2020.

It means anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must now buy direct from a breeder or with one of the nation's reputable rehoming centres.

Licensed dog breeders are required to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth.

If a business sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.

On 2 March 2020, ahead of Lucy's Law coming into force, we launched a campaign called Petfished.

The term 'Petfished' is a play on 'Catfishing', where a stranger creates a fictional online persona to lure someone in.

The campaign raises awareness of unscrupulous sellers so that prospective pet-buyers can buy a cat or dog safely, from a trustworthy source.

Urging people to question 'Who's the person behind the pet?' The campaign aims to: - Educate our audiences about the risks of buying from an unscrupulous seller - Disrupt the purchasing journey and encourage people to not only research the breed of dog they want but equally to research the seller - Challenge perceptions that low welfare breeders are easy to spot.

Policy objective: To reduce the demand for puppies and kittens, cats and dogs sold by third parties and supplied by low-welfare and/or illegal breeders.

Communications objectives: The campaign encourages the responsible sourcing of puppies/kittens/cats/dogs by getting buyers/adopters to research the seller before they visit

Key requirements

What the supplier must deliver

01

This followed a high-profile campaign known as

This followed a high-profile campaign known as 'Lucy Law' which brought attention to the poor welfare conditions associated with pet shops and dealers and the so-called puppy farms that supply them.

02

It means anyone wanting to get

It means anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must now buy direct from a breeder or with one of the nation's reputable rehoming centres.

03

Licensed dog breeders are required to show

Licensed dog breeders are required to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth.

Derived from the notice text — always confirm against the original documents.

Buyer intelligence

Make the case to bid

Reveal who to approach at Defra Network eTendering Portal, and generate a go-to-market strategy from their news, accounts and people.

Source & provenance
OCID
0cf470b9-5288-4d90-b26a-e878f9625ef2
Stage
contract · Contract
Source
Contracts Finder
Buyer ref
tender_239925/885824
View the original notice on Contracts Finder

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source data © Crown copyright.

Market context

Who wins this kind of work

The suppliers and buyers around this opportunity — drawn from official award data. Drag to orbit; click a node to explore.

Top suppliers & buyers in Business Services

Scroll to explore the market network

Defra Network eTendering Portal’s tender network

Assembling the network…

Also open now

Similar open tenders

Sales Team - Marketing and Print

Thirteen Housing Group Limited

Closes 7 Aug 2026Business Services
£400kValue

Foster4 Digital Marketing

Warrington Borough Council

Closes 10 Aug 2026Business Services
Value not publishedValue