Award

EcoSF4 call-off: Le Strange Fish Surveys

NATURAL ENGLAND

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

28 Apr 2026 at 14:10

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Natural England has completed a procurement process titled "EcoSF4 call-off: Le Strange Fish Surveys" in environmental services, focusing on fish surveys within The Wash and North Norfolk Coast Special Area of Conservation. This contract, initiated as a tender and awarded to APEM Ltd, is valued at £241,230.80 and aims to collect and analyse data from annual cockle and mussel surveys to guide fisheries management. The service delivery spans from 28 April 2026 to 27 April 2029, with activities taking place in multiple regions including the United Kingdom and Europe. The procurement was completed using a selective method via a call-off from a framework agreement.

This tender creates significant opportunities for businesses involved in environmental consultancy, particularly those specialising in fisheries management and ecological assessments. Companies capable of conducting comprehensive surveys, analysing environmental data, and engaging with stakeholders would find this procurement advantageous. It is well-suited for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rather than voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), due to its technical nature and the economic scale of the project. The output will provide valuable insights into fisheries performance and management improvement recommendations, contributing to sustainable growth in the environmental sector.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

EcoSF4 call-off: Le Strange Fish Surveys

Notice Description

The Wash is one of the largest protected sites in the country, exceeding 60,000ha in area and has exceptional wildlife importance. The Le Strange estate private cockle and mussel fisheries operates on the eastern side of The Wash. Cockle and mussel bed communities are key attributes of The Wash and North Norfolk Coast SAC, and important feeding habitats for bird species (including oystercatcher and knot, protected under The Wash SPA). The cockle and mussel beds cover an area of approximately 1,000ha and 15ha respectively. The draft Fisheries Management Plan sets out the long term agreed Fisheries Management Principles. These Principles are applied to data obtained through annual stock assessments for both cockle and mussel to set out annual management measures (e.g., setting Total Allowable Catch (TAC), specifying beds open to fishing). After each fishing season, fisheries footprint and other data is used to assess how the fishery has performed against these measures. This contract will involve data collection through annual cockle and mussel surveys, applying the fisheries management principles to this data to set the annual fisheries measures, and post-season review of how the fishery performed in relation to these measures. It will also involve documentation of the mussel fishery through discussion with the fisheries tenants, and development of mussel post fishery evaluation methodology. It will involve understanding some of the stock dynamics and condition of the mussel and cockle beds as protected features, and critical evaluation of the fisheries management principles and recommendations for improvements to management.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-58e2e3dd-b955-4c24-8c60-15f9c240ff1f
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e891b4df-f3fe-4900-90dc-4341c00504f3
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

90700000 - Environmental services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£241,230 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£241,230 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
15 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Apr 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
27 Apr 2026 - 27 Apr 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATURAL ENGLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

APEM

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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