Planning

P-37549 - EAN - OJUE - Ouse Washes Habitat Creation Project (OWHCP)

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

15 Oct 2025 at 08:29

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

14 Oct 2025 at 08:55

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

21 May 2025 at 13:38

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Environment Agency, with the procurement conducted by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is in the planning stage for the Ouse Washes Habitat Creation Project (OWHCP), scheduled for early 2026. This project aims to transform arable fields in Sutton, Cambridgeshire Fens, into approximately 200 hectares of wet grassland to benefit breeding and wintering birds such as snipe and black-tailed godwit. The procurement category falls under works, with an estimated contract value of £4.94 million (gross value £5.928 million). Initial market engagement is planned until 28th October 2025, and interested parties are encouraged to submit their expressions of interest by this date. The chosen supplier will undertake all aspects of design, on-ground work, and long-term management over a 25-year contractual period.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in environmental management, engineering design, or construction works, particularly those experienced in long-term habitat creation and management. The procurement seeks a single supplier, favouring businesses that can provide comprehensive services from initial design through to ongoing site management. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary/community social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to apply. The project, structured to accommodate phased implementation, allows suppliers to build valuable expertise in habitat management over an extended period, potentially leading to future project opportunities.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

P-37549 - EAN - OJUE - Ouse Washes Habitat Creation Project (OWHCP)

Notice Description

The Sutton scheme needs to create wet grassland from arable fields to benefit both wintering and breeding birds, the target species for the OWHCP being breeding ruff, black-tailed godwit, snipe, and wintering widgeon.

Planning Information

Defra Group Commercial on behalf of Environment Agency (EA) intends to publish a tender opportunity for the provision of Ouse Washes Habitat Creation Project (OWHCP), tentatively scheduled early 2026. Purpose of Engagement: Market engagement is being undertaken because our requirements have two unusual features. First, we are looking for a single supplier to undertake all aspects of habitat design, undertake works on the ground, and subsequently manage the site and habitat. We are doing so because in practice for habitat creation schemes there are not clear boundaries between these stages and is an iterative process. Second, we require the contractual arrangements to be in pace for 25 years. This is because habitat establishment is a gradual process over a number of years and involves suppliers developing an understanding over time as to how the site functions under different circumstances. A shorter duration would lose the efficiency of having built such experience and knowledge. From market engagement we hope to understand the size and maturity of the pool of potential suppliers, their technical capabilities and experience, and gauge their appetite for entering into such long-term arrangements. Scope of Engagement: The client has the intention of creating approximately 200ha of new wet grassland habitat suitable to accommodate breeding snipe, black-tailed godwit, and ruff, and also for wintering wigeon. The site is located at Sutton within the Cambridgeshire Fens, adjacent to the Ouse Washes. The landholding is being assembled and so the final site boundary is still to be set. The land is largely peat-based currently in cultivation. The supplier is required to produce the scheme design together with materials needed to secure consents, undertake the habitat creation works, and then manage the site and habitat for 25 years. The design and construction work will be administered through an NEC Engineering and Construction Contract, and the site management will be subject to a bespoke management agreement. The supplier will design the scheme from scratch taking account the nature of the site and constraints. A specification for the habitat has been produced, but it is accepted that given the site and constraints the specification may not be met at all times across the whole site. The main design constraint is that in order to manage cost no large-scale water storage such as a raised reservoir or excavated lake will be included. In addition, to manage the risk to archaeology, as far as possible excavation must be confined to the top 0.5m of the ground. A range of possible water sources have been identified but it would be for the supplier to secure sources and design how water is stored and managed across the site. There is ground information available, largely from hand auger survey, to inform the design. Dependent on the design it is anticipated the following consents will be required: planning permission (for some elements), abstraction licence, IDB bylaw consent, Flood Risk Activity Permit, and Scheduled Monument consent. The supplier will provide the studies and reports needed to support consent applications by the client, such as environmental impact assessment, flood risk assessment, Habitats Regulations assessment, biodiversity net gain assessment. A range of ecological and archaeological studies and surveys have been completed and may need to be updated in order to inform the design, consents, construction, and possible protected species licence application. Following acceptance of the design by the client and the granting of consents the supplier will undertake the habitat creation works. It is appreciated that habitat creation especially for wetland sites can be an iterative and possibly extended process. While land acquisition is still in progress, in order to make a start on the ground the scheme delivery may be divided into two or more phases that are progressed once all the land within a phase has been secured. Each phase would need to be ecologically appropriate and hydrologically self-contained in order that water levels can be raised. It would be for the supplier to propose the phases as part of the overall integrated scheme design. The timing of phases will depend on the land acquisition process and could potentially be years apart. The contractual arrangements will be designed to accommodate a phased approach. When habitat creation works are completed for the whole site, or the first phase, the 25-year habitat management stage will commence. The supplier will be wholly responsible for and address all aspects of site management. The first step will be the production of the site management plan for acceptance by the client. Thereafter the client and supplier will meet and review progress with respect the target species and an overview of management activity on an annual basis. The management agreement will include provisions for its breaking should the habitat creation be no longer required, become unfeasible, or if there are issues of poor supplier performance. Engagement Method: Written submissions are required via email to Mohammed.Ali1@defra.gov.uk expressing interest in the outline above and some demonstration of your technical competence and robustness as a business. We would appreciate receiving all expressions of interest by 12pm on 28th October 2025 Outcome Use: Feedback from engagement will either confirm our intended procurement approach or may cause us to reconsider aspects of it. This could include, for example, the reliance on a single supplier or the duration of the management agreement. We will consider holding a virtual supplier engagement event. This session would provide an overview of our requirements and invite supplier feedback. A Q&A session would follow, giving participants the opportunity to raise questions which will be addressed by our team, please state in your response if this would be something you would be interested in. Transparency Statement: To confirm, the undertaking of this engagement is not part of a call for competition. Participation or absence from it will not influence future tendering outcomes.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-051b18
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065429-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

45247270 - Reservoir construction works

71322000 - Engineering design services for the construction of civil engineering works

77310000 - Planting and maintenance services of green areas

90710000 - Environmental management

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£4,940,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Nov 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
26 Jan 2026 - 25 Jan 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Additional Buyers

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
mohammed.ali1@defra.gov.uk, peter.doktor@environment-agency.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

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
TLH12 Cambridgeshire CC
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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