Tender

Wildfire and peatland: Studies to support delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

17 Sep 2025 at 10:12

TenderUpdate

17 Sep 2025 at 10:07

Tender

04 Sep 2025 at 15:16

Summary of the contracting process

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is inviting bids for a tender titled "Wildfire and peatland: Studies to support delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme." This procurement falls under the services category, specifically research and development consultancy services, and is situated in the United Kingdom. The current stage of the procurement process is active, with a deadline for tender submissions set for 14th October 2025. The award period for this contract is expected to conclude by 31st October 2025. This project has been structured as an open procedure under the legal framework of the UK Public Contracts Regulations. The total value of the project is set at £300,000, with the procurement being above the threshold and covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those skilled in environmental R&D consultancy. Companies with expertise in wildfire and peatland science are well-positioned to contribute, especially if they can offer innovative solutions to enhance wildfire resilience in peatland ecosystems. The structure of the project into six distinct sub-projects allows for a multitude of organisations to participate, creating opportunities for collaborations or consortia to bid. There is a particular interest in consortia that bring together diverse expertise from research institutes and organizations in the environmental, economic, and social sciences. Small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as voluntary, community and social enterprises, are encouraged to participate, promoting growth and diversification in these sectors. The project provides a platform for businesses to demonstrate their technical capabilities, project management skills, and their commitment to sustainability and social value.

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Notice Title

Wildfire and peatland: Studies to support delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme

Notice Description

The Technical Report of the Third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) identified a substantial increase in wildfire risk as a direct result of climate change which may have severe implications in peatland areas or for other organic soils which are major carbon stores (Risk N5 - risk to natural carbon stores). Wildfires on peat soils can lead to large amounts of carbon being released into the atmosphere, contributing further to climate change. In Annex 1 to the Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), published in July 2023, we set out the actions we would be taking to achieve our risk reduction goal of creating and maintaining healthy, functioning peatland, which will increase the resilience of these carbon stores for future climate conditions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This included a commitment to a wildfire risk R&D programme beginning from 2023 (as part of Action 6). We are putting in place research to fulfil this commitment and as part of this we need to commission several reviews and scoping studies. These are smaller pieces of work individually, which we are bringing together into one larger project. The project is made up of 6 sub-projects (A to F) which will be reported on independently (giving a total project output of 6 reports). Sub-projects A and C are the largest sub-projects. Due to the diverse nature of the work areas, we expect that different teams will be required for each sub-project (and should involve different organisations as appropriate). We welcome consortia bids which draw together a range of expertise from different research institutes and organisations across environmental, economic and social disciplines. The overall project must be coordinated by a scientist with expertise in wildfire who will contribute to each sub-project and ensure delivery. However, expertise in peat science will also be required and it would be beneficial to ensure that at least one peat scientist had a mirror role in ensuring consistency across the sub-projects (see also later section on the project team). The six sub-projects are: A Effectiveness of peatland land management systems and practices in creating wildfire resilience to meet adaptation needs B The impact of peat restoration on building wildfire resilience into the landscape (deeper dive) C The cost of wildfire on peat in England and Wales (economic assessment) D Scoping a peat wildfire risk map for England (scoping study) E Scoping a portal for land managers to report fires on peat they have dealt with (scoping study) F Recovery of peat habitats post-wildfire

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059473
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057242-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services


CPV Codes

73200000 - Research and development consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Sep 20255 months ago
Submission Deadline
14 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
14 Nov 2025 - 13 Nov 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@defra.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
Not specified

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

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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