Award

CEFAS25-91 ITT for provision of mudflat monitoring surveys at Hinkley Point C

CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

17 Feb 2026 at 13:46

Award

20 Jan 2026 at 12:45

Tender

24 Nov 2025 at 14:51

Summary of the contracting process

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) has completed a public procurement process for marine survey services under the BEEMS programme for monitoring mudflats at Hinkley Point C. The procurement was conducted using an open procedure with the involvement of the NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited. The focus of the contract is to conduct intertidal mudflat monitoring surveys to assess the impact of seawater temperature changes due to cooling water discharges from the nuclear power station. The surveys include biological sampling around Bridgwater Bay and Wick St. Lawrence, and physical measurements such as temperature and pressure. The contract went through the tender stage, with implementation expected to start in February 2026, concluding in December 2028, with options for extension until December 2030.

This tender opens up business growth opportunities for organisations specialising in marine environmental studies, particularly those that excel in conducting detailed biological and sediment analyses as required by the contract. With Marine Science Support Ltd awarded the contract, the opportunity is especially fitting for SMEs with expertise in marine survey services under the CPV classification '79311000'. Businesses in this niche can leverage their capabilities to contribute to regulatory environmental monitoring, supporting large infrastructure projects like Hinkley Point C. By aligning with such projects, businesses can bolster their reputation and expand their market presence in the United Kingdom's marine sciences sector.

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Notice Title

CEFAS25-91 ITT for provision of mudflat monitoring surveys at Hinkley Point C

Notice Description

The BEEMS (British EDF Estuarine and Marine Studies) programme is funded by NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited. Through this programme, Cefas provide authoritative scientific information on the marine and transitional waters in the vicinity of potential new build nuclear power stations and require a competent Supplier to deliver the element described below. Cefas require services to conduct intertidal mudflat monitoring surveys for the Hinkley Point C (HPC) Nuclear New Build project to meet regulatory environmental monitoring requirements. The ongoing mudflat monitoring programme focuses on a bivalve species, the Baltic tellin, Macoma balthica. This species is a key component of the Hinkley Point mudflat community and was identified, during the HPC environmental impact assessment process, as potentially sensitive to localised seawater temperature increases brought about by the cooling water discharges from HPC. As such, biological samples and physical measurements are collected every year. The monitoring programme is focussed on mudflat intertidal areas around Bridgwater Bay and at a reference site in Wick St. Lawrence, located to the north of the bay. Scope of Requirements: Biological samples are collected at all the sampling stations in high shore and low shore and require the following: a) Six replicate macrofauna samples are collected using a 0.01 m2 corer to a depth of 15 cm. Each sample is placed in a sealed plastic bag and transported via private courier to a third-party laboratory for macrofauna analysis. The courier service, arranged by the Supplier, ensures delivery to the Cefas appointed UK based laboratory within 24 hours of collection. Alternative approaches to this analysis method are welcomed and should be outlined within your proposal. (Figure 2) b) Some mud is then shovelled into a 1 mm mesh sieve and sieved on site to collect up to 75 Macoma balthica individuals by hand using tweezers for population dynamic analysis. Samples are stored in a plastic ziplock bags (Figure 3). If only small individuals are found, an additional 10 - 15 larger individual (>1 cm width) must be collected for the condition index measurements and placed in a separate ziplock bag for a condition assessment. Samples are stored in a fridge or in cool box to keep individuals alive for processing at the end of the sampling day. These are then sent to the Lowestoft Cefas Laboratory. c) Sediment samples are collected using a 50 ml plastic syringe with a truncated tip to sample the first 2 cm of sediment as a core (five replicate). Four of the five samples (for pigment and nutrient analysis) are pooled together in a plastic ziplock bag to account for small scale variability and one sample is stored in a pot for Particle Size Analysis. Samples are stored in dry ice for the duration of the survey. These are then sent to the Lowestoft Cefas Laboratory. Physical measurements are carried out at the low shore stations only and require the following: a) Temperature and pressure sensors (Star-Oddi's Data Storage Tag DST centi-TD) are deployed on metal stakes (Figure 4) at the five low shore stations on stakes (see Figure 1). The sensors, which remain in situ, record temperature continuously and data need to be uploaded on a quarterly basis. Biological samples must be collected twice a year during spring tide windows in February and in August. Physical measurement surveys must be carried out four times a year, in February, May, August and November. Note that the biological and physical measurements in February and August are completed during the same survey.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e78e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014327-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security


CPV Codes

71354500 - Marine survey services

79311000 - Survey services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£170,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£170,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£250,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Feb 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
7 Jan 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
20 Jan 20261 months ago
Contract Period
18 Feb 2026 - 31 Dec 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
2029-09-01

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active, Pending
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procure@cefas.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LOWESTOFT
Postcode
NR33 0HT
Post Town
Norwich
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH63 East Suffolk
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
East Suffolk
Electoral Ward
Kirkley & Pakefield
Westminster Constituency
Lowestoft

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

MARINE SCIENCE SUPPORT

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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