Tender

CEFAS25-139 Request for Quotation for the analysis of seabed imagery

CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

09 Jan 2026 at 17:13

Summary of the contracting process

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a sub-central government public authority based in Lowestoft, UK, is inviting tenders for the analysis of seabed imagery under the tender ID CEFAS25-139. This procurement falls under the services category and specifically targets analysis services, with an industry classification of CPV 71620000. The intended contract is to be performed at Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) located off the East Sussex coast and to the west of Land's End. This tender, issued on 9 January 2026 with an expiry for inquiries set on 28 January 2026, is currently in the Tender stage, and interested parties must submit proposals by 30 January 2026. The gross contract value is estimated at £40,000, and it will be conducted via open competition, below the threshold, meaning it is accessible for a wider range of suppliers.

This tender presents opportunities for businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), to expand their capabilities in marine environmental analysis. Companies engaged in GIS, marine biology, or specialising in seabed data interpretation stand to benefit by enhancing their portfolios and gaining credibility through collaboration with established organisations like Cefas and Natural England. The project will involve the utilisation of specialised software such as BIIGLE for the annotation of seabed imagery, contributing to the development of detailed GIS outputs and comprehensive reports, ultimately supporting marine conservation efforts. Businesses with expertise in these areas are well-suited to compete, offering them the potential not only to grow through new revenues but also through the acquisition of advanced technical and domain-specific knowledge.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CEFAS25-139 Request for Quotation for the analysis of seabed imagery

Notice Description

To view this opportunity please go to https://atamis-9529.my.site.com/login You will need to log in or create a new supplier account. The opportunity can then be found searching 'CEFAS25-139 Request for Quotation for the analysis of seabed imagery'. Cefas and Natural England (NE) have been working collaboratively to deliver monitoring surveys within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as part of the ongoing MPA programme. These surveys aim to support Natural England's monitoring objectives and provide robust evidence to inform conservation measures. Two recent surveys were undertaken at designated Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs): Beachy Head East MCZ in November 2023 and Cape Bank MCZ in September 2025. Both sites are important for understanding subtidal habitats and associated species, and the surveys were designed to gather high-quality data to meet specific ecological objectives. Beachy Head East MCZ is an inshore site located along the East Sussex coast near Eastbourne, within the Eastern Channel region. Covering an area of approximately 195 km2, the survey focused on: * Mapping the extent and distribution of subtidal sediment, rock, and biogenic reef habitats. * Collecting quantitative information on species composition across sedimentary and rocky biotopes. * Identifying the presence of S. spinulosa formations and, where possible, providing data to inform Reefiness assessments. * Recording any presence of non-native species. Cape Bank MCZ, is an inshore site situated in the Western Channel and Celtic Sea region to the west of Land's End, spans roughly 474 km2. The survey objectives included: * Acquiring high-quality video and image data to verify the extent and distribution of subtidal moderate energy circalittoral rock features. * Determining the main characterising species within these habitats to enable temporal comparisons with previous datasets. 2. Requirements: The Supplier is required to undertake the analysis of seabed imagery (video and still images) collected at Beachy Head East and Cape Bank MCZs. This analysis will include the production of imagery-specific Geographic Information System (GIS) deliverables. The imagery for analysis is detailed in Table 1, and maps of the stations sampled are shown in Figures 1 and 2. More detailed metadata will be provided to the awarded Supplier following Contract award. All video observations were captured using a drop-down camera (DDC) system. 2.1. General project specifications: The Supplier will: * Undertake the analysis of seabed imagery (video and still images) as outlined in this document and its appendices. * Use BIIGLE to annotate video and still images in accordance with methodology described in Appendix A. Cefas and NE will provide guidance on use of BIIGLE for MPA projects during the start-up meeting, if needed. o Record the majority of information in BIIGLE first and subsequently used to populate the provided proformas. Where explicitly agreed by Cefas/NE, certain data may be entered directly into the proformas. o Develop and maintain substrate and taxonomic image reference collections in BIIGLE. * Produce all specified deliverables (see section 4), including GIS outputs and a comprehensive analysis report. o The GIS outputs will be provided as an ESRI ArcMap GIS geodatabase (".gdb") using the sample information provided (see also section 2.2.3). The database will contain one A still image feature-class (labelled "_STILL") and two video specific feature-classes (labelled "_VIDSOL" and "_VIDTR"). o The comprehensive analysis report will include a summary of the results, the description of the methodology, and some details on the quality Assurance (QA) process and any remediation undertaken (see also section 4.1) * Ensure that still image and video references used in analysis outputs are identical to those used in the naming of the original media, to enable future reconciliation between data and media. If identical naming is not possible, a suitable alternative should be sought with Cefas (e.g. a lookup table, or closely similar naming) . Any deviation from this methodology must be approved in writing by Project Manager. 2.2. Analysis Methodologies The Supplier must perform all analyses in accordance with the specifications set out below and in Appendix A. Any deviation must be approved in writing by the Project Manager prior to implementation. 2.2.1. Video Data (All Transects) Video will be analysed in BIIGLE using the label trees shown in Table 2. A high-level review will be conducted as described in Turner et al (2016). Tier selection for each tree is specified in Table 2 and further clarified in Appendix A. Each video will be analysed and labelled using provided BIIGLE label trees (unless specified otherwise). The following steps outline the tasks required to generate the necessary information: 1. Where possible, Video will be segmented into areas of continuous seabed broadscale habitat (BSH) type greater than or equal to 5 m along transect distance. The segment labels should be used to delineate these segments and labels from other trees should be attached to each segment using the "add label" tool in BIIGLE. Alternative options (e.g. using time stamp, can be considered. 2. The EUNIS 2007/12 classification system will be used, and a new segment should be started if the habitat classification changes. * EUNIS 2007/12 classification system. Initially this label tree should be used to assign BSH types, that is up to level 3 of the hierarchy (e.g. Sublittoral sands and muddy sands). 3. Each segment will be assigned an Image quality using labels from two label trees. Further analysis of video segments will be dependent on the image quality score. For example, if a segment is given a score of zero, no further analysis should be carried out for that segment: * Image quality, a summary of these labels is shown in Table 3. * NMBAQC image quality, a summary of these scores is shown in Table 4 but described in more detail in section 2.1 of Turner et al (2016). 4. Use the Habitat Features Of Conservation Importance (FOCI) label tree to identify any habitat segments containing the FOCI habitats listed in NE & JNCC, 2010 . 5. Identify evidence of anthropogenic impacts on the seabed: * Use the litter label tree to record the presence of litter using the categories listed in Annex 5.1 of the Joint Research Centres Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas . * Use the Anthropogenic label tree to annotate trawl marks or anthropogenic impacts other than litter. The tree may be extended with new labels if required in agreement with Cefas (extensions must be documented). 6. Use the habitat label tree to assign biotopes, up to level 6 of the EUNIS 2007/12 classification system and in accordance with Parry (2019) . 7. A reference collection of representative images must be provided for each discreet BSH identified. 2.2.2. Analysis of Stills Imagery Still images must be analysed in BIIGLE using the label trees shown in Table 5. Annotations will be assigned in a two-tier process. Tier 1 annotations are referred to as "image labels" are associated with image metadata (BSH, quality etc) whilst "Tier 2" annotation are faunal annotations applied over observations of biota (See table 5 for further information on the Two-Tier system). Optionally tier 1 labels may be added directly into the proforma instead of being applied to still images, where this is done it must be consistent (i.e. there must not be a mixture of BIIGLE annotations and proforma entries for image quality) and agreed with Cefas/NE. More details on the still annotation types and how they must be applied are provided in Appendix A.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060343
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002056-2026
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
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services


CPV Codes

71620000 - Analysis services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£33,333 Under £100K
Lots Value
£33,333 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Jan 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
30 Jan 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
9 Mar 2026 - 30 Nov 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

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

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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