Tender

Operators Panel Manager for the Scottish Wave & Tidal Operators Agreement

CROWN ESTATE SCOTLAND

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

30 Mar 2026 at 09:01

Planning

27 Feb 2026 at 14:10

Summary of the contracting process

Crown Estate Scotland, operating through Scotland Excel, is currently in the tender phase for appointing an Operators Panel Manager (OPM) for the Scottish Wave & Tidal Operators Agreement, with the procurement process active as of 30th March 2026. This contract, classified under technical support services, involves remote coordination predominantly within Scotland, particularly in the Scottish Central Belt. The OPM will manage and guide technical workstreams and working groups, ensuring robust governance and coordination among stakeholders. The estimated contract value is £276,000 GBP, with a primary focus on environmental services. The open procedure procurement method is employed, and the deadline for electronic submissions is set for 29th April 2026. The bid opens simultaneously on the same date, with the contract period set for an initial two years, potentially extending up to five years based on performance and business needs.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses experienced in technical consultancy, environmental services, and project management outside of construction work. Companies specialising in governance frameworks and those capable of providing neutral, independent facilitation, particularly within the marine energy sector, will find this contract appealing. Given the scope includes technical coordination and monitoring of projects, businesses with expertise in managing stakeholder communications and technical work programmes will be well-suited. The contractual flexibility, allowing for extensions up to five years, offers a sustained engagement opportunity, promoting business growth and expansion within a prominent, environmentally-focused initiative led by Crown Estate Scotland.

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Notice Title

Operators Panel Manager for the Scottish Wave & Tidal Operators Agreement

Notice Description

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) intends to appoint an independent Operators Panel Manager (OPM) to support the governance, coordination and operation of the Operators Panel associated with the Scottish Wave and Tidal Power Operators Agreement. The OPM will act as a neutral chair, coordinate communications between Operators, and support business as usual obligations contained within the Agreement. Activities will include the facilitation of technical workstreams and management of working groups, with workload varying over the term as sector needs evolve. The objective is to secure a supplier who will: - Provide independent, neutral facilitation and chairing of the Operators Panel, maintaining an agreed governance process and accurate records. - Coordinate Operators, technical experts and CES to progress the Agreement's obligations and technical work programme. - Manage and continue to develop CES' tidal and wave technical work programmes and associated technical working groups, ensuring outputs meet the needs of the Panel. - Monitor specified external projects which directly contribute to the delivery of the technical work programmes and provide concise progress reporting and recommendations to CES. - Review Operator Adverse Impact Assessments when required by CES

Lot Information

Lot 1

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) manages land, coastline, seabed and property on behalf of the Scottish people, with a remit to generate long-term economic, social and environmental value. CES intends to establish a contract for an independent Operators Panel Manager (OPM) to support the governance, coordination and operation of the Scottish Wave and Tidal Operators Agreement. The Operators Agreement provides a governance framework that protects early developers' resource rights and defines how potential impacts of new developments on existing projects are managed. It unifies the previous Scottish Territorial Waters and Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Operator Agreements into a single agreement, overseen by the Operators Panel and supported by an independent panel chair appointed under the OPM contract. The OPM will act as a neutral chair, coordinate communications between Operators, and support business as usual obligations contained within the Agreement. Activities will include the facilitation of technical workstreams and management of working groups, with workload varying over the term as sector needs evolve.

Renewal: The initial contract term will be two years, with the option to extend for a further three years on an incremental basis (a 24-month extension followed by a 12-month extension), exercised at the sole discretion of Crown Estate Scotland and subject to ongoing performance and continued business need. The maximum contract term will be 5 years (including extensions).

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065e69
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028898-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

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

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services


CPV Codes

71356300 - Technical support services

71621000 - Technical analysis or consultancy services

73220000 - Development consultancy services

79421000 - Project-management services other than for construction work

90700000 - Environmental services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£276,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£276,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Mar 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
29 Apr 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
16 Mar 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CROWN ESTATE SCOTLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EDINBURGH
Postcode
EH3 9GL
Post Town
Edinburgh
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM1 East Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM13 City of Edinburgh
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
City of Edinburgh
Electoral Ward
City Centre
Westminster Constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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