This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

07 Jul 2026 at 08:05

Summary of the contracting process

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) is inviting tenders for the charter of a survey vessel to operate in the Outer Thames area. The procurement process, identified as CEFAS26-86, aims to address data gaps in the North Sea sole assessment, specifically in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. Classified under the public authority central government and located in Lowestoft, UK, the tender falls within the fishing vessels, survey vessels, and survey services industry categories. The procurement is at the tender stage and follows an open procedure. Interested parties should submit their bids by 4 August 2026, with enquiries closing on 28 July 2026. The successful tender is expected to commence the contract on 25 August 2026, concluding by 31 March 2027.

This tender offers a substantial growth opportunity for businesses in the maritime and fisheries sectors, particularly those operating inshore fishing vessels capable of supporting survey operations. Companies with local knowledge of the Thames area and experience in deploying beam trawls with the necessary infrastructure and resources for full-charter operations will be well-suited to compete. With a procurement value capped at £400,000, this contract includes management, crew, and operational expenses, promising significant revenue opportunities. The tender's open nature encourages participation from SMEs and VCSEs, fostering competitive entry and business expansion. Interested bidders should prepare a comprehensive financial and technical proposal, as detailed in the bidder pack available upon request.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

CEFAS26-86 ITT for Thames Survey Vessel Charter

Notice Description

This project aims to address important data gaps in the current North Sea sole assessment, particularly the lack of recent recruitment data from the UK sector of the southern North Sea, which is an important nursery area for the stock. To provide suitable spatial coverage, two surveys will be undertaken: one in the northern Outer Thames and one in the southern Outer Thames. Together, these surveys will collect abundance-at-age data for juvenile sole and information on the wider fish assemblage, including small demersal fish such as plaice, thornback ray and whiting, as well as shellfish and selected invertebrates. The project will conduct two seasonal surveys, each lasting up to seven days, using a standard 2 m or 3 m beam trawl supplied by Cefas at fixed sites in the Outer Thames. Data collected will include catch rates and size distributions for commercial and non-commercial species, such as cod, whiting, thornback ray and shellfish, together with biological data for sole and plaice. This tender seeks to secure one or more inshore fishing vessels (10 m LOA, or with sufficient space to support survey operations) with local knowledge of the areas described below, to undertake one or both surveys. The surveys will take place in late August and/or early September. Each vessel must be capable of rigging and deploying Cefas survey gear (see Section 4.1.4). Embarkation and disembarkation will be from suitable Outer Thames ports, such as West Mersea for the northern survey and Whitstable for the southern survey. Bidders should state their preferred port or ports in their submission. The vessel will operate on a full-charter basis, including management, crew, victuals, fuel, meetings, harbour and port fees, any additional insurance required for Cefas survey equipment, and all other services needed to complete the sampling described below. Tenders must be submitted as an all-inclusive fixed price and include a breakdown of day rates, mobilisation and demobilisation rates, and weather downtime costs. The procurement process is being managed via email and not on the authorities eProcurement system, to better support the market. The Bidder Pack can be requested by contacting procure@cefas.gov.uk. Please use email subject title: CEFAS26-86 ITT for Thames Survey Vessel Charter - bidder pack request

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c4bf
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063418-2026
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
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

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


CPV Codes

34513100 - Fishing vessels

34513550 - Survey vessels

79311000 - Survey services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£330,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£330,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Jul 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
4 Aug 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
24 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCIENCE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

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
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

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

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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