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Marine Survey Vessel

Scottish Natural Heritage

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

18 Aug 2026 at 13:28

Tender Notice
TenderUpdate

18 Aug 2026 at 13:26

Tender Notice
TenderUpdate

18 Aug 2026 at 13:25

Tender Notice
Tender

24 Jul 2026 at 10:31

Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Scottish Natural Heritage (NatureScot) is procuring the design, manufacture, commissioning and delivery of a replacement marine survey vessel and trailer. The vessel will replace the 24-year-old Aphrodite, which has reached the end of its recommended service life. It must be a versatile, safe and reliable platform for marine environmental monitoring in Scotland’s inshore waters, including waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast. Required activities include Marine Protected Area monitoring, benthic habitat and species surveys, evidence gathering, diver-based surveys, sampling, drop-down video and remotely operated vehicle surveys, scientific equipment deployment and recovery, acoustic monitoring and hydrographic surveys. The vessel must support personnel and equipment safely during operations in remote coastal and island locations, including the Shiant Isles, Mingulay and Sanday in Orkney. Scotland Excel is conducting the tender for NatureScot but will not hold or manage the contract.

The procurement has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through an open procedure, with electronic submission required. The tender closing deadline, following supplier-requested amendments, is 26 August 2026 at 12:00 BST; bids are to remain valid for 120 days. The contract period is 180 days, and the award process is scheduled to begin at the closing time. There is one lot covering the vessel and trailer, with no variants or renewal option. The estimated procurement value is £188,000. Offers will be evaluated on quality at 70% and price at 30%. The vessel is for delivery and use in Scotland’s inshore waters. English is the submission language. Electronic ordering and payment are used, while electronic invoicing is permitted. The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.

This opportunity suits boat designers, specialist boatbuilders and marine engineering firms able to deliver a complete survey vessel and trailer, from design through manufacture, commissioning and delivery. Strong candidates will understand the operational demands of environmental and scientific work at sea, rather than supplying a general-purpose leisure or commercial craft. The required capability includes safe carriage of personnel and equipment, support for divers and sampling, deployment and recovery of monitoring equipment, and integration or accommodation of drop-down video, remotely operated vehicle, acoustic and hydrographic survey activities. Experience designing robust vessels for coastal, island and remote-location operations would be directly relevant. Suppliers also need the production, testing, commissioning and delivery capacity to provide a dependable working platform that meets applicable regulatory requirements and can support varied scientific and operational missions.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Marine Survey Vessel

Notice Description

NatureScot's survey vessel, Aphrodite, is a 24-year-old rigid hull inflatable boat that has reached the end of its recommended service life. NatureScot therefore requires the design, manufacture, commissioning, and delivery of a replacement versatile survey vessel and trailer capable of conducting marine environmental monitoring for a range of diverse habitats and species in Scotland's inshore waters.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The vessel will be used by NatureScot to undertake marine environmental monitoring and survey activities within Scotland's inshore waters (within 12nm). The vessel shall provide a safe, reliable, and versatile platform capable of supporting a range of scientific and operational activities, including: - Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring - Benthic habitat surveys - Species monitoring and evidence-gathering - Diver-based surveys and sampling - Drop-down video (DDV) and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys - Deployment and recovery of scientific monitoring equipment - Acoustic monitoring and hydrographic survey activities - Operations in remote coastal and island locations (e.g. Shiant Isles, Mingulay and Sanday (Orkney)) The vessel shall be capable of supporting these activities whilst carrying personnel and equipment safely in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements. Additional information: Scotland Excel is acting on behalf of Scottish Natural Heritage (NatureScot) in the execution of this tender but will not be party to the contract or the management of the contract throughout its lifetime. The duration of the contract may be varied in line with the finalised delivery programme.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d2e1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078548-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34500000 - Ships and boats

34520000 - Boats

34521000 - Specialised boats

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£188,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
24 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Scottish Natural Heritage
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
INVERNESS
Postcode
IV3 8NW
Postcode Area
Inverness
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM2 Highlands and Islands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM20 Highlands and Islands
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland
Local Authority
Highland
Electoral Ward
Inverness West
Westminster Constituency
Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire

Further Information

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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