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CP2821-26 Study of Carbon Sequestration and Soil Health Impacts within Highway Earthworks

Devon County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

02 Oct 2026 at 15:39

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Devon County Council is seeking research and technical analysis into how highway construction affects soil carbon and soil health, and whether biochar, enhanced mineral weathering and mycorrhizal fungi can improve carbon sequestration and long-term storage. The study supports the council’s carbon-reduction work on the A382 Link Road near Newton Abbot, including its carbon-negative ambitions. The work concerns highway earthworks, verges and associated landscape areas, and is intended to investigate the potential for these approaches to be incorporated into conventional earthworks. The service combines environmental research, ground investigation and analysis or consultancy. Delivery is in Devon, in the Newton Abbot area.

The buyer invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. The procurement reached the tender stage. The deadline for questions was 23 October 2026 at midnight, and the submission deadline was 30 October 2026 at 12:00 noon. The contract period is scheduled to run from 20 November 2026 to 1 June 2029. The stated available budget is £150,000 to £170,000; the upper estimated value is £170,000 excluding VAT (£204,000 including VAT). There is one lot. Award is based on a price-and-quality assessment: price is assessed on total cost, while quality is assessed against the tender documentation. The council’s published selection criteria are set out in the tender documentation.

This opportunity is suited to suppliers able to design and deliver applied environmental research into soils and carbon in the context of highway construction. Relevant strengths include assessing how earthworks affect soil carbon and health, and investigating biochar, enhanced mineral weathering and mycorrhizal fungi as potential interventions. Suppliers should be able to evaluate carbon sequestration and longer-term storage in highway verges and landscape areas, and relate findings to practical earthworks operations. The work calls for research, technical analysis or consultancy, and ground investigation capability. Small and medium-sized enterprises are considered suitable. The competitive assessment balances total cost with the quality of the proposed approach; suppliers will need to demonstrate a credible research and analysis plan suited to the road development’s carbon-reduction objectives.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

CP2821-26 Study of Carbon Sequestration and Soil Health Impacts within Highway Earthworks

Notice Description

Devon County Council (DCC), is delivering the A382 Link Road Development near Newton Abbot, Devon. In addition to the main scheme, additional funding has been made available through the ADEPT Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads programme to fund carbon reduction measures on the project. The scheme seeks not only to improve highway safety, network resilience and traffic flow, but also to demonstrate innovative approaches to reducing and removing carbon emissions from highway construction activities. As part of the project's carbon-negative aspirations, DCC wishes to investigate the impact of construction activities on soil carbon levels and the potential benefits of incorporating biochar, enhanced mineral weathering and mycorrhizal fungi into traditional highway earthworks operations. Emerging research suggests that these products may increase carbon sequestration rates, improve soil health and increase long-term carbon storage within highway verges and associated landscape areas. The budget available is between PS150,000 and PS170,000 further details on the cost strategy are given in the documentation.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078004
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093474-2026
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
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

90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

CPV Codes

71351500 - Ground investigation services

71621000 - Technical analysis or consultancy services

73110000 - Research services

90710000 - Environmental management

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£170,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£170,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Oct 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
30 Oct 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
20 Nov 2026 - 1 Jun 2029 2-3 years
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
Devon County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EXETER
Postcode
EX2 4QD
Postcode Area
Exeter
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK43 Devon CC
Delivery Location
TLK43 Devon CC
Local Authority
Exeter
Electoral Ward
Newtown and St Leonard's
Westminster Constituency
Exeter

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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