---
title: "79986"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-029612"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029612"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029612.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029612.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL"
published: "2021-02-24"
---

# 79986

Buyer: DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-029612

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029612)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029612.json)

## Summary

The procurement process titled "79986" was conducted by the Defra Network eTendering Portal, focusing on research services within the environmental protection industry. The process is currently in the Award stage, having been signed on 3rd February 2021, and relates to the UK region. The procurement involved a limited method, termed as a Single Tender Action, indicating no prior competition. The total contract value is £79,986, with an emphasis on developing and assessing the viability of underutilised crops for UK agricultural systems.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in agricultural research, crop breeding, and sustainable farming practices. Companies that specialise in innovative agricultural technologies, environmental consultancy, or those that promote alternative crop production methods would be particularly well-suited to compete. The focus on enhancing crop diversity and sustainability aligns well with the growing demand for environmentally friendly farming solutions, opening pathways for collaboration with key stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

## Notice

79986

### Lot Information

Lot 1

1. Summary There are an estimated 369,000 known species of flowering plants, but only about 7,000 have been cultivated for food, forage, fibre or fuels, with just 30 underpinning the world's food supply. In the UK, 75% of arable-farmed land is accounted for by three crops: wheat, barley and oilseed rape. Similarly, apples and strawberries account for a large proportion of the UK's fruit production, with carrots, onions and brassicas the leading vegetable crops. The dependence of our agri-food systems on relatively few crops highlights a potential risk to food security and agricultural resilience. Plant breeding and crop husbandry developments have supported high productivity to date, but on-farm yields of several key crops have shown little increase over the last three decades. For some crops, adverse weather, loss of agrochemicals and pests or diseases are leading to a decline in the area grown. With the need to support healthier diets, address climate change and protect the environment through sustainable land management, identifying economically viable alternatives that are suited to UK conditions and can enhance the diversity of cropping systems is important. New production methods like indoor/vertical farming, changing climate, advances in crop establishment and harvesting machinery and new plant breeding techniques mean that the introduction or reintroduction of some novel or underutilised crops may now be feasible. Given the potential number, it would not be possible to evaluate all such crops in the field. This project will examine the diversity of plant species and genetic resources that exist, explore the scope for these to be grown in the UK for food, feed/forage or pharmaceutical uses, and assess potential opportunities, benefits, barriers and risks for farmers, end users and the environment. A comprehensive scientific review will identify underutilised, underdeveloped and novel crops with potential to be grown successfully in the UK within diversified cropping systems. Crop groups will include cereals and grains; grain legumes/pulses; oilseeds and seeds; vegetables and tubers; fruits, vines and nuts; and forages. An evidence map will summarise available information, and a research landscape map will outline relevant key research groups and programmes. The scope to model productivity, sustainability and resilience metrics, including climate change mitigation, for new crops and diversified cropping systems will also be assessed. The full inventory of crops will then be screened against criteria relating to economic potential, ease of cultivation, environmental impact and state of knowledge/resources. This will generate a short-list of candidates for more detailed assessment, which will also involve engagement with stakeholders representing producers, advisers, breeders, end-users, environmental organisations, policymakers and researchers, to determine which crops would be preferred and potential market opportunities for UK growers and international trade. The final report will include recommendations as to the priority crops for future work/investment; how government could support their mainstreaming; knowledge gaps and how they could be filled; and knowledge exchange routes to raise awareness and achieve successful introduction of the crops.

### Procurement Information

This is a Single Tender Action. There was no competition; hence no need for publication in Official Journal of the European Union.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003754-2021 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Feb 2021 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 3 Feb 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £79,986 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFRA NETWORK ETENDERING PORTAL |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3JR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NIAB |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 24 Feb 2021 at 22:56 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003754-2021

## Notice URLs

- http://defra.bravosolutions.co.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-029612. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-029612.json.