---
title: "UKRI-4855 North Sea Late Cenozoic Environments"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-050020"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-050020"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050020.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050020.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Missing"
published: "2025-04-09"
---

# UKRI-4855 North Sea Late Cenozoic Environments

Buyer: Missing  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-050020

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## Summary

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "UKRI-4855 North Sea Late Cenozoic Environments," which involves the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD). This project seeks a marine coring capability and suitable vessel for a scientific drilling campaign in the North Sea Basin, offshore Denmark, lasting approximately 90 days between May and September 2026. The industry's main categories are offshore drilling services and core drilling, with key engagement activities for interested contractors scheduled between April and May 2025. Milestones include expressions of interest due by 30th June 2025, followed by further market engagements.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specializing in marine and geological services to contribute to critical scientific research regarding Earth's climatic history. Companies with extensive experience in offshore drilling and core sampling are particularly well-suited to compete for this contract, valued at an estimated €15 million. Engaging in this procurement process could not only enhance a business’s portfolio but also position it as a key player in cutting-edge climate and ecological research projects, paving the way for potential future collaborations.

## Notice

The British Geological Survey (BGS), acting on behalf of the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD), requires a marine coring capability and suitable vessel to operate in the North Sea Basin, offshore Denmark, for a scientific drilling, coring campaign for a period of 90 days (estimated) between May and September 2026. This scientific coring project seeks to extend our understanding of Earth's dynamics during the last 50 ice ages and the warmer periods between them. The North Sea Basin is an area that was heavily impacted by these ice age cycles as climate fluctuated between fully glacial to warmer-than-present conditions. The continuous sediment accumulation found in this marine environment should be thought of as a 'tape recorder' that contain an almost complete record of glacial-interglacial episodes, providing insight on Europe's past climate, ecology, and large river systems over the last ~3.3 million years. In this expedition, we aim to collect geological samples to gain insight into the baseline dynamics and thresholds for depositional and ecosystem regime shifts, as well as biodiversity turnover driven by rapid climate changes. This research will help us better understand the environmental responses to modern-day warming. The project requires a contractor to provide a suitable platform or vessel from which to drill one borehole 1200 metres below the sea floor from a water depth ranging between 28 metres and 60 metres For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-title/5X56S85A5M To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/5X56S85A5M

### Planning Information

UKRI are seeking to engage with interested contractors prior to going to market, Contractors are encouraged to express their interest in the opportunity via the Delta esourcing portal. Following an expression of interest, contractors may be invited to further engagement activities to be completed in April and May 2025.
To express interest in this opportunity, please go to: https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/5X56S85A5M

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014119-2025 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 Apr 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 6 Jul 2025 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Dec 2025 - 30 Sep 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £15,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Missing |
| Additional buyers | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 76 - Services related to the oil and gas industry

### Codes

- 76320000 - Offshore drilling services
- 76340000 - Core drilling

## Release History

- 9 Apr 2025 at 18:05 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014119-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014119-2025
  9th April 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/5X56S85A5M
- https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-title/5X56S85A5M
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-050020. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050020.json.