--- title: "Maerl habitat mapping Project 2025-26: Fal and Helford SAC" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "NATURAL ENGLAND" published: "2025-09-16" --- # Maerl habitat mapping Project 2025-26: Fal and Helford SAC Buyer: NATURAL ENGLAND Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8.json) ## Summary The recent contracting process by Natural England, a public authority within the central government, focuses on the "Maerl habitat mapping Project 2025-26: Fal and Helford SAC". This procurement falls within the Marine survey services category. It requires an acoustic and drop-down video (DDV) survey to map maerl habitats in Cornwall, overlapping the Falmouth Bay to St Austell Bay SPA. The contract, valued at £59,998 including VAT, requires fieldwork completion by 30 November 2025, with the entire project wrapping up by February 2026. The project has moved to the award stage, with ENVISION MARINE LTD. as the selected supplier, operating under an active contract from 17 September 2025 to 31 March 2026. The open procurement method was applied, facilitating a competitive process below the threshold for open competition. This tender opens significant business growth opportunities, particularly for SMEs with expertise in marine habitat mapping, acoustic and visual survey methods, and post-survey data analysis. Businesses equipped with sidescan sonar and appropriate vessels, and adhering to NMBAQC and MEDIN standards, will find this contract particularly fitting. Furthermore, companies capable of delivering detailed technical reports, GIS maps, and conducting quality assessments will be able to leverage this contract to build their credentials and expand their portfolio in marine survey services. The structured procurement process and clear deadlines demand strong project management skills, offering a robust platform for businesses to demonstrate their capability in delivering high-stakes government projects. ## Notice Natural England seeks contractors for an acoustic and drop-down video (DDV) survey in Autumn 2025 to collect high-quality data on maerl habitat within the Fal and Helford SAC overlapping the Falmouth Bay to St Austell Bay SPA. This data will assess the extent, quantify live vs dead subtidal maerl, verify acoustic survey results, analyse data, produce a report, and import datasets into Marine Recorder Online. Estimated contract value: PS59,998 (including VAT) Contract period: September 2025 - February 2026 Fieldwork completion: by 30 November 2025 Location: Fal and Helford SAC overlapping area of Falmouth Bay to St Austell Bay SPA and Manacles MCZ, Cornwall Opportunity Details The objective is to analyse data on the distribution and extent of subtidal maerl communities to provide evidence for assessing site changes and monitoring future changes. This will also provide baseline information on maerl habitats within the remaining Falmouth Bay to St Austell Bay SPA areas overlapping Fal and Helford SAC. Suppliers will be expected to: Conduct sidescan sonar and DDV surveys assessing maerl habitat extent, distribution, and condition in Falmouth Bay and Carrick Roads, following NMBAQC guidelines and building on prior work (2021-24). Analyse stills and video to assess % cover of live and dead maerl, habitat types, and boundaries in line with MEDIN and NMBAQC standards. Compare results with existing datasets (e.g., CIFCA, Envision surveys) to inform condition assessments. Produce GIS-compatible habitat maps and metadata, including confidence assessments and QA (minimum 10% of data). Supply a technical report, Marine Recorder-ready data, and a sampling plan for Natural England approval before fieldwork. Supplier Requirements: Proven expertise in marine habitat mapping, particularly maerl or similar benthic habitats, using acoustic and visual survey methods. Access to appropriate survey vessels and equipment (sidescan sonar, DDV), either owned or subcontracted, meeting NMBAQC and MEDIN standards. Capability in image and video analysis following NMBAQC's 'Epibiota Remote Monitoring' protocols, quantifying live and dead maerl per Axelsson (2023) categorisation scheme. Experience delivering detailed technical reports with GIS maps, confidence assessments, MEDIN-compliant metadata, and QA standards (>=10% image QA). Strong project management to meet deadlines and deliverables by February 2026. Procurement Process: A Request for Quotation (RFQ) with scope, deliverables, and evaluation criteria will be issued. The tender window will remain open for a minimum of three weeks. Questions will be answered via the designated procurement platform. Contract Award Target Date: 1st September 2025 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057016-2025 | | Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | SME | | All stages | Tender, Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 16 Sep 2025 | | Submission deadline | 29 Aug 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 15 Sep 2025 | | Contract period | 16 Sep 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £49,999 | | Lots value | £49,999 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | £49,925 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Complete | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Active | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NATURAL ENGLAND | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1P 4DF | | 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 | TLK South West (England) | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | ENVISION MARINE | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services ### Codes - 71354500 - Marine survey services ## Release History - 16 Sep 2025 at 14:21 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057016-2025 - 28 Aug 2025 at 14:01 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052055-2025 - 22 Aug 2025 at 08:52 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050727-2025 - 21 Aug 2025 at 07:21 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050362-2025 - 20 Aug 2025 at 16:23 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050338-2025 - 20 Aug 2025 at 15:25 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050313-2025 - 20 Aug 2025 at 14:58 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050286-2025 - 1 Aug 2025 at 19:54 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045441-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057016-2025 16th September 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/052055-2025 28th August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050727-2025 22nd August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050362-2025 21st August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050338-2025 20th August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050313-2025 20th August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050286-2025 20th August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045441-2025 1st August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-3776 RfQ - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-3777 Contract Draft - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-4475 Commercial Response - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-4512 Clarification to Bidders Questions - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/A-4649 Clarification to bidders questions ## Notice URLs - http://www.envision.uk.com - 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-056bd8. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056bd8.json.