---
title: "Marine Macrobenthic Invertebrate Sample Analysis (2025-2033)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-058c49"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-058c49"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058c49.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058c49.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ENVIRONMENT AGENCY"
published: "2026-01-05"
---

# Marine Macrobenthic Invertebrate Sample Analysis (2025-2033)

Buyer: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-058c49

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## Summary

The Environment Agency, located in London, has led an open framework agreement titled "Marine Macrobenthic Invertebrate Sample Analysis (2025–2033)" as part of the procurement process, on behalf of the Defra Group. This contract involves the analysis of marine macrobenthic invertebrate samples from UK waters, supporting statutory monitoring under directives like the Water Framework Directive. The contract, valued at approximately £4.9 million over a maximum of eight years, officially commenced on 12 December 2025. The procurement was conducted via an open procedure, with the initial contract period ending on 11 December 2028, and extensions possible until 2033. The industry category of this procurement is research services, pertinent to environmental and coastal monitoring.

This framework presents significant growth opportunities, especially for companies specialising in environmental research and analysis. Suppliers like Hebog Environmental Limited, APEM Limited, Thomson Environmental Consultants Limited, Ocean Ecology Limited, and the University of Hull, who have been awarded places within this framework, benefit from a steady stream of projects awarded via mini-competitions. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with expertise in environmental services and robust analytical capabilities may find particularly fertile ground for expanding their operations by participating in similar procurement opportunities. Such frameworks promote business growth by facilitating long-term working relationships and offering a structured environment to compete for ad-hoc assignments catered to specific business needs.

## Notice

The Marine Macrobenthic Invertebrate Sample Analysis Framework (2025-2033) is an open framework agreement led by the Environment Agency on behalf of the Defra Group, with an estimated value of PS4.9 million over eight years (excluding VAT). The Framework will comprise of 5 Suppliers. The contract starts on 12 December 2025 and expires on 11 December 2028. The Contract may run until 11 December 2033, subject to the extensions provision.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Duration: Initial 3 years + optional extensions (1+2+2 years)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000446-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 18 Sep 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 4 Nov 2025 |
| Contract period | 12 Dec 2025 - 11 Dec 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £4,900,000 |
| Lots value | £4,900,000 |
| Awards value | £4,900,000 |
| Contracts value | £4,900,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active, Pending |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ENVIRONMENT AGENCY |
| Additional buyers | DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS |
| 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 | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 5 |
| Supplier names | APEM; HEBOG ENVIRONMENTAL; OCEAN ECOLOGY; THOMSON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS; UNIVERSITY OF HULL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction

## Release History

- 5 Jan 2026 at 16:21 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000446-2026
- 4 Dec 2025 at 15:36 - AwardUpdate - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079844-2025
- 14 Nov 2025 at 15:03 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074066-2025
- 21 Aug 2025 at 14:26 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050595-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000446-2026
  5th January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079844-2025
  4th December 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074066-2025
  14th November 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050595-2025
  21st August 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://atamis-9529.my.site.com/s/Welcome
- https://defra-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- 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-058c49. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-058c49.json.