---
title: "Captive Rearing of Afon Irfon & Dee Freshwater Pearl Mussels 25-26"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATURAL RESOURCES WALES"
published: "2025-11-27"
---

# Captive Rearing of Afon Irfon & Dee Freshwater Pearl Mussels 25-26

Buyer: NATURAL RESOURCES WALES  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b.json)

## Summary

The procurement process involves a direct contract award by Natural Resources Wales, a central government public authority, for the 'Captive Rearing of Afon Irfon & Dee Freshwater Pearl Mussels' project for the year 2025-26. The contract, amounting to a gross value of £39,000, was signed on 10th October 2025 with the period spanning from 20th October 2025 to 20th April 2026. The competitive tender processes were bypassed due to the specialised nature of the service, which falls under endangered species protection services. The procurement is geographically focused on the UK, specifically in Wales, and governed by Welsh devolved regulations.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in environmental protection and biological expertise, particularly those specialising in endangered species. Given its trajectory for specialised services that require unique expertise in juvenile pearl mussel rearing, this contract is best suited to organisations with technical capabilities in aquaculture and water management. There is potential for growth through collaboration with the Natural Resources Wales and enhancing this niche service further within the environmental conservation sector.

## Notice

Rearing juvenile pearl mussels is a difficult and highly specialist activity that requires a combination of technical expertise, attention to detail, and excellent water quality. It is not carried out commercially and there is therefore no reason to expect a market to develop. In Britain, only three hatcheries are known to carry this out: the FBA; EA's Kielder hatchery, and NRW's Clywedog hatchery. Other facilities occur in Ireland, France, Norway and Luxemburg.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077775-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 Nov 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Oct 2025 |
| Contract period | 19 Oct 2025 - 20 Apr 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £32,500 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATURAL RESOURCES WALES |
| Locality | CARDIFF |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF10 3NQ |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL52 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |
| Local authority | Cardiff |
| Electoral ward | Cathays |
| Westminster constituency | Cardiff South and Penarth |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | FRESHWATER BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 90721700 - Endangered species protection services

## Release History

- 27 Nov 2025 at 15:27 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077775-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077775-2025
  27th November 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
- 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-05ea5b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ea5b.json.