---
title: "Next steps for realising the potential of seaweed and shellfish aquaculture for ecosystem benefit and socio-economic gain in coastal communities"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ENVIRONMENT AGENCY"
published: "2026-01-05"
---

# Next steps for realising the potential of seaweed and shellfish aquaculture for ecosystem benefit and socio-economic gain in coastal communities

Buyer: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b

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## Summary

The Environment Agency has awarded a contract titled "Next steps for realising the potential of seaweed and shellfish aquaculture for ecosystem benefit and socio-economic gain in coastal communities" to SeaGrown Ltd. This project is part of the marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme and focuses on exploring seaweed and shellfish aquaculture as pathways for sustainable ocean health improvements and economic growth. The procurement stage has been completed, with the contract signed on 15th October 2025 and running until 31st March 2026. The procurement was conducted directly without competition given its below-threshold value, and it is categorised under research services. The project is based in the North Bay of Scarborough, Yorkshire, providing a case study for potential aquaculture benefits to coastal communities.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses involved in marine biology, environmental research, and aquaculture. Companies specialising in developing marine-based, nature-friendly solutions would find this project particularly beneficial in demonstrating their capabilities and expanding their portfolio within the public sector. It can serve as a model for integrating aquaculture with the fishing industry, thereby advancing socio-economic conditions in coastal regions. The focus on sustainable growth makes this project attractive to businesses aiming to position themselves in the emerging market of marine ecological services and conservation technology.

## Notice

The project builds on work conducted over the 2024/25 FY under the marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) Programme within the EA's Land-Sea Interface project (reference NC74), which aimed to fill priority evidence gaps in our understanding and monitoring of the provision of ecosystem services by estuarine and coastal natural capital assets. A cross cutting finding of the 2024/25FY project was that there are no recognised pathways for nature-based solutions such as seaweed and shellfish aquaculture to be part of a wider market solution for improving ocean health, reducing global CO2 or improving water quality. This lack of recognition / regulation impacts markets preventing scale up and reducing the potential for socio-economic growth in coastal communities. This project works to address identified knowledge gaps and provide further insights: * Provide new insights into the role kelp plays in nutrient remediation and removal rates, carbon sequestration and biodiversity support. * Build an evidence base on the potential socio-economic opportunities that combined kelp and shellfish cultivation could provide to the fishing sector and wider coastal communities. Work focuses on options for the development and application of modular systems to meet socioeconomic needs for growth and water quality improvement by seaweed and shellfish - providing a framework for marine nature-based solutions to be recognised and incorporated into policy by regulators. The North Bay in Scarborough is used as a case study site, as a location where combined seaweed and shellfish aquaculture has the potential to improve water quality, and where poor bathing water quality is impacting coastal communities and businesses. The Yorkshire Coast also provides an ideal setting for examining the potential for integration of aquaculture and the fishing sector, as well as the wider socio-economic benefits to coastal communities. Outputs will provide evidence to inform spatial prioritisation decisions and support coastal aquaculture investment that will meet future UK conservation, economic and social drivers.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000291-2026 |
| 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 | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Oct 2025 |
| Contract period | 14 Oct 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £40,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ENVIRONMENT AGENCY |
| 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 | 1 |
| Supplier names | SEAGROWN |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 5 Jan 2026 at 12:55 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000291-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000291-2026
  5th January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-05ff4b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff4b.json.