---
title: "Training for Great Crested Newt (GCN)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-067dea"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067dea"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067dea.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067dea.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ENVIRONMENT AGENCY"
published: "2026-04-08"
---

# Training for Great Crested Newt (GCN)

Buyer: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-067dea

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067dea)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067dea.json)

## Summary

The procurement process documented pertains to the "Training for Great Crested Newt (GCN)" initiative by the Environment Agency. The project falls under the education and training services industry and is based in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting the UK region UKK24. This process is currently in the award stage, with ARC Ecological Services Limited being chosen as the supplier. The procurement was conducted through a direct method, classified as below threshold and without competition. The contract period spans from 8th April 2026 to 30th April 2028, addressing the need to bolster ecological training within the agency's biodiversity teams.

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities for companies specialising in ecological services and training, particularly those with expertise in biodiversity and protected species surveying. The focus on the Great Crested Newt survey training suggests a demand for businesses with ecological and environmental conservation experience. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social enterprises (VCSEs) are identified as suitable contenders for such opportunities, given the Environment Agency's efforts to restore ecological expertise and resilience within its teams. Businesses that can provide certified training and support biodiversity-related permits and capital schemes may find this an advantageous prospect.

## Notice

Training provided by an experienced great crested newt (GCN) ecologist required to enable our staff to have an understanding of GCN survey and help to enable them to be added as registered users for our organisational licence, which allows us to survey GCN. Understanding of GCN ecology and survey techniques and increased addition as registered persons to our organisational licence issued by Natural England. - Biodiversity teams have a responsibility to respond on permits that we issue and capital schemes being developed to ensure protected species are considered and where necessary mitigation provided on our own works if impact cannot be avoided This is part of our EA duties under regulation activities we are responsible for - There has been a high turnover of biodiversity staff in the last few years and loss of experienced officers and ecological experience. It is difficult to recruit ecologists into the team and therefore, new officers have no experience in GCN surveying. The training is necessary to create resilience again within teams and provide business support which is required

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031912-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 8 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | 7 Apr 2026 - 30 Apr 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £10,404 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## 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 | ARC ECOLOGICAL SERVICES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services

## Release History

- 8 Apr 2026 at 11:50 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031912-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031912-2026
  8th April 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-067dea. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067dea.json.