---
title: "Black Grouse and Wading Birds"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Durham County Council"
published: "2026-08-25"
---

# Black Grouse and Wading Birds

Buyer: Durham County Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32

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## Summary

Durham County Council commissioned specialist black grouse and wading-bird conservation work in the North East of England. The requirement covers surveys to establish black grouse population size and distribution, comparison with national surveys, and a foraging study using tagged birds to investigate brood-rearing habitats and inform habitat management. It also supports the council’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, including biological recording, improved field mapping and monitoring, protection of known populations and lek sites through land management, and measures to increase the distribution of black grouse and waders by improving breeding and wintering conditions. The procurement is categorised as works, although the described activities are ecological surveying, wildlife research, biological recording and conservation management. Durham County Council is the buyer.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award under the council’s contract procedure rules, below the relevant threshold and without competition. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust was selected for the single lot. The contract was signed on 24 August 2026 and runs from 31 August 2026 to 30 September 2028. Its value is £50,000 excluding VAT and £60,000 including VAT. The award is active and the contract is active. Evaluation was not competitive because the council used a direct-award route. The published outcome identifies the successful supplier and confirms that the requirement is being delivered as one complete lot rather than divided into separate work packages.

This opportunity indicates demand from Durham County Council for a specialist nature-recovery partner able to combine field ecology, bird population surveys, biological recording and practical habitat-management advice. A credible future supplier would need expertise in black grouse and wading-bird ecology, including population and distribution surveys, national-survey comparison, lek-site monitoring and assessment of breeding and wintering conditions. Experience designing or carrying out bird-tagging studies would be relevant, particularly where the work links movement or behaviour to brood-rearing habitat and land management. Suppliers should also be able to turn field evidence into accurate mapping, monitoring data and clearly prioritised measures for a local nature-recovery strategy. The completed direct award shows that this buyer values an established specialist capable of delivering an integrated conservation and research requirement.

## Notice

Direct Award under the Contract procedure Rules of the Council .Black grouse survey to establish population size/distribution and compare with national surveys. Grouse foraging study. Black grouse breed poorly, recovery is dependent on improving breeding. Tagging a sample of birds allow investigation into brood rearing habitats and management for habitats. Local Nature Recovery Strategy priorities and measures OA 01:Biological recording to help inform nature recovery BR 2:Populations of Black Grouse are secured and their distribution increased BR 03:Further field surveys to establish more accurate mapping and monitoring BR 01:Known populations and lek sites are secured through land management BR 3:Populations of the waders are secured and distribution increased BR 02:Expand the distribution of waders by providing the right conditions for breeding/wintering birds

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080688-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Works |
| 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 | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 Aug 2026 - 30 Sep 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £50,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Durham County Council |
| Locality | DURHAM |
| Postcode area | Durham |
| Postcode | DH1 5WB |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC41 Durham |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| Electoral ward | Framwellgate & Newton Hall |
| Westminster constituency | City of Durham |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 45 - Construction work

### Codes

- 45000000 - Construction work

## Release History

- 25 Aug 2026 at 10:09 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080688-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/080688-2026
  25th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.durham.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-06eb32. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06eb32.json.