---
title: "Environmental Impact of Harvesting Marram"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-077d22"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-077d22"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077d22.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077d22.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Historic Environment Scotland"
published: "2026-09-30"
---

# Environmental Impact of Harvesting Marram

Buyer: Historic Environment Scotland  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-077d22

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## Summary

Historic Environment Scotland is commissioning specialist ecological research into the environmental and coastal effects of harvesting marram grass in the Western Isles, including whether and how it can be harvested sustainably for traditional thatching. The work continues an existing multi-year study, rather than starting a new investigation. Completed research includes desk-based work, baseline surveys, site selection and permissions, development of the trial method, and the first year of cutting trials. The remaining work must maintain consistent methods, site knowledge, interpretation of data and relationships with stakeholders through to the study’s conclusion. This is research services (CPV 73110000), delivered in the Western Isles, Scotland.

The procurement is complete and Historic Environment Scotland selected Boreas Ecology for the single lot. The award is active, and the contract is also active. The contract was signed on 29 September 2026 and is valued at £81,100. The wider research programme began in 2022 and is due to conclude in 2030; four of its eight years had been completed when the requirement was described. The buyer used a limited procedure without prior publication of a competition, intending to award on the basis that competition was absent for technical reasons. Its stated justification was that the specialist had gathered research and data over the preceding four to five years and was critical to completing the work. No evaluation criteria are stated.

For a future requirement of this kind, a credible supplier would need specialist ecological research capability and demonstrable experience of coastal fieldwork, marram harvesting and its environmental effects. Continuity is particularly important: the selected consultant’s existing research, accumulated site knowledge and data interpretation were central to the buyer’s decision, alongside the ability to preserve the established methodology and maintain stakeholder relationships. Suppliers would need to manage a long-running study involving baseline evidence, site permissions and selection, designed trials and analysis of whether harvesting can be sustained for traditional thatching. The award shows demand for a specialist able to carry work through several years, rather than deliver a standalone survey. Historic Environment Scotland’s stated reliance on technical continuity also indicates that competing credibly may require evidence of relevant prior involvement or a strong means of transferring and maintaining project knowledge.

## Notice

Research examining the environmental impacts of harvesting marram in key coastel areas of the Western Isles

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) intends to award this contract under the conditions of regulation 33.4.b(ii) of the Public Contracts (Scotland) regulations. HES requires a specialist ecological consultant to continue delivery of an existing multi-year research project assessing the environmental and coastal implications of harvesting marram grass in the Western Isles, and determining whether, and how, marram grass can be harvested sustainably for traditional thatching. The project began in 2022 and is due to conclude in 2030. Four years of the eight-year programme have now been completed, including desktop research, baseline survey work, site selection, permissions, development of the trial methodology and initiation of the first year of cutting trials. The remaining work depends on maintaining consistency in methodology, site knowledge, data interpretation and stakeholder relationships across the full study period. The intention is to put in place a contract to allow completion of the research.

### Procurement Information

HES intends to award to the supplier on the basis that competition is absent for technical reasons. Research and data have been gathered over the past 4-5 years by a specialist who is critical in finishing this work based on their research so far.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092180-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £81,100 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Postcode area | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH9 1SH |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | Southside/Newington |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh South |
| Delivery location | TLM64 Na h-Eileanan Siar |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Boreas Ecology |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services

## Release History

- 30 Sep 2026 at 10:02 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092180-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://historicenvironment.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000844042
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=844042
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00164

## 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-077d22. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-077d22.json.