---
title: "Studying and Assessing the Benthic Response to Electrical Stimuli (SABRES)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07817a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07817a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07817a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07817a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION PLC"
published: "2026-10-06"
---

# Studying and Assessing the Benthic Response to Electrical Stimuli (SABRES)

Buyer: NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION PLC  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07817a

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07817a)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07817a.json)

## Summary

National Grid Electricity Transmission commissioned research into how seafloor organisms respond to electromagnetic fields from high-voltage submarine cables. The work is intended to assess whether these fields can harm marine ecosystems as long-distance interconnector cables are installed to support the transition to net zero. The scope covers research and development services, including experimental development and research consultancy, under the Studying and Assessing the Benthic Response to Electrical Stimuli (SABRES) project. National Grid Electricity Transmission is the buying organisation. The award describes delivery in the United Kingdom, but does not name a particular site or seabed area. The requirement is suited to organisations working in marine ecology, benthic science, environmental impact assessment and applied research on electromagnetic effects.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded to the University of Southampton. National Grid used a selective procedure and made the award under an existing framework; the call-off was not competitive. The award date was 6 October 2026. The awarded value is £859,867 excluding VAT (£1,031,840.40 including VAT). The contract period runs from 6 October 2026 to 31 October 2028, with an extension possible up to 31 March 2031. Any extension is subject to an approved variation for additional time or cost. The process was divided into one lot. The published data does not give the evaluation criteria or supplier eligibility requirements.

For suppliers who did not win, this award indicates that National Grid will commission specialist research to understand and assess the ecological effects of electromagnetic fields from submarine power cables. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need to show capability in benthic and marine ecological research, experimental study design, field or laboratory assessment, and interpretation of electromagnetic exposure and organism response. Experience translating scientific findings into evidence relevant to environmental impact and infrastructure development would be pertinent to this buyer’s stated purpose. The selected supplier is a large university, suggesting that research depth and the ability to deliver a substantial, multi-year programme matter. The work sits within a framework route, so suppliers seeking similar work should consider whether they can access relevant frameworks as well as demonstrate the technical research capability.

## Notice

High voltage submarine cables produce electromagnetic fields (EMF) external to the cable due to current flowing within their metallic components, primarily the main conductor. While the magnitude of these fields decays rapidly with separation from the cables, reducing to background levels within 10's of meters, cable circuits extend continuously across the seabed for 100's of km. Accurately quantifying and understanding the impact of anthropogenic EMF on seafloor organisms is therefore vital. Given the significant volume of new interconnector systems being installed/planned (e.g. For the Eastern Green Link projects (1-4) represent ~1800km of cable circuit), it is important to ensure that this transition to net zero does not result in ecological harm.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094167-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Award under framework |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 6 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £859,867 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION PLC |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | Central London |
| Postcode | WC2N 5EH |
| 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 | University of Southampton |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73111000 - Research laboratory services
- 73120000 - Experimental development services
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 73300000 - Design and execution of research and development

## Release History

- 6 Oct 2026 at 11:20 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094167-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094167-2026
  6th October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h6vhtk-061465
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.southampton.ac.uk/

## 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-07817a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07817a.json.